About Flashback
Welcome to Flashback! Thanks for being a part of this game. We're still testing the site, so if you find any bugs or problems, or have any questions, please let us know on the contact page.
Flashback is a game in which you complete real-world missions with the aim of de- and re-constructing American History and connecting with others to change the world. You begin at level 1 with 0 points. As you complete missions and advance in level you gain the skills and historical knowledge you'll need to develop strategies for overcoming persistent historical injustices and defeating your class enemies.
How to play
To play, pick a mission you like from the missions page. Each mission asks you to take an action that empowers you to make history! Missions vary in difficulty, as indicated by their level. Lower level missions shouldn't take too long and can frequently be completed by a single player working alone. Higher level missions, on the other hand, require intense reflection, collaboration and skill. Complete missions in any way you see fit, OR complete them according to your teacher's instructions. Make sure to thoroughly document all the steps you take in completing a mission.
When you're ready to submit your completed mission to Flashback, click on the "play" page. You'll see a list of all the missions you're working on, or have already completed. Click on the name of the mission you'd like to edit. You can upload images, video and audio to site using your media library, and then use any of your uploads in your submission. When submitting missions, remember to clearly describe how you completed the mission. Include lots of images, or audio or video where appropriate. Remember: show your work!
Your teacher must approve all of your submissions before they can go live on the site. They will determine whether to approve or deny your mission based on these criteria OR based on their fickle whims.
Collaboration
You can complete missions by yourself or in small groups, called collaborations. Every individual in a collaboration receives the total points (including bonus points from votes) from completing missions. You can add collaborators off of the play page, or off of your classmates profile pages. At the moment you can only collaborate with your classmates. In future you'll be able to collaborate with anyone on the site, in an utopic free-for-all of history-doing. We recommend you collaborate as much as possible - it's easier to master the past in groups.
Voting
Once your submission goes live, other players will be able to vote and comment on your work. The votes you receive count towards your score. Each vote is worth 1 point. If you see a mission completion that seems well done, vote for it. You can't vote for your classmates. One of the aims of Flashback is to promote and facilitate long distance relationships.
Missions
Every mission in Flashback is given a level. Mission levels indicate how difficult the mission is to complete, and how many points you'll be awarded for completing it.
| Level 1 | 10 points |
| Level 2 | 25 points |
| Level 3 | 50 points |
| Level 4 | 100 points |
Adding missions
One of the frequently overlooked aspects of Flashback is your ability to make your own missions! To create a mission, go to the missions page and click "add a mission". Before adding a new mission to the game, take a moment to contemplate the meaning of history and/or civic engagement. We'll review all the missions you submit and add them to the site as quickly as we can. We reserve the right to edit your missions, delete them, or turn them inside out.
The Competition
During the two-week student competition from May 19th to May 30th, classes will be asked to complete missions of various difficulty and point levels. Awards will be given in three categories:
- Class Competition Award for the class with the most points.
Winning class will receive a trophy, a $100 Apple gift certificate - and national bragging rights! - Teachers' Choice Award for the individual mission completion with the most votes from participating teachers.
Each student who participated in that completion will receive a $15 iTunes gift certificate (up to a maximum of 15 certificates). - Students' Choice Award for the individual mission completion with the most votes from students.
Each student who participated in that completion will receive a $15 iTunes gift certificate (up to a maximum of 15 certificates) - Historian Award for the individual mission completion which best demonstrates the qualities described in our academic rubric, selected by a panel of historians.
Each student who participated in that completion will receive a $15 iTunes gift certificate (up to a maximum of 15 certificates)
The panel is:- Susan Smulyan, Department of American Civilization, Brown University
- Wilbur 'Bil' Johnson, Department of Education, Yale University
- Linda Pritchard, 19th Century History, Eastern Michigan University
- Briann Greenfield, Public History and Material Culture, Central Connecticut State University
- Matthew Delmont, PhD, Brown University
- Carlita Kosty, teacher in San Antonio, TX
The Money Trail
Flashback is produced by Floating World Media and is funded by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to help teenagers develop a passion for US history and civics. For more information, see the American History and Civics Initiative press release.
Frequently asked questions
q. What is history?
a. History is a zombie haunting the living.
q. What's Jurassic Park (the movie) about?
a. Jurassic Park is about the danger of remaking the past in the present, and then the need to destroy the past in order to survive.
