THIRTEEN, the flagship PBS station based in New York, has launched a new version of Mission US: “For Crown or Colony?,” its award-winning interactive game for middle grade American history students. Made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the launch represents the first major step in revitalizing Mission US, one of the most successful humanities learning games now used in classrooms.
Mission US has more than 2.3 million registered users, including 80,000 teachers in all fifty states. Created to engage kids ages 9-13 in learning “from the inside” of American history, each game or “mission” puts students in the role of a young person at a pivotal point in history. In “For Crown or Colony?” the player is Nat, a 14-year-old printer’s apprentice who experiences events leading up to the Boston Massacre in 1770. As players progress through the narrative, they meet historic figures, witness key events, encounter multiple perspectives, and then make choices that reflect the challenges of the times. The series and its accompanying resources for teachers are available at no charge.
The Mission US Revitalization Initiative
Mission US launched in 2010, and the first five games in the series were built in Flash—a format that will be phased out by 2020. The revitalization of “For Crown or Colony?” begins the process of rebuilding the series in new technology, while deepening the humanities content and adding new features. The new version of “For Crown or Colony?” incorporates technical and instructional upgrades, including:
- Converting the game to the Unity engine, and strengthening core technology. The new “For Crown or Colony?” is now accessible via web streaming on PCs, Macs, and Chromebooks, and via downloadable applications for PC and Mac. An iPad version will be released in January.
- Enhancing the game’s historical scholarship, visual design, and select scenes for a more impactful learning experience.
- Integrating new and improved learning tools, including a new badge system, to enable young people to draw explicit connections between in-game choices and broader historical themes and perspectives.
The newly launched “For Crown or Colony?” includes new scenes, characters, and storylines to give players a more nuanced understanding of Loyalist perspectives and issues around British taxation laws. Additionally, the mission includes a new Epilogue sequence that follows the characters through events leading from the Boston Massacre to the outbreak of the American Revolution.
Enhanced Supports for English Language Learners and Struggling Readers
The new version also includes new accessibility features for English Language Learners and other struggling readers, including captioning of all spoken dialogue, pause/play/rewind function for video animations, and text-to-speech for all text that is not supported by voiceover. These upgrades resulted directly from educator input and requests.
Mission US Makes Serious Gaming Serious History Learning
Winner of the Games for Change Award for “Most Significant Impact,” the Mission US series has been called “one of the most captivating educational games online” and “a powerful game that all kids should experience.” Teachers have noted that the games are “a great way to make history real for 21st century learners” and “virtual learning at its finest.” Multiple research studies show that using Mission US leads to measurable gains in historical knowledge and skills among students.
The series is produced by THIRTEEN in partnership with game developer Electric Funstuff, historians from the American Social History Project, and researchers from Educational Development Center.
Educators can learn more and preview the entire series, including the newly revised “For Crown or Colony?,” a video trailer for the game, and educator support materials, online at www.mission-us.org. Additionally, a free webinar that explores ways to integrate the game into the curriculum is available as an archived recording on the EdWeb website.
Mission US is a production of THIRTEEN Productions LLC in association with WNET. The revitalization of “For Crown or Colony?” was made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor. Series funding for Mission US was provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional series funding was provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences, The Page & Otto Marx, Jr. Foundation, and the Atran Foundation. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this project, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
About WNET
WNET is America’s flagship PBS station and parent company of THIRTEEN and WLIW21, home to ALL ARTS. WNET also operates NJTV, the statewide public media network in New Jersey. Through its broadcast channels, three cable services (THIRTEEN PBSKids, Create and World) and online streaming sites, WNET brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to more than five million viewers each week. WNET produces and presents such acclaimed PBS series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, PBS NewsHour Weekend, the new nightly interview program Amanpour and Company and a range of documentaries, children’s programs, and local news and cultural offerings. WNET’s groundbreaking series for children and young adults include Get the Math, Oh Noah! and Cyberchase as well as Mission US, the award-winning interactive history experience. WNET highlights the tri-state’s unique issues and culture through NJTV News with Mary Alice Williams and MetroFocus, NYC-ARTS, Treasures of New York, Theater Close-Up, and WLIW Arts Beat. WNET creates online-only programming, including the award-winning series about gender identity, First Person. Through multi-platform initiatives Chasing the Dream: Poverty and Opportunity in America and Peril and Promise: The Challenge of Climate Change, WNET showcases the human stories around these issues and promising solutions. The weekly program SciTech Now explores the nexus of new ideas in science and technology. Through THIRTEEN Passport and WLIW Passport, station members can stream new and archival THIRTEEN, WLIW and PBS programming anytime, anywhere.
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