Mission U.S. Workshop

“For Crown or Colony?” puts players in the shoes of Nat Wheeler, a printer’s apprentice in 1770 Boston. They encounter both Patriots and Loyalists. When tensions result from the Boston Massacre, they choose where their loyalties lie.

In “Flight to Freedom” players take on the role of Lucy, a 14-year-old slave in Kentucky. As they navigate her escape and journey to Ohio, they discover that life in the “free” North is dangerous and difficult. In 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act brought disaster. Will Lucy ever truly be free?

In “A Cheyenne Odyssey,” players become Little Fox, a Northern Cheyenne boy whose life is changed by the encroachment of white settlers, railroads, and U.S. military expeditions. As buffalo diminish and the U.S. expands westward, players experience the Cheyenne’s persistence through conflict and national transformation.

In “City of Immigrants,” players navigate New York’s Lower East Side as Lena, a young Jewish immigrant from Russia. Trying to save money to bring her parents to America, she works long hours in a factory for little money and gets caught up in the growing labor movement.

In “Up from the Dust,” players take on the roles of twins Frank and Ginny Dunn, whose family wheat farm is devastated by the Great Depression and Dust Bowl. As they experience the hardships of the 1930s, players learn about Americans’ strategies for survival – as individuals, communities, and a nation.

“Prisoner in My Homeland” follows the experiences of teenager Henry Tanaka, whose family is forced to leave their home on Bainbridge Island, WA, for a prison camp in Manzanar, CA. Players grapple with the choices and challenges faced by more than 120,000 Japanese Americans as they coped with their unjust incarceration during World War II.

The year is 1960. You are 16-year-old Verna Baker, born and raised in the Mississippi Delta. As you move to the city of Greenwood to start high school, a movement for civil rights is gaining momentum. How will you take part in the struggle for freedom and equality?

To see additional missions, view trailers, and get started on your journey, step into the world of Mission US: mission-us.org.

Florida is incredibly rich in history. No matter the issue faced in the United States, similar or overlapping historical events have unfolded on Florida’s land. As part of our special Mission U.S. training, WFSU was delighted to welcome Peter Scalco, the Park Manager at Wakulla Springs State Park. Please take a moment to look at the incredible array of history available to you and your students in his PowerPoint presentation, “History in Florida State Parks.”

Members of our workshop training party were able to take part in a very special Wakulla Springs River Boat Tour as part of the workshop activities. The river tour is at Wakulla Springs State Park and is available to teachers and their students throughout the school year. It is a delightful way to discover not only the natural wonders of Florida but to enjoy the land that has supported us for hundreds of thousands of years.

Please consider using our beautiful state parks with your students. For more information about each state park, please visit www.floridastateparks.org.