I have been a fan of iCivics, the site founded by Justice O’Connor in 2009, since 2011. Since then, the site has continued to add fun, quality activities designed to help students learn about being responsible citizens. As a response to our current educational environment, iCivics has introduced a free, quest-based resource called, “iCivics Game Odyssey,” that will encourage students to, according to the site, #shelterinplay.
To begin, students will download the Odyssey map, which will be on a Google Slide that they will copy so they can edit it. As they complete each quest, they will be able to add the badges they have earned to the map. The quests, which are also each accompanied by interactive Google Slides activities, are connected to iCivics games. New quests are scheduled to be added each Monday. If used as an assignment, teachers can have students turn in their completed Google Slides copies at the end of each quest, and the map once all badges have been earned.
There is a link on the Odyssey page to weekly planners for middle school and high school teachers who would like to use the lessons for class. (To access these, you will need to register for a free iCivics account.) Although 6-12 seem to be the targeted grade levels, I think that upper elementary students would also enjoy these activities. There is no requirement for this resource to be used by schools, so parents can feel free to provide this as an enrichment activity for their children and even play along with them.
