An introduction to the game Civic Mirror

1. The Civic Mirror
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What Is?
The Civic Mirror
What kind of citizen will you become?

2. The Civic Mirror
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3. The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
THE CIVIC MIRROR STARTS WITH A

4. The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
Each student becomes
a citizen who must
provide for a

5. The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
…

6. The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview

7. The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
But …
Because there are not enough
goods and services to go around,
conflict arises as citizens
compete to provide for their
families.

8. The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
OK … so you might be thinking…
• How does this work?
• How do students live in a country?
• How do they get what they need?
• Does each student have his/her
own country, does everyone share
one?

9. The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
Every Civic Mirror country
is a 36-Hex Map!
There exists both an
economy & a natural
environment.
A class of students lives in
ONE country, and …
The actions of one affect
all!

10. The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
The hex map serves as a
“civic mirror.”
As students progress through
the simulation, their hex
map evolves to reflect their
collective struggles,
political debate, and
individual ups & downs.
Each hex simulates
something unique about
society.

11. The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
All Hexes fall into 1 of 3 categories:

12. The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
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13. The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
A QUICK RECAP
Everyone lives in the same
36-hex country
There are Wilderness,
Business, & Residence
hexes
Everyone has a fictitious
family that they need to
provide for …

14. The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
A QUICK RECAP (cont’d)
Students who own hexes
operate them as they like
And due to economic
scarcities built into the
game, some Families will
suffer more than others
So ….

15. The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
Because everyone is affected by
the decisions of the hex owners,
conflict arises as citizens debate
over how the owners should
manage their property and
assets.

16. The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
And to prevent their country from slipping
into a CHAOTIC MESS, students must
somehow GOVERN themselves!

17. The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
So participants (students) are left to their own
devices to provide for their fictitious families,
This creates ‘player stakes.’ These stakes
motivate players to participate in the political,
civic, and judicial events that occur in the
classroom.

18. The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
And !!!
Each participant is
given a political,
economic, and/or
ideological
Hidden Agenda.
These agendas give
you goals in the
game in order to
attain Status Points

19. The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
The whole scenario begs the participants to
govern themselves and institute law and order.
They immediately begin asking questions like…
o “Can he do that to me?”
o “Would I get in trouble if …?”
o “Why doesn’t somebody stop her? Or at least
say something!?”
o “Would I score points if taxes were raised?”

20. The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
Now that we understand how the scenario works
and how it generates interest, let’s learn how it
sets up classroom events that simulate the U.S.
and/or Canadian system of government, law,
and economics.
The Civic Mirror is played in rounds, called
“Years.” And every country starts in the Year
2000.
Every Year is made up of 4 in-class events, called
“Seasons.”
And instructors decide how many “Seasons” are
played.

21. The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror OverviewSeason 1 in the Canadian
Module

22. The Civic Mirror
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Civic Mirror Overview
Simulated House of Commons
WINTER
Season 1 in the Canadian
Module

23. The Civic Mirror
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Season 2 in All Modules

24. The Civic Mirror
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Season 3 in All Modules

25. The Civic Mirror
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Season 3 in All Modules
Town Hall Set Up

26. The Civic Mirror
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Season 4 in All Modules

27. The Civic Mirror
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Season 4 in All Modules
National Court Set-Up
FALL

28. The Civic Mirror
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Evaluation
• There will be many points throughout the game where
you will be asked to reflect on the activities in class
• These reflections will be collected and made into a
portfolio which will be evaluated at the end of the course
• You will also be doing a self assessment at the end of the
game based upon:
1. Status Point Accumulation
2. Game Participation and Effort
3. Initiative
4. Applying Class Content to the Game

29. The Civic Mirror
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CIVICMIRROR.COM
CIVICMIRROR.COM also comes with Web 2.0 Tools that
allow teachers and students to continue their learning and
discussions and debate beyond the classroom walls.
• Online discussion forums
• Wiki technology
• Live chat room
• CM Library (educators can share and collaborate on teaching
ideas)
• CM Mail (everyone has their own inbox for private messages)

30. The Civic Mirror
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Student Feedback
• Students prefer learning using Civic Mirror
– More interesting to get to learn through hands on experience
– More fun, easier to learn complex ideas
– Made class exciting and intense!
– Get to live through making laws and the court system and you live
through the consequences of decisions made
• Students feel they have a better grasp of what it means to
be an engaged citizen
• Students are much more informed and will want to
participate in their civic rights and duties

31. The Civic Mirror
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STUDENT REFLECTION
“I really learned a lot this term working with Civic Mirror. I
liked how everyone had their own agendas and how we had
to research the different forms of government so that we could
accomplish them to the best of our ability. It was fun to try to
find all the dictators and stop them. I also really liked how you
had to learn to come together as a community and try to keep
everyone alive, we had a lot of dead people after the first
couple years. The trials and law making parts were a lot of
fun and I really found them informational as I am thinking
about a job in criminal justice next year. This made learning
fun and I learned more in this class than any of my other
classes this year.”
~ M.B. Chemawa Indian School Senior

32. The Civic Mirror
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Advice From Students
• READ THE MANUAL!!!!!!
• listen and participate, voice your opinion and things will
happen
• Get involved! If you put in effort you will be rewarded
• Treat it like a real thing, it works better if you put a lot of
effort in
• Take on extra roles, you will understand how the
Canadian government works better
• Be happy you are not doing bookwork
• Buy a hex that can make you money
• Pay attention to new legislation being passed

33. The Civic Mirror
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Student Manual
• What next?
• Be prepared! Read over the student manual
– You will be better prepared when the game begins
– There will be reading checks worth $ in the game
– You can take advantage of those who don’t know what’s
happening!
• http://bit.ly/I4JzNq
• Now…. We need to continue on with the course so know
how our country works, and therefore Civic Mirror
• There will be a test run of the hex trading next week!