Using the storypath approach to make local government understandable

Learning about local government seems boring and irrelevant to most young people, particularly to students from high-poverty backgrounds. The authors explore a promising approach for solving this problem, Storypath, which engages students in authentic learning and active citizenship. The Storypath approach is based on a narrative in which students create the setting, become the characters, and then solve the problems presented through the story's plot. The authors describe how a group of students created a small town faced with a proposed shopping mall. Students, in their roles as townspeople"”business owners, employees, and elected and appointed officials (mayor, city council members, and planning commission members)"”participated in determining what was best for their town.