Lost in TIme: Interactive Civil War Game

Oh. My. Goodness. I love the state of Alabama. I love that I come from Alabama, that I live in Alabama, that Alabama is steeped in Southern charm, and that Alabama is full of a rich history. When I see a website like this one, though, which is created by the Missouri History Museum, it makes me want to say, "GET IT TOGETHER ALABAMA!" 

This game is Lost in Time and it is fantastic. It is animated. It is interactive. It is engaging. Students learn a LOT.  

The premise of the game is that students are on a field trip to the Missouri History Museum where students are not allowed to touch anything, but you as the player touch something that sends you back to Civil War times. You have to help several key types of people in order to get home. You help a civil war doctor on the battlefield, a slave escape, a homefront lady fight fire, and more. Although this game is targeted to teaching Missouri history, the students still learn great deal about what the civil war was like for people during that time.

Tip: When you let students play this game, provide a scrap piece of paper and pencil. They need to write down the code that appears after the game starts. If they are unable to finish the whole game, they can put that code in at a later time to complete the game. At the end of the game, students solve a code. I think I will require that my students turn in the resulting sentence as part of their participation grade. How many teachers do that? Play a game to get an A. I heart it.

I still wish Alabama would make one of these for Alabama...for every time period. If I knew how to make them, I SO would. If anyone from Alabama Archives or the Alabama Dept. of Education is reading this and would like to hire me to learn how to do that and to actually do it, I accept.

Enjoy!

Sail to Victory! An AWESOME 1812 USS Constitution Game

This is the second post, the follow-up post, to the last post that I posted. It is embarrassing how long I played this game. The game is Sail to Victory!, and it is project of the USS Constitution Museum. 

I taught a leave of absence for a 5th and 6th grade computer teacher at the end of the school year. The job was perfect for me. I could find computer games and play them to evaluate them basically all day while students worked and/or played whatever I assigned. I spent at least a day playing this game.

In my last post, I posted an interactive activity in which you got to explore the USS Constitution in 1812. In this game, you actually join the USS Constitution in 1812. You have to make decisions about what to buy to survive before you start. Then, you begin your job as the lowest rank in the ship, a boy. You get to do the hard and disgusting jobs, like in this picture where you have to kill the rats on the ship...and that is not the most disgusting job. You also have to make decisions about who to tattle on to the superiors, whether or not to gamble with shipmates, whether or not to participate in telling tall tales, and so much more in addition to your jobs. You get promoted as you play the game, and you earn newer, cooler jobs as you are promoted through the game. You eventually even get to shoot ships during the battles of the War of 1812! 

Coolest. Game. Ever. You participate in nearly every job that was available on the USS Constitution during 1812 as well as the social life of that time. I would tell you more, but I would like to go play again. 

Enjoy!

Bombarding Yorktown Game

This game is Bombarding Yorktown and also comes from Washington's World. This game lets you participate in the last major battle of the Revolutionary War - Yorktown. The player gets to be captain of the gun crew, directing the aim of the cannon and letting the gun crew know when to fire. The gun crew's job is to destroy the enemy's protection (walls, ships, random stuff in the way) and guns so that it will be easier for foot soldiers and infantry to attack. The game has three levels, and George Washington himself coaches you through each one. Good luck in battle!

Enjoy!

Mission: Green Santa

I found an amazing website today called Mission Green Santa. I wish that I had found it in time for you to use it for Christmas! If you have not taught your unit on "Going Green" and on being "Eco-Friendly" quite yet, though, this website will still be useful to you this school year.

The website combines an interactive cartoon world with clips from "real" people who narrate the situation at the North Pole. These people include scientists, reporters, and Mrs. Claus!

Mission Green Santa all starts with a report from a climatologist who reports that global warming is causing the runway for Santa's sleigh to melt!

The report even shows Santa's runway at the North Pole...

 

...and the cartoon map of the North Pole also features that very runway. Without that runway, Santa's sleigh cannot fly on Christmas Eve!  

SO...the climatologist calls the students (or whoever is playing) to action! The students need to help the elves make the North Pole more energy efficient so that the runway can be saved!

The students explore the North Pole to help the elves be more "green." Anytime the student finds an elf that needs help, he/she may click on the "Help and Elf!" bubble to begin helping out.

And anytime a student successfully helps an elf or makes a pledge to be more "green" in his/her own life, he/she earns "greenies", or elf money.

The student can use those greenies to buy items at the elf store that will help the elves even more!

There is so much more to explore at the North Pole at Mission Green Santa. There is a cinema, or theater, that features episodes that explain the Santa runway situation and clips of actual students being more "green" in their own lives. There is also a post office that allows students to write letters to family and friends...and to Santa! Mrs. Claus even promises to make sure that he reads every one. There is even a playground with extra games.

Cautions:

1. The website does ask the student to register with an e-mail address if they would like to continue playing where they leave off before exiting the website.

2. The website is not American-based, so American students may not be familiar with all of the terms... like "cinema" instead of "theater." 

I am so excited about this website, and I cannot wait to use it. Let me know how you use this website in your own classroom.

Enjoy!

National Geographic Kid's On the Trail of Captain John Smith: A Jamestown Adventure "Game"

I personally e-mailed National Geographic to tell them how much I love this game and that I feel that they should make MORE of them! It is so much more than a game. It is a cartoon-style video of the story of Jamestown that follows the story of John Smith. There are eight mini episodes, and there are mini-games after six of the episodes. Students will learn something through every episode and every game - SO cool. Each mini episode is about 2-3 minutes long, and each mini game is about 1-2 minutes long. I had such a great time with this interactive activity that I decided to share it here before posting it to the website! Although it will be on the student history page soon, here is the link for those of you who would like it a bit sooner: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/games/interactiveadventures/john-smith/

Fire Safety Week!

Better Late than Never! Here is the link to the Fire Safety Week games I have posted on The Box of Crayons website: http://theboxofcrayons.com/younger_holidays.htm.

I enjoyed every single game (Yes, I played them all!). The first link I posted even has old school Sparky cartoons! If I were you, I would sooo be showing them to my class tomorrow...

Enjoy!