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MEET THE AMERIKIDS®Here is the series of true AMERIKIDS® first person interactive stories.
Sybil in the Virtual Forest
DECISION MAKINGDeduce a strategy in order to gather the farmer-troops and beat the British Army. The player will meet up with Benedict Arnold, the traitor, who is prepared to endanger West Point, Enoch Crosby, the Indians, and the Colonialsts. In a successful ride, the player, as Sibyl, must deduce a strategy in order to gather the farmer-troops and beat the British army. She meets up with Benedict Arnold, the traitor, who is preparing to sell the secrets of Fort West Point to the British and endanger the entire Continential Army. As Sibyl gallops through the forest she saves Enoch Crosby, a famous counter spy for the patriots, and scares away Indians, British soldiers and Bandits. James and the Sea-Chest
As a teen, James served as a gun powder boy on the Royal Louis, commanded by Stephen Decatur Sr., one of the famed architects of the early American Continental Navy. Their mission was to attack British shipping vessels during the American Revolutionary War. On his second cruise, his ship was battered by three British naval vessels and forced to surrender. The Royal Louis was captured by the British frigate, Amphyon, and James Forten became a prisoner of War, destined to be sold as a slave in the British West Indies like other black prisoners. The Amphyon Captain’s son, instead, arranged to have him sent to a British prison ship, the H.M.S. Jersey, anchored off Long Island, New York. During his capture, James Forten was offered his freedom, only if he agreed to become a British Subject and live his life in England. He adamantly refused and was held with 1,000 other prisoners on the prison ship. His classic and now famous quote: “No, I'm a prisoner for my country, and I'll never be a traitor to her”. The British were famous for their "cruel and unusual punishments." This game makes us experience why Americans insisted on the Bill Of Rights; protecting citizens from such punishment under the law. We interact as young James Forten, a freed black teen. We are captured by British soldiers during the Revolution. The player, interacting as James, is a crew member on HMS Jersey, a prison ship, and must save himself from his British captors. He must also help a friend escape from the prison ship before the British conquer the Continental Army on Long Island Sound. The player learns that under British rule, American colonialists have no protection from cruel and unusual punishments or due process of law under the British. The Rising Sons
Adolescents have just seen the American Revolution and feel that they can now have freedom and equality. Children are still considered indentured servants and subsequently treated cruelly. This form of indentured servitude was a hold over from English society. In this game, we interact as a group of indentured boys who are apprentices in different crafts building parade floats. The players runs away from their cruel masters, are captured and then punished with no probability of recourse. Finally, the players learn to fight for their rights in court. The players can end their indentured servitude apprenticeship by applying the laws of the U.S. Constitution. The player learns what the Constitution is all about and how it protects us all. BARRIERS AND OPTIONSEach time the player picks a different craft to apprentice. They are assigned a master. Hewes is a shoe maker’s apprentice who plays fife and drums. He is beaten with a cowskin by his master and runs away from his apprenticeship to Philadelphia. Hewes meets other apprentice's : William Otter (Otty), the plasterer apprentice; William (Willy) Young, the ship joiner's apprentice; William Connelly (Conny) ,the chair maker’s apprentice; Joseph Belnap, a printer's apprentice. The player becomes a member of their marching band," the Rising Sons". The apprentices are required to build floats for the ratification of the U.S.Constitution celebration. DECISION MAKINGThe player interacts with members of the Continental Congress meeting secretly in the Old Indian Queen Tavern, in Philadelphia, to write the Constitution. The player will be forced to choose whether or not to support the ratification of the Constitution in their own independent States. The player must save himself from servitude in the city of Philadelphia. The player learns the reasons why we formed a United States of America: for democratic liberty, justice, fair taxation, colonial unification and common protection. If successful, the player builds the parade floats with an apprentice of their choosing. Featured Product: "Pony Express Rider"
Camels to California
Stacy May Humphrey gets the camels West crossing the wild American desert. The Camel Experiment established a Camel Corps to aid the U.S.Troops in negotiating with the Indians in the deserts of the Southwest. The highest point in Arizona is Humphreys Peak, named after this young boy, who lead the Camel Corps across the desert. OPTIONS AND BARRIERSWe experience along with Stacy the dangers in the wild west. Each player will pick a camel to cross the Nevada desert to California. The players, interacting as camel drivers, may get bitten by rattlesnakes, be without water, have to subsist on sagebrush, thistles or bushes, swim across rivers carrying 1300 pounds, or get caught in a camel stampede. The camel riders may meet up with oxen, mules or dogs that stampede. Players may also meet up with bandits, vigilantes, both hostile and friendly Indians, bad weather and unyielding terrain. Clark Stocking's Gold Rush
Clark Stocking moves a $25,000, hundred pound gold nugget, through dangerous Nevada into California. The player is Clark Stocking, 16 years old, who must transport a gold nugget worth $25,000. This one hundred pound nugget is found at the Monumental Mine in the Sierra Butte Mountains. He takes this treasure safely over the mountain and down into California without losing a single ounce entrusted to him. Clark is captured by hostile forces and must safely maneuver out of these situations. Amerikids will supply a map of this route and along the way we will meet up with bandits and gold miners. The player will learn how the miners panned for gold. We will experience how traitorous and wild was the settling of the west during the gold rush era. Sacagawea Bird Woman
OPTIONS AND BARRIERSThe player interacts as Sacagawea., who is captured by the Minnetaree Indians when she is 11 years old. She is sold to French-Canadian, Toussaint Charbonneau, whom Lewis hires to translate the Indian language into English. At 16 years old, Sacagawea hoping to see her people once more, anxiously goes up river with the Expedition. Lewis at first objects to bringing Sacagawea , but she convinces them that she will be very useful when the Expedition meets the Shoshonis in the mountains. DECISION MAKINGThe player, as Sacagawea, in a canoe and by horse proves her ultimate value by recognizing landmarks which guides the Expedition up into the mountains. They reach the Continental Divide quickly and safely, due to the player’s courage and skill in crossing rivers and distinguishing the many wild animals in the frontier. When the Expedition finally meets the Shoshonis on their journey, Sacagawea recognizes the Chief as her own brother. The tribe supplies the Expedition with horses. The player must decide to stay with the Shoshonis, or continue with the party. Sacagawea chose to continue leading the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and thus was the first young woman to cross the Rocky Mountains. "Sacagawea"--a work in progress Samantha Smith
Samantha's contribution to ending the Cold War.. Samantha Smith, a cheerful 10 year old girl from Manchester, Maine learns about nuclear war on television. She wonders if this is this going to be her last day on Earth? Samantha writes a letter to Soviet General Secretary, Andropov, to find out why there is mistrust among nations. Samantha is invited to the Soviet Union to talk with Andropov. She travels throughout the Soviet Union speaking to Russian children. A few years later, Samantha Smith dies in a small private plane in America. A Russian scientist names a planet he discovers after this famous peace maker. In commemoration, the Russians name a rare Siberian diamond after Samantha, and re-name a mountain in Russia fter her. OPTIONS AND BARRIERSWe interact as Samantha traveling across Russia by plane, boat, and car. The player gathers vital information about unconventional weapons built by both super powers and the broken treaties between countries. The player learns why conflicts still exist that prevent world peace. The player uses the information to locate military bases in Russia, America, and strategic sites all over the world. The player contributes by analyzing strategies to lessen nuclear war, create disarmament, and work towards new peace treaties and alliances. Josiah and the Whale
Rescuing whales and recording their songs... The game supplies a map of the East and West coasts of America. The Center For Coastal Studies in Provincetown, Massachusetts researches whales, dolphins, porpoises and turtles. It is run by Josiah Mayo's family. A species of whale, the Right Whale, the largest and rarest on Earth, is spotted by Stormy Mayo, Josiah's father. The player, interacts as Josiah, discovering unique marine mammal sounds and the solutions to recording songs and patterns of a 40 foot, 80,000 pound whale. BARRIERS AND OPTIONSThe player, as a tender boat captain, heads out for the gigantic whale. To get near the Right Whale and to record unusual sounds, the boat must drift quietly and avoid turning over or hitting any rocks, boats or other whales. The player learns to steer the boat and then switch to handling lines and radar. DECISION MAKING the player arduously searches to find the whales. Rushing towards the whales, the player must identify this particular whale, record it’s song and put a luminescent tag on the giant Right Whale. Then they trace the light in the darkness, releasing the Right Whale. The songs that are recorded, telling of the eating and living patterns of the Right Whale, are now providing newly revealed dramatic information to the international science community. We interact as, Josiah Mayo, a ten year old boy who resuces whales. We learn how many endangered whales species there are in the seas. We experience the unusual customs and habits of all the numerous species of whales. The player learns of the special marine environment and weather conditions along the coasts of America. We experience the gigantic Humpback Whales and Right Whales, their communicative songs, their distinctive patterned tails and their unique breathing blow holes. We experience how they migrate and swim thousands of miles to spawn. Finally, we learn how to help mammals that are stranded, beached and entangled by nets. Claire Lemlich Story
A 16 year old girl fights for child labor laws and the elimination of the 14 hour work day... Claire stands up for the working girl against factory owners. She helps fight the fires at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. The player, interacting as Claire, learns what it is like to be an immigrant adolescent worker. The player learns to stand up and fight for what is fair and right on the job. BARRIERS AND OPTIONSThe player, as a young sweatshop worker, gathers information on child labor laws, and discovers the purpose of labor unions. We use the information and fight the appalling 12 hour work day. We learn about "piece work" labor. The player discovers how dangerous were factory conditions in that period. We learn how they built early fire escapes and even how to rescue people trapped in fires and save lives. Elizabeth Eckford at Central High, 1957
The first Black student to integrate a high school in Arkansas... This Act makes certain that the people will be protected by the federal government if they cannot get their full civil rights, and their ability to choose the best school.. We interact as Elizabeth, experiencing the fear of hostile forces and people preventing her from getting the best education she deserves. BARRIERS AND OPTIONSIn September, 1957, nine Black student are supposed to start school at Central High School, an all-white school in Little Rock, Arkansas. Governor George Wallace tries to stop the boys and girls from attending the school. President Eisenhower will not allow this obstruction and calls up the National Guard. While the world watches us, the player as Elizabeth Eckford, calmly leads nine students through the doors of Central High School. This brave young girl began the first integration of public schools in the South. DECISION MAKINGThe player interacting as a Central High School student learns why there is prejudice and segregation in the South. Each player will have to overcome obstacles towards racial equality and full civil rights.
Copyright 1998 by AMERIKIDS USA. All United States and International Copyrights and Trademarks apply. No webpage or intellectual concept, herein, may be reproduced, downloaded, or disseminated into any medium without the explicit prior written consent of AMERIKIDS USA.
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