History Detectives Laboratory (HD Lab) is an online educational game inspired by the PBS television show History Detectives.
HD Lab is free for classroom use by middle school students. It has two main components: Game Modules and an Open Investigation. In the Game Modules the student plays the role of ‘detective,’ and investigates a mystery surrounding an object. The Modules also help prepare students for their own more free-form ’Open Investigation’ of an object they are curious about, and which may have a connection to U.S. history. The Open Investigation can also be used independently of the Modules. The HD Lab website’s educational resources support the Modules and the Open Investigation. Many of the lesson plans and resources can also be used independently of the Modules and Open Investigation. We have created two Modules – The Case of the Curious Clock, and The Case of the Hooked Hawaiian Knife. They are aligned with Historical Thinking and Common Core State Standards and support curriculum in two historical eras: The New Immigrants (1880 – 1920) and the Emergence of Modern America (1890 – 1930s).
Platform(s): Web
Partner(s): LionTV, Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Playmatics Role:
Design and Full Development