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A web site that uses free computer games to put a fun spin on learning about government. iCivics.org is a rebranded, expanded version of an earlier site called OurCourts.org. Games on iCivics include "Do I Have A Right," in which the player runs a virtual firm specializing in constitutional law; "Executive Command," which offers a chance to play president; "Supreme Decision," about the Supreme Court; "Branches of Power," which gives the player control of all three branches of government; and "LawCraft," in which the player is a member of Congress. The iCivics program is based at Georgetown University Law School.

Incorporating Web sites and other online resources into the classroom allows teachers to provide students with up-to-the-minute data and resources, as many geography educators have discovered. C-SPAN's Classroom Web site attempts to fill that void for government and civics classes by giving users access to searchable video clips, some of which are available for download. The site from the cable-TV industry's nonprofit public-affairs service also provides standards-based resources-such as discussion questions, activities, and quizzes-for educators to use alongside the Web materials. Videos are grouped into six categories: principles of government, the U.S. Constitution, the legislative branch, the executive branch, the judicial branch, and political participation. Each category includes a featured video clip of a current event, along with a backlog of previous video clips from that category. Watching and downloading all videos requires registration, which is free for educators.

Get Students Involved in the Election Process The producers of the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer are preparing the.Vote and the.Gov-a series of eleven 4- to 5-minute reports on the 2008 campaign leading to the inauguration of the next president. After Election Day, the series will evolve from the.Vote to the.Gov and look at the process of forming a new government, identifying key issues for the new administration and new Congress. The video segments, hosted by the.News journalists, will be provided free to middle school and high school teachers and their students throughout the fall campaign. Each segment of the.Vote and the.Gov is accompanied by online, standards-based activities that will give students the opportunity to create multimedia works: you.Edit allows students to rework and re-edit video material provided by MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, and you.Report serves as a home for student-generated content (students' perspectives on policy issues and the election process). All segments will be closed captioned. An initial the.Vote report has been posted online, allowing educators to become familiar with the.Vote and the educational opportunities it provides. Regular production will begin in September and run up to the inauguration in January 2009.

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