World History / History Mystery Files
The Mill Files
A law changed. Did life inside the mill? Walk an industrial town, open an evolving archive, test competing claims, and produce an evidence-based historical report.
4 sessions · 4 investigations · Included with educator membership · Students use a teacher assignment link.
The Mill Files
Britain · evidence from 1833–1903
Select a character above to walk over, or explore with the keyboard.
Learning goals, level structure & teacher guide
Learning goal: Evaluate how industrial change affected people, distinguish legislation from enforcement, and qualify historical claims using source dates, purpose, and limitations.
Course connections: WH.G.2.2 · Historical inquiry: sourcing and corroboration. These are supporting practice connections, not a claim of full standards coverage or mastery. The ancient settlement is a conceptual introduction; use specific historical cases to make the comparison explicit.
| Level | Practical missions | Written checkpoint |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Consult three interpreters; inspect the unlocked archive; compare and pin at least two sources. | Claim or decision, specific evidence, limitation or tradeoff, and transfer. |
| 2 | Consult three interpreters; inspect the unlocked archive; compare and pin at least two sources. | Claim or decision, specific evidence, limitation or tradeoff, and transfer. |
| 3 | Consult three interpreters; inspect the unlocked archive; compare and pin at least two sources. | Claim or decision, specific evidence, limitation or tradeoff, and transfer. |
| 4 | Consult three interpreters; inspect the unlocked archive; compare and pin at least two sources. | Claim or decision, specific evidence, limitation or tradeoff, and transfer. |
Allow roughly 35–50 minutes per level including discussion and writing. Timing is a design estimate and needs classroom testing. A student can complete the mechanical actions faster; depth comes from evidence, comparison, and revision.
Review each checkpoint for factual accuracy, relevant evidence, explanation, and acknowledgment of limits. Word counts only prevent blank submissions. Neither completion nor a resource total is a grade. Have students download their portfolio for Google Classroom; this version does not submit or grade work automatically.
Progress saves in this browser when storage is available. Students can export and restore a campaign file on another device. On shared computers, export and then clear the local campaign. No names are requested. Characters use authored dialogue, not live AI. Movement uses W A S D, arrow keys, click-to-walk, or the location buttons.