I remember civics class in seventh grade -- it was taught by one of the coaches, just like health. Somehow my public Nashville middle school thought that the squat, big-armed coaches who were great at yelling at pubescent boys would also be great at teaching us how our government worked...and how our bodies worked. I remember spending most of my time in civics daydreaming or doodling. Yet what could be more important than learning how to participate in our democracy? With today's teens tuning out the news, anyone who can figure out a way to teach the branches of government or how congress works deserves...at least $20 million. That's how much PBS is investing in multimedia content about American History and civics for teens. According to this Boston Globe editorial:

Launched in 2005, this project asked public television managers to develop media projects that "measurably improve" how middle and high school students learn civics and history. Public television was asked to work with educators, filmmakers, and high-tech content providers. This month, the corporation announced that seven of 88 proposals would get funding to develop prototypes.

Among these are "Virtual Congress," a Web-based game about getting bills passed; "Flashback," a reality show and online game about completing historic missions; and "American Dynasties," an online role-playing game in which students interact with historic figures.

I love it. Go PBS! Reaching today's totally wired teens by using media they are already immersed in like gaming is much more engaging than reading about congress or history in a text book. I love seeing how games are being used not just to teach but as tools for social change. Check out these games for some examples from Persuasive Games and mtvU's game about the situation in Darfur.

Update: There's also a new game designed to teach high school and college students about the arbitrary nature of immigration laws (definitely coming from a specific point of view).