12th grade, we did a "Totalitarian State Simulation" -- simply called 'The Simulation'. We watched The Wave as a preview, and then spent the next two weeks re-enacting our own version of it inside and outside of class. We had a supreme leader, a student from our classroom was chosen to play that role, symbols of the state, we wore arm bands, we recited principles of the 'state'. I remember a real sense of fear living those two weeks under that system. I feared going to the grocery store, in case I ran into a classmate who might be a member of the 'Party'. If they saw me, and I wasn't wearing my arm bands, I could be tattled on the next day. I could have points removed from my grade by being caught without them, or not reciting a principle correctly from memory if commanded to. It was a sort of 'Are your papers in order?' that we could be hit up with anytime, anywhere during those two weeks. We were required to dress in black pants and white shirt, and if we didn't points could be taken from us.
However, I gained points on my grade by telling on other people, bringing gifts (soda pop, candy, etc.) as bribes for the Supreme leader and Party members. It was encouraged to make things as real as possible, to teach us what happens within that sort of society. Points could also be rewarded if we went un-caught running a propaganda campaign against the party. Posters posted in hallways, underground newsletters were published, and if after the simulation we could prove we had done it, points were rewarded to our grade. We spent a couple of weeks afterwards discussing/debating things about it. Best class I took in all of high school. It was called "American Problems" -- Brighton High School Salt Lake City, Class of 1995. Teacher's name was Mr. Chavez (first name might have been Thomas).
A few years after I graduated, they had to stop doing 'The Simulation'. It was a tradition every semester, but some students got out of hand with it. Someone made an effigy of the Supreme leader, hung from a tree at school, that sort of thing. They didn't want it to go too far, so discontinued 'The Simulation' from that year onward. I think the Simulation ended up accounting for 25% of our grade for the semester -- it was a big thing every semester. You could tell which students were in American Problems, by the armbands they wore during those two weeks.
Facebook
Twitter