Using Games & Videos To Enhance Constitutional Literacy

Constitutional Literacy can be a difficult as well as dry subject to study. Current events will usually give you  lots of fodder to talk about in regards to these concepts.  It’s important to me that my children know not only that something is unconstitutional but also why it’s unconstitutional. The why is just as important.

We’ve taken to watching the course videos together then discussing the questions from the end of the workbook lesson. I’m embarrassed to admit that I was not as well informed in this subject as I should have been considering I am a voter. I am learning as much if not more than the children which will definitely make me a much different voter in future elections. The great part is that the kids will be better voters from the beginning. I’m seriously proud of that fact.

I wanted to offer Maddie a whole credit for doing this course. This meant I needed to beef it up just a bit with some extras. It was easy to find books, videos and games to enhance her learning. It was the games that got all of us doing the program together. My visual learners will never pass up an opportunity to play a game. My competitive family will never pass up an opportunity to beat each other. Maddie knew all the answers because she was doing the course. That was not agreeable to anyone else, Now you know the story of how everyone in Autismland started learning Constitutional Literacy.

 Constitution Quest Game The U.S. Constitution Knowledge Cards Deck Constitution Games We the People Fight Tyranny 3rd Edition 2017

We like to leave the quiz deck out on the table to grab a card or two when we have family dinners. This happens a few times a week. Each card has a question about the Constitution or it’s interpretation on the front with the answer including an explanation on the back. It’s a guaranteed conversation starter. The kids like to grab one when we have friends over to see their opinions. What can I say? They’re weird unsocialized homeschoolers.  The other games come out once or twice a month for game night or on the rare afternoons we don’t have dance.  In addition to learning about the Constitution and it’s principles, they are great for strategy and critical thinking skills. Nothing like killing two birds with one stone.

‘s Schoolhouse Rock: America Classroom Edition [Interactive DVD]A More Perfect UnionPeanuts – This Is America, Charlie Brown

Videos are a fun way to cement concepts already learned. I have found my highly visual learners can sometimes make more sense of difficult subjects or concepts if they learn about them then play a game or watch a video.  Some catchy tune or mesmerizing scene will make the connection in their brains. Don’t discount the videos for younger children even with high school ages. They will moan and whine about it being childish but in the end, it’s often the thing that gets their attention. I like to mix in age appropriate videos with the younger ones.  No one can resist the catchy tunes of Schoolhouse Rock or the wild antics of the Peanuts gang. Both do an excellent job of explaining difficult concepts in easy to understand terms.

This is but one way we incorporated multimedia in our Constitutional Literacy studies. They are all great companions to the course. You can’t go wrong by enhancing any curriculum. We all learn in various ways. By incorporating other  media forms, you are almost guaranteed they will remember something.