Justice O'Connor and iCivics in Newsweek
July 04, 2011
...So O'Connor, 81, launched iCivics, a nonprofit organization that aims to enrich students' understanding of American history, laws, and government. While O'Connor confesses she's "not an expert" in technology (she still writes everything out by hand), she has often displayed a unique talent for finding ways to channel public opinion. Picking up where landmark games like Where in the World Is Carmen San Diego? left off, iCivics lets kids play as lawmakers, elected officials, and common citizens (interacting at times with lawyers portrayed as blue-haired, bobblehead avatars). In Do I Have a Right? kids run their own constitutional law firm. In Executive Command they act out the role of president. And in People’s Pie, they control the federal budget—taxes, entitlements, and all...