Project Imagine, Immersive American History Experience

General information

Organisation / School

Savvas Learning Company (education publisher & content provider)

Duration

Variable: modules are flexible. They can be used separately or as a series within a school term.

Target group (age range)

High school students, approximately Grades 9–12 (ages ~14–18).

Group format

Both individual and whole-class activities; students engage with digital immersive tasks and reflections.

Context of the Practice

Supplemental American History curriculum integrated with standard U.S. History classes; digital and flexible across topics.

Description of the Practice

Project Imagine: U.S. History is a digital immersive learning program that places students at the center of historical events to deepen understanding and engagement. Through activities such as role plays, decision trees, interactive maps, and virtual 360° explorations, learners experience historical moments from the viewpoints of people who lived them. Students explore primary sources like archival photographs, letters, artifacts, and personal narratives to connect emotionally and intellectually with topics such as immigration, the 1920s, the Great Depression and New Deal, World War II, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Vietnam War era. Each immersive activity concludes with a reflection task where students write about their decisions and outcomes, promoting deeper critical thinking about the complexities of historical life and choices. This experiential design aims to develop empathy and understanding by encouraging learners to “step into the shoes” of historical figures and communities, making history personally meaningful and more memorable.

Link with Uchronia or Alternative Narratives

Does the practice involve rewriting history, alternative scenarios, role play, or speculative narratives?

Yes

Explanation:

Yes, students take part in role plays and make choices for historical characters. They explore how different decisions could unfold, creating an interactive and immersive experience, without changing the real facts of history.

Social and Transversal Skills Developed

What are the skills developped?

  • Empathy
  • Communication
  • Cooperation
  • Conflict management
  • Critical thinking
  • Media literacy
  • Creativity
  • Decision-making skills

Explanation:

Empathy: Developed through role play and immersive scenarios where students take the perspective of historical individuals and communities.
Communication: Developed through written reflections and classroom discussions about students’ decisions and interpretations of historical events.
Cooperation: Developed through shared class activities and discussions that require students to exchange viewpoints and work together to analyse historical situations.
Conflict management: Developed indirectly through decision-making scenarios that present historical tensions and dilemmas, encouraging students to consider different responses and consequences.
Critical thinking: Developed through analysing primary sources, evaluating historical contexts, and making informed decisions within decision-tree activities.
Media literacy: Developed through the examination and interpretation of primary sources such as photographs, letters, and other historical documents.
Creativity: Developed through imaginative engagement in immersive tasks and reflective writing about possible outcomes and perspectives.
Decision-making skills: Developed through structured decision-tree activities where students must weigh options and consider consequences.

Inclusion and Accessibility

Targeted learners (learning difficulties, diversity, disengagement):

The practice is designed for a wide range of high school learners.

Accessibility measures used:

Accessibility supports include embedded reading supports (vocabulary help and contextual explanations) and read-aloud options for primary sources, supporting students with diverse learning needs such as reading challenges or English Language Learners support.

Impact and Outcomes

Observed impact on pupils:

The materials provided do not include specific learner or teacher feedback or measured impact data.

Feedback from teachers or pupils:

Transferability

Can the practice be reused or adapted?

Yes

Conditions for replication:

The program’s core methodology (immersive digital experiences, role play, decision-making activities, primary source analysis, and structured reflection) is not limited to U.S. history. These pedagogical strategies can be applied to European, national, or world history topics.
However, the content itself focuses on U.S. history, so direct replication in Europe would require:
Alignment with local or national history curricula
Selection or creation of relevant European primary sources
Contextual adaptation to local historical events
Time, money and digital knowledge would then be necessary to replicate this same platform in Europe. Nonetheless, we can also imagine creating the same type of immersion with non digital tools.

Relevance for Reframe the Story

This practice encourages students to rethink historical narratives by engaging directly with multiple perspectives, primary sources, and immersive decision-making tasks. It aligns with the goals of Reframe the Story: promoting critical engagement with history, empathy for diverse experiences, and active interpretation rather than passive memorization.

Moreover, it gives great inspiration for the type of resources we can add to the boxes in order to make the immersion as good as possible.