Community reviews for Executive Command

Overall, this game serves one purpose: practicing/modeling a day in the life of the executive branch. It stresses important ideas that students need to be aware of outside of the classroom like time management skills. I certainly would not rely on this by itself to teach my students the different parts and elements of the executive branch, but again, it is a great tech tool to use to have students understand the difficulty of some of the processes of government. I highly suggest only playing the game for 15-20 minutes with high schoolers. They were able to enjoy it at the beginning, but it was hard to keep them invested and engaged throughout the entire process. The only way I was able to have them stay engaged the entire time was to encourage the competitive element of the game with the public approval rating (I offered a prize to the most-liked president of each class) and have them complete a worksheet connecting what they were doing with some content-related questions we had recently discussed in class. I would not utilize this with advanced learners, mostly because the game is practicing remedial-level skills and thinking, but it could be used as a homework assignment for those that would breeze through this in class. I would highly suggest that ICivics make more accommodations for different levels and types of learners that encounter this game in the classroom. I will continue to use this game, but until then, I am forced to make my own modifications.

I think that using this tool for introduction to government and the presidency is a great idea.

I think the rigor and pace are perfect for the simulation. It makes the students think, comprehend, and assess actions. I would like a pause feature so that some students have more time to read the laws, reports, and mails. I think the counter for the term could be revised so that students are more aware of how much time is left in their term.

Good tool for a gaining interest of lower level students. It could be improved upon by adding more complexity for older students.

Overall, this is a very cool, fun little game that lets students get to be president and see how the executive branch functions and interacts with the other branches. It was much more interesting than I thought it would be, and I even got a little hooked on playing it myself.

I love what iCivics produces... game-based learning that engages students!

[Disclaimer: I worked with iCivics as a member of its Teacher Council beginning and ending in 2011.] "Executive Command" is an iCivics game that puts kids in the President's shoes. Kids pick avatars and travel around a stylized map of Washington, DC. Kids sign and veto bills at the White House and deliver them to federal agencies. Kids also address Congress to build support for chosen issues. Air Force One aids diplomacy, and the Pentagon helps wage war. "Executive Command" gives kids a useful overview of the presidency, but the game judges policies as "good" or "bad." While addressing Congress, kids have to choose between obviously correct and incorrect soundbites. While "Executive Command" captures the presidency in broad strokes, it doesn't ask kids to examine, argue, or defend nuanced positions. To earn the most points, kids must be hawks when they might otherwise be doves and endorse policies with which they might not agree. I understand why this President is a centrist, but teachers and students should talk about the moral and political dimensions of the job, as well. Playing "Executive Command" introduces, but doesn't replace, that kind of dialogue about governing.