Teachers' FAQs

Skeptical? Curious to know more?
These answers may help.

I don't teach early 20th century American history and I don't have much time for enrichment.

Past/Present is tightly integrated with the NCSS, NCHS and Common Core State Standards in history and social studies and can easily become part of your core curriculum. While the game tells an exciting story about immigration and industrialization at the turn of the 20th century, its primary function is to help students become knowledgeable consumers of history and to hone critical thinking, decision-making, and persuasive skills - skills you'll want them to employ all year long.

I don't have enough class time to devote several days to game play.

Past/Present can be played as a series of modules, which means that even one day of play will produce a stimulating discussion among your students. You can also give students a taste of the game in class and then offer them the opportunity to continue playing on their own outside the classroom, either at home or in the computer lab.

I'm not very technical and the game seems very complicated.

We've designed Past/Present to work in the real world of the classroom. Our installation guides will walk you through the simple setup process, and once the game is up and running, gameplay is easy to learn both for you as well as your students. Our supporting documentation will answer any gameplay questions you may have. (And when in doubt, ask your students!)

I have a class with students of mixed abilities, with struggling learners as well as high-achieving students.

Past/Present has been designed to appeal to multiple learning styles and has been shown to be effective with many different student populations. Game content is presented in both written and spoken form, and gameplay can appeal to experienced gamers as well as novice players. Past/Present's content features many layers of sophistication, from simple storytelling to more complex decision-making and historical understanding, so it should appeal to each student in his or her own way.

What kind of supporting materials are available?

We're glad you asked! Past/Present is supported by an extensive Classroom Launch Guide with a detailed description of the game's elements, how to set up your classroom for ideal play, and detailed teaching strategies for incorporating Past/Present into your lesson plan. There is also a rich Student Materials Packet with suggested homework assignments and printables. Check both packets out now.