Community reviews for Mission US: For Crown or Colony?

Both Mission US online simulations are great and my students enjoy this approach to learning about Boston and the events leading to the Revolution. The game is well designed. There are a ton of great teacher resources included to support the game.

My fourth graders just love it when they are given the time to explore this interesting FREE web site. They enjoy the visuals and the interactive features offered in this US history game. They learn about Patriots and Loyalists through the eyes of a character from the time period.

I did this with my 5th graders to study colonial U.S. history and they loved it. It was a little frustrating at first as students figured out how to navigate but it was good critical thinking exercise. The vocabulary is a little difficult for my Ell's but the visuals and the game aspect make up for it.

This game is a great introduction to the tensions and difficulties of Patriot vs. Loyalist in pre-Revolutionary America. Students assume the character of a young apprentice who must learns the positions of both sides and must make choices about his own life going forward. Developed by PBS, it is richly detailed with facts of daily colonial life, and the politics of the time. The game nicely weaves in relevant vocabulary and primary documents. Extensive support materials give teachers the option to extend this 6-part interactive game into a fully developed unit of study. Crown or Colony is a rather long game (an estimated minimum of 60 minutes of playing time) and each part must be played in sequence, so teachers should plan to devote significant class time to playing, or assign it for homework. The richness and complexity of the game and supporting materials for the classroom, however, make it worth the investment.

For Crown Or Colony places students in the middle of historical events that led to the American Revolution. The game, based on solid historical research and thinking, transports students to Boston in the year 1770. As a young apprentice to a printer, students play the game through the eyes of Nat Wheeler. Negotiating their way among the streets, citizenry, and politics of Colonial Boston, students meet different characters who have different views about British rule. While making decisions that affect the game's outcome, they pick up important content vocabulary words, and get a first-person feel for the historical conflicts that boil over into the Boston Massacre. The game designers have done an excellent job of allowing the students to make their own choices, while guiding them through a carefully selected set of experiences that will leave them with a greater understanding of this historical period. The game can be played on the internet, which allows students to play the game outside of school hours, but can be downloaded if the connection is not fast enough. The website provides an overview of the game, a cheat-sheet for teachers, historical background documents for teachers and students, a set of lessons and primary resources to extend and complement game play.