On Friday, February 20, history teacher Jennifer Fernandez’s honors freshman class stepped into their new roles as the President of the United States’ advisors.
The change in positions was a part of a Cabinet simulation activity the class completed to better understand the role and function of each cabinet department. This hands-on simulation is something that Fernandez has implemented in her honors classes for several years, allowing students to deepen their understanding of executive branch departments. “This activity was followed by our unit on the original Cabinet under George Washington, which was made up of only four departments, and the goal was to have students fully appreciate how far we have come since then,” Fernandez said.
In the simulation, each student assumed the role as the head of one department. They were required to deliver an oral presentation on the three most urgent issues facing each executive agency. Students were tasked with requesting funding for certain causes, justifying each of their issues based on the urgency with which their departments oversee national affairs. Fernandez said, “This keeps them informed about our current foreign and domestic policy in the news.”
Beyond understanding the structure of the American government, students combined multiple skills for this activity. The simulation forced students to practice their independent research skills alongside public speaking and critical thinking skills. Freshman Amy Choe, who represented the Department of Justice, said, “I think finishing this activity was very beneficial towards my learning and gave me an opportunity to exercise my skill in public speaking and also step outside of my comfort zone.”
Choe admitted she was initially hesitant coming into the project. “At first, I was very intimidated by the scope of the assignment, and being assigned to the Department of Justice–one of the biggest U.S. departments with arguably the most jurisdiction in a variety of fields–heightened my anxieties,” she said. However, after beginning the project, she said, “I was able to work through my initial worries in approaching the assignment by narrowing down three key areas of focus and research.”
Completing this activity, Fernandez saw the impact a hands-on simulation like this can make: “They definitely have a better understanding of the needs and demands we face as a nation almost 250 years later.”
