In the Community Room of the Commons, the usual hum of classroom chatter has taken on a distinctly political tone. Papers shuffle, gavels strike, and student voices rise in debate. It’s not Washington, D.C. — but it’s the next best thing. This is Steph Sperber’s AP® American Government class, and for two weeks, it has transformed into a fully functioning mock Congress, complete with committees, floor debates, lobbyists, and even a presidential veto threat. But this isn’t your standard classroom simulation. Sperber, known among her students for her boundless creativity, designed an experience that feels more like a political drama than a lesson plan.

“I wanted them to become Congress,” Sperber said. “Not just read about it, but live it — with all the pressures, alliances, and chaos that come with being an elected representative.”Using AI as a creative partner, Sperber built an entire political universe from scratch. She started by telling the program, “I have 16 students. I need a realistic mock Congress experience — with bills that high schoolers will actually care about.”

What came back was impressive: three student-relevant legislative proposals — one on clean energy and jobs, another on social media regulation for teens, and a third addressing safe schools and gun policy. The AI even generated dossiers for each student, complete with personality traits, political leanings, and fictional backstories. These details determined which committees they would join and how they might vote. Sperber then used that foundation to assign leadership roles, such as Speaker of the House, committee chairs, and party whips.

Students walked into a classroom transformed. Their desks were rearranged into a chamber-style layout, complete with nameplates, binders, and a real gavel at the front for Juliana Chipielo, the class’s newly appointed Speaker of the House. Each binder contained a detailed packet: a personal profile, the full text of their assigned bill, summaries of the others, and committee assignments. Sperber built in time for the student/representatives to go back to their “office” and read emails and listen to voicemails from volunteer teachers acting as lobbyists and constituents. Some messages expressed support; others urged opposition. A few, written for the Speaker, hinted at legal, political, or economic threats of being primaried if certain bills didn’t pass.

Sperber said the students were really analyzing how lobbyists influence policy, and they began to see the push-and-pull between public opinion and personal conviction. How does a representative respond to a lobby’s pressure? How will your vote impact the next election? Is bipartisanship a worthy aim?

The next stage of the simulation saw students break into committees — smaller groups responsible for refining, debating, and amending the bills. Each committee had a chairperson who guided discussions according to formal procedure. Sperber even had written scripts and procedural guides, helping students use proper titles, motions, and decorum. When Speaker Chipielo was absent one day, students were greeted with a QR code on the board that led to a Google Form: “The Speaker is unavailable today, possibly campaigning for her next position. The House must elect a temporary Speaker.” This gives the students an understanding of the inner workings of Congress. “We’re not even scratching the surface,” she said. “There are so many protocols and expectations.”

At the end of the first class, Sperber gave a creative twist for homework. Students were told to imagine leaving the chamber and facing a swarm of reporters in the hallway — just like on the nightly news. They were assigned to record a 30–90 second press conference video, answering a set of five mock journalist questions about their votes and committee actions.“Students filmed from their bedrooms and hallways, donning blazers over sweatshirts, calling on “reporters” (often played by parents), and ending their interviews with dramatic exits saying that’s all they had time for today. Many students called on the reporter, “You in the back.” Another gave a walking interview down her hallway, her mom shouting questions off-camera. “They were so into it,” Sperber said, “Everyone went for it. It was just epic.”

Just when they thought the simulation couldn’t get more real, a new element appeared — the President. Teague Shamleffer was cast in the role, filmed in front of a projected Air Force One backdrop. In character, he issued a statement on the pending legislation and hinted at the possibility of a veto if bipartisan support wasn’t achieved. This unexpected twist forced students to consider the checks and balances of government — a perfect segue into the next AP unit on the executive branch. Sperber said the President’s statement had to be vague enough to put pressure, but real enough to make them react.

For Sperber, the simulation wasn’t just about learning government — it was about teaching citizenship. “I want them to see that politics isn’t just something adults do,” she said. “It’s about compromise, listening, and realizing that their voices — even simulated ones — matter.”

“Do I want academic rigor? Yes,” she said. “Do I want them to know facts? Yes. I also want them to love learning and have a sense of why it’s important and why it can be enjoyable.”