An American Revolution Video Game, Full Course

Students will go on an epic adventure through time in a video game! They will walk the streets of 1770 Boston as Nat Wheeler, a 14-year-old apprentice, and experience the American Revolution first hand! Students will make important choices throughout the lesson. This will involve group discussion and group decision making skills. As tensions rise in the colonies, will their loyalties lie with the Loyalists or the colonists? There are many paths to choose. No two adventures will be the same!

This class will focus not only on history, but on English language arts skills such as: assessing and expressing point-of-view, role-playing scenarios, polite and informative discourse even when disagreements arise, and more. We will complete several activities outside of the game that will challenge students to relate deeper to the characters on both sides of the story and help them gain a deeper understanding of the political factors at play during this crucial time in our nation's history. There will be activities and questions both before and after each chapter of the story. All activities will be oral. No supplies are needed.

This is a single-avatar game, meaning the students will need to work together to decide their avatar's fate. They will not control the game on their computers or devices. All physical controls will be performed by the teacher on my computer. So the students will verbally decide what they choose for their character to do, and I will do the mouse-clicking.

Students are required to participate in the group discussion and decision making in some way. I prefer the personal interaction of video and audio, but I understand that some students will be more comfortable communicating via chat box. As long as they are engaged and actively participating, they will meet class expectations.

Note: I also offer a one-time, 90 minute course based on the same video game. This course is much more activity and discussion based and teaches important English Language Arts skills alongside the game, whereas that course is solely game-based. Please choose the course that is right for you and your child.

Mission US games are stand-alone games that can be played in any order. If you wish to play them chronologically, here is the timeline order:

1. 1770 The American Revolution: For Crown or Colony?
2. 1848 The Antebellum Era: Flight to Freedom
3. 1866 Westward Expansion: A Cheyenne Odyssey
4. 1907 The Immigrant Experience: City of Immigrants
5. 1929 The Great Depression: Up From the Dust
6. 1941 World War II: Prisoner in my Homeland

I offer classes for all of these online video games. In my 90-minute classes, students will work together to make decisions that will affect their avatar's fate. In my 5-day classes, students will complete additional English Language Arts and Social Studies activities alongside the game. All activities will be conversation-based and completed in class.

I have received written permission from the copyright holders to use these games and activities in my personal Outschool classroom.