Recommended Website:
Active History: Fling The Teacher!
Oh, do I have a treat for you today! This is one of the most fun history sites on the Net. Designed for middle school students and up, it provides really funny interactive history games that teach about English, European, and World history while they entertain. The site is a commercial endeavor – that is you can register and pay to access all of the content – however, there are plenty of FREE samples to enjoy – my personal favorites are a toss-up between “Fling The Teacher” and “Splat!” :)
When you get to the site you will see a menu of games and activities. The FREE games are noted in red letters – but be prepared to click a couple of times – as sometimes you have to click on the word “free” and other times you click on the title of the game in order to access the free stuff. (This is just a small annoyance – but the result is SO WORTH the inconvenience.) Once you successfully click on a free game, a new page opens with brief instructions for playing the game. To understand the uniqueness of what this site offers, just check out some of the wonderful game titles:
- Fling the Teacher – Answer history questions correctly to hurtle the teacher into oblivion. Some of the subject categories include Ancient Rome, Medicine, Medieval Realms, The Crusades, Castles, and The Aztecs.
- Head2Head Interactive Interviews – Interview famous historic characters. The free sample allows you to interview Joseph Stalin. Simply type in a question, and his animated head delivers the answer.
- Manic Miner – Answer 3 history questions correctly (on subjects such as The Tudors, The Reformation, Hitler, and Medicine), collect the key, and jump down the toilet! (Ewwww!) Watch out for monsters!
- Splat! – How many historical characters can you splat with your fly swatter in 60 seconds?! As each historical character’s face pops up, a text message explains who they are and what they did. Careful! It’s tricky. In one game you can only swat kings – not peasants. If you swat incorrectly, you get a chance to redeem yourself by answering a history question correctly.
If you like what you see, you might want to subscribe ($60/year for home educators), and that allows you to access all of the content at the site. Just click on the “Active History Home” button on the menu bar at the top of the screen to get more info on what this site offers and how to register.
If you do register, you’ll discover that many of the games can be customized to subject areas that you prefer, and some even come with downloadable/printable companion worksheets and lesson plans. There are many, many game choices within each category or topic, so the learning possibilities are practically limitless. You can return here everyday to play a new game – and again, most of them are geared for 6th grade and up. There are so many innovative and provocative history activities at this website, that words simply don’t do it justice.
