DEBATE
SHPA uses a classical approach to education. Traditionally, the middle level of this model is the Logic Stage. At this stage students take what they have learned and began question in the first stage, or Grammar stage, and continue to question and explore their own beliefs. In the final stage of a classical education, the Rhetoric stage, a student learns to communicate these positions in an effective and civil manner. In eighth grade we are wrapping up the Logic stage and introducing the Rhetoric stage. Debate is a necessary tool for anyone actively participating in society. At SHPA we focus on framing our arguments with more logic and reason and less emotion and fallacies. It is a primary goal to learn how to disagree with someone, argue well for your position, and still value your opponent as a human.
"Set on a colony somewhere out in space, Quandary tasks the player with settling disputes and solving problems by building sound arguments for one side or the other. Players tackle tough issues, sort fact from opinion, gather support, and try to make the best decision for the community even though there's no clear right or wrong answer. "
-KQED
"The stakes are high in Argument Wars. Players engage in debate-style combat over real Supreme Court cases. Like other games on this list, there's a healthy focus on argumentative structure and sound support, but players must align their arguments with the U.S. Constitution. After each case, players get to dig into the case's history, finding out how events actually played out. "
-KQED
"The Republia Times might be the most stripped down game on this list, but that doesn't mean it lacks punch. It only takes 10 minutes to play and has a super simple concept –- players play the role of an editor in charge of curating a newspaper's front page. Yet it does a fantastic job of communicating the political nature of any given system. And by focusing on editing rather than writing, players see how persuasion takes different forms. "
-KQED