Eureka! is an immersive learning exercise, combining elements of role-playing and puzzle-hunting. It gives participants the opportunity to make scientific discoveries for themselves, and places those discoveries in their social and historical contexts.

I developed two modules while working with Parts and Crafts, a kids' hackerspace in Somerville, MA:

• Learning in the Time of Cholera — kids role-play as ambassadors investigating a plague, reading case histories, analyzing epidemiological maps, and building water filters. The module draws on John Snow's real work proving cholera was waterborne.
• The Telegraph and the 1864 Election — students invent the telegraph during the American Civil War, building working circuits from parts and batteries while drafting the Nebraska state constitution along the way.

The idea behind both modules is that science and technology don't happen in a vacuum. By weaving political history, arts, and social justice themes into hands-on science, Eureka! lets kids experience the full context of discovery—not just the result.

Blog posts describing the project:

• Learning in the Time of Cholera
• Community Supported Education