Mission US Self-Paced PD Module
Serious History, Serious Games: Using "Mission US" to Foster Historical Empathy

Play the Mission and Prepare for Student Responses

In order to best guide your students, it is important for you to get a sense of the mission(s) you will use in class before you share them with students so that you are prepared for the range of responses they may have. We highly recommend playing the mission(s) yourself in advance.

Mission US explores some emotionally-challenging parts of United States history, including enslavement, the subjugation of Native Americans, the imprisonment of Japanese Americans during World War II, and Jim Crow segregation. It is important for teachers to be prepared for how the identities and experiences your students bring to the mission might impact how they engage with these moments from the past.

An 8th grade Mission US teacher describes her experience guiding students in discussing some of the difficult history in the interactive experience:

Teaching tip 

"Discussions with 8th graders run the gamut from students being uncomfortable to students trying to lighten the mood because of their insecurities about being able to discuss such topics. So guiding a discussion is about balancing the perspectives and comfort levels of all students while weaving in thinking points that will be meaningful to each student based on their own starting point with the discussion."

As you play the mission, or otherwise prepare to share it with your students, consider the following:

  • Your identity and experiences and how they impact the lens you bring to the interactive experience.
  • The identities, experiences, ages, and maturity levels of your students, and the support they will need as they explore intellectually and emotionally challenging moments in history. 
  • Current events—international, national, and local—that may impact how students understand and experience the mission.

 

Take Notes

  • Which of the three bulleted considerations is most significant to you as you prepare to use Mission US in your classroom? What other considerations are on your mind?