There is no better way to understand gerrymandering than the ReDistricting Game
Community Review for The ReDistricting Game
My Take
I love the ReDistricting Game because it is a really authentic way to understand gerrymandering. Students get to actually draw Congressional districts in such a way as to benefit one political party or the other. Typically, students understand gerrymandering in the abstract, but this makes it very real.
How I Use It
The ReDistricting Game is great for teaching about gerrymandering and congressional redistricting. I typically use it with my AP Government class. First, I teach them about Congressional redistricting and gerrymandering. Then, I model how to complete the first mission of the ReDistricting Game. Then, I let them loose with the other missions. Here's a more detailed look at <a href="http://civiceducator.org/teach-gerrymandering-redistricting-game/">how to use the ReDistricting Game to teach gerrymandering</a>. If you have a limited number of computers, you can pair students up and have them play together. It's actually more challenging - and possibly more effective - to have one student explain to another what they should do in the game.