Games, Online Learning Activities
Reconstruction: A History Mystery Activity
By conducting research and using up to five clues, students must reconstruct a time in African-American history to solve a “mystery.”
- Grades: 3–5, 6–8
Scholastic’s “History Mystery: Reconstruction” (grades 4–8) features the engaging character Professor Carlotta Facts, who asks students to determine the mystery subject she is studying, using the fewest number of clues possible.
For this mystery, students are asked to reconstruct the past to learn more about a chapter in African-American history. Is the mystery subject a person, a place, event, or object? To find out, students can use online or offline research and are given up to five clues. After each clue, students can guess the answer. If they get it wrong, a new clue appears. Students can eventually review the final answer with a short explanation.
Learning Objectives
By participating in History Mystery, students will:
- Use problem-solving and critical thinking skills
- Analyze clues
- Explore topics and events from the 4-8 social studies curriculum
- Use search terms to conduct Internet research
- Use an online interactive form
- Subjects:African American History, Civil War Period and Reconstruction
- Skills:Research Skills
