“You Are The Historian” Thanksgiving Interactive

Client: Plimoth Patuxet

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”History works in mysterious ways. Sometimes a feast is more than 3 days!” To help students investigate what the first Thanksgiving meal really looked like, Plimoth Patuxet collaborated with FableVision to update their highly popular You Are The Historian Thanksgiving interactive in time for the Thanksgiving season 2020 and the 400th commemoration of the Pilgrims’ arrival on the shores of Patuxet in 1620.

To better understand the harvest feast in 1621 that we celebrate today as “Thanksgiving,” students take on the role of “detective” by decoding historical documents and sorting artifacts through five destinations in Plymouth–or Patuxet, as it is known to the Woamponoag people. To begin, the studio developed a script and narrative structure that is historically accurate and gives important context surrounding what the indigenous Wamponoag people and English colonists experienced leading up to the first Thanksgiving. Students play the game as “Alex,” who is sent riddles for this history mystery through text messages from their teacher. Equipped with a magical looking sea glass that transports them back in time, students are guided by anonymous tipsters that direct them around Plymouth/Patuxet.

It encourages students’ journey on a pathway of curiosity and the inquiry process, highlighting an important moment in American history. You might be surprised with where–or when–the story takes you when you carefully examine the sites and sources of historical events!

A Peek Inside

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