Smithsonian and MIT present an online mystery game for middle schoolers
“An environmental disaster has taken place on Planet Earth and we need your help. The Smithsonian Institution and the MIT Education Arcade invite all scientists-in-training ages 10 ½ to 14 to log onto VANISHED and help decipher clues that unravel one of the world’s biggest mysteries.”
That’s the pitch from Vanished, a free, online, interactive game that will have middle-school students collecting scientific data, solving puzzles and playing online games. They’ll even have video conferences with Smithsonian scientists — all to find the clues that will answer the mystery.
The game will run for eight weeks, beginning on Monday, April 4. The MIT creators of the game say kids can follow along in as little as 10 minutes per week, but those who want to be actively involved will probably spend about 2 hours per week working on it.
Registration for Vanished is open now and will continue even while the game is in progress; however, if you aren’t signed up by April 4, you’ll miss the opening stages.
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