Our Courts is a web-based education project designed to reinvigorate civics.  Spearheaded by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the project aims to provide digital learning tools that make civics engaging and relevant for middle school students.  Our Courts’ first online game, Supreme Decision, explores a student’s 1st Amendment rights in school.  Ben Brewer was recently suspended for wearing his favorite rock t-shirt to school – against dress policy.  Ben’s case goes all the way to the Supreme Court, and in the game, the Justices are split 4 – 4.  Players hear a series of arguments, navigate a series of challenges, and help their Justice cast the deciding vote!

Students from four middle school classrooms will help decide Ben’s fate.  Prior to the videoconference, each classroom will play Supreme Decision and determine whether Ben’s suspension was justified or if his 1st Amendment rights were violated.  In the videoconference, each classroom will announce their final decision and debate issues raised by the case.    Our Courts’ Executive Director Abby Taylor will answer questions about the case on issues ranging from: the First Amendment; different forms of speech; student rights in school; whether more speech is good or bad for education; and applying case precedent (Tinker vs. Des Moines School Board).

We look forward to your participation!

Photograph by Steve Petteway, from The Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States, courtesy of OurCourts.org.

Program Outline:

• Welcome/Introductions (5 Minutes)
  Each school will have 30 seconds to introduce themselves at the beginning of the videoconference. Please share the name of your school, where you are located, and an interesting fact about your school or community. We’ll call on schools in alphabetical order.
• Introductory Remarks by Our Courts Executive Director Abby Taylor (10 Minutes)
  Our Courts Executive Director Abby Taylor will discuss the Our Courts program, review the Our Courts Decision game and discuss the issues at stake, including: different forms of speech, student expression, school safety, and case precedent.

• Results Presentations (20 Minutes)
  Each school will have 5 minutes to present their class decision and their reasoning/justification for their decision. Presentations must answer the following questions:
  • Which side did your class decide for?  Ben or the School? 
  • What was the final vote?
  • Why did you decide for Ben/School? 
  • What issues informed your decision?

• Question and Answer Session/Discussion (20 Minutes)
  During this time, we will call on sites in alphabetical order to ask a question. Each site will have an opportunity to ask one question (either to our expert, Abby Taylor, or to one of the other schools who presented), and then we will move onto the next site. If time permits, we will repeat the cycle. Students should be at the microphone, ready to ask their question, prior to the moderator calling on your site.

• Wrap-Up/Final Remarks (5 Minutes)

Pre-Videoconference Activities:

• Play Supreme Decision: Students from each class should complete the Supreme Decision online game.  The game requires only an internet browser with Flash and takes approximately 30 – 45 minutes   Each student to should submit their individual game reports to their teacher, through the Email Game Report functionality provided in the game. Teachers will need to compile their class results and determine whether the majority of students were for Hamilton Middle School or Ben Brewer. 

• Create Your School Presentation: After students complete the game, devote 10 – 15 minutes to discussing the issues raised and final game results. Each school will have 5 minutes to present their class decision and their reasoning/justification for their decision. Be creative in your presentations! Use images, power point, multimedia, drama, etc. Presentations must answer the following questions:
  • Which side did your class decide for?  Ben or the School? 
  • What was the final vote?
  • Why did you decide for Ben/School? 
  • What issues informed your decision?

• Brainstorm Questions: Prior to the videoconference, Our Courts will email the participating teachers a brief worksheet to complete. This worksheet will ask for a tally of which how many students were for each side and request 2 – 3 questions raised by students after playing the game.  Each class will have a chance to ask at least one of their questions during the videoconference.

Post-Videoconference Activities:

• Reflect: Have students write a written reflection about the program or conduct a classroom dialogue with students. What did they enjoy about the videoconference? What did they learn?

Why Gaming in Education?

Ninety-seven percent of 12-17-year-olds play games using digital media, according to Pew Research. Our Courts believes that smart games have the capacity to reach kids in new ways.

Classroom games will target specific learning goals and outcomes matched to state standards. The games will be accompanied by guides for use, lesson plans, and offline classroom activities.

In the Our Courts virtual world, students will learn about the function of law in society, explore areas of law that interest them, and shape their virtual environment.

About Supreme Decision: Freedom of Speech

In this game, students will work for a Justice of the Supreme Court. They will use the First Amendment of the Constitution to help their Justice decide whether a fellow student, Ben, can be suspended from school for wearing his favorite band t-shirt. If they demonstrate good reasoning, students earn the chance to write the majority opinion for the Supreme Court. This game will ask students to explore the parameters of the First Amendments free speech guarantee so that they can assist the Justices in performing their constitutional role.