Chapter 2: The Woods

Welcome to The New World!

Scores of ships carrying Pilgrims and Puritan settlers have survived the harrowing overseas voyage to arrive on this great uncharted land with the single goal of building a better life for themselves and their families. In the colony of Boston, Massachusetts, you now stand beside them in their brave and noble expedition towards that elusive ideal known as the American Dream. These settlers aren't just living history, they're weaving the very fabric of our country.

But all is not as safe as it might seem in this colony, as the same peoples who emigrated to this new world in search of religious freedom are quickly finding themselves living in fear of outside forces and internal conflicts that threaten to shatter the foundation of this society. Local legend warns of evil spirits who haunt the woods that surround these happy towns -- waiting to lure unsuspecting souls into an unholy bargain with The Black Man himself.

Side Expeditions:

2.1 "Single Mother Shame Game" (❎ Level 2)

Believe it or not, the 200-year-old story of Hester Prynne is hardly the last time in American history where a woman's romantic history became fodder for public outrage, shame, and contempt. As recently as 2003, there was at least one state in the U.S. where it was law for a single mother's history of love affairs to be a matter of public record before they could legally be allowed to put their own children up for adoption. Give a read to this article from US Catholic to learn more about this slippery slope of theocracy, then use your blog to let the world know how you feel.

2.2 "The Scarlet Letter of Fifth Grade Bullying" (❎ Level 2)

Crazy story about history repeating itself: in September of 2018 (yes, September. And yes, 2018) -- a Texas mom now finds herself at the center of a whirlwind of controversy after she ripped a page out of the Puritan playbook and decided to send her fifth grade son to school with a shirt that read "I am a bully :(" to teach the boy a lesson. Psychologists and school counselors seem to be divided on this issue: Is this a case of well-deserved justice or a brazen overreach into the arena of child abuse? Check out this shocking story from WIBW in Texas, and then post your reactions on your blog.

2.3 "Brett Kavanaugh's Accuser" (❎ Level 2)

Facing nomination to be confirmed as Justice for the United States Supreme Court, Judge Brett Kavanaugh found himself in a situation that bears stunning similarity to The Scarlet Letter. Today, Judge Kavanaugh is a well-respected man of law. But on September 16, 2018, Christine Blasey Ford, a professor at Palo Alto University, alleged that Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her when he was a 17-year old high school student. Since going public with her allegations, Dr. Blasey Ford's "worst fears have materialized" and she became the target of vicious harassment and even death threats. So does her 30+ year silence raise questions as to her motives? Or is this simply the awful price that one must pay when speaking truth to power?

2.4 "Megan's Law" (❎ Level 2)

Trigger warning: this side expedition is not for the faint of heart, as it speaks to a highly controversial true crime story that inspired one of the most significant revisions to federal regulations dealing with public registries of convicted offenders. In layman's terms: "Megan's Law" was named in memory of seven-year-old Megan Kanka, who was killed by a neighbor with a criminal record because he had been allowed to slip undetected into a new community. Since her murder, changes to Federal laws require states to keep a public database with the names and residences of known offenders for the good of their community. Is this modern Scarlet Letter a sign of justice?

Bonus Expeditions:

GRIEFERS: Surviving Puritan Boston... (❎ Level 2)

Once per chapter, you are invited to write an in-character blog in which you assume the persona of your avatar and write about your in-game experiences through the eyes of this fictional character. These blogs are completely optional, but they will help you trace your fictional character's journey through the mix of course content, in-class activities, and regularly scheduled curriculum. Written reflections should be three paragraphs in length, while video responses should be between 3-5 minutes in length. Likewise, especially thoughtful, creative, or well-researched reflections will be rewarded with treasure bonuses in the form of Badges, Streak bonuses, and Power-Up Item Cards. When you're finished and want to submit it, click here.

ACHIEVERS: Getting in the Game (❎ Level 2)

In the Spring of 2018, Mr. Meehan was interviewed on episode 42 of the Well PlayED podcast, hosted by Michael Matera, author of the book eXPlore Like a Pirate: Gamification and Game-Inspired Course Design to Engage, Enrich and Elevate Your Learners. And in the Summer of 2018, Mr. Meehan was interviewed on episode 32 of the Professor Game podcast, hosted by Rob Alvarez. The show has featured such gamification luminaries as Yu-Kai Chou and Dr. Richard Bartle. If you've ever shopped on Amazon or played Fortnite, these guys are some of the pioneers in game design who helped make those experiences so enjoyable.

For this side expedition, listen to either podcast in its entirety (30 minutes - it's in the link and on iTunes and Sound Cloud) AND have a parent, sibling, or family member do the same. Then interview your family member and discuss your experiences as a player in this "living video game," along with their impressions, reactions, and thoughts. Write a blog post about your shared conversation of at least three paragraphs in length, or record an impromptu family podcast of your own (.mp3 or .m4a format) and upload the file to your Google Site. When you're finished and want to submit it, click here.

EXPLORERS: The World of Puritan Boston (❎ Level 2)

Once per chapter, you'll also have the opportunity to take part in a free choice "curating" side mission, in which you will be given free reign to explore the everyday life of the individuals or historical characters who inspired so many of these timeless works of literature. Curation projects are wide and open-ended in nature, and encourage students to explore their individual interests and passions as they discover more about the worlds in which these characters might have lived. Sample curation projects might include: researching a favorite recipe that a historical figure might have enjoyed (and then making that recipe for the class), making a playlist of songs that might have been popular during a particular historical period (and writing a blog entry in which you reflect on these works), or creating a map to help give students a clearer sense of the world in which these characters may have lived (using anything from modeling clay to Minecraft). For curation projects, the only limit is your imagination. If you are interested, contact Mr. Meehan. When you're finished and want to submit it, click here.

SOCIALIZERS: Women and Children First (❎ Level 2)

Once per chapter, you likewise have the option to take part in a Christian service or faith-based opportunity inspired by our course content. Examples might include volunteering with war veterans recovering from PTSD while studying a unit on Hemingway, researching recent publications from the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops on legislation regarding immigrants and displaced persons during a unit on the Puritans, or taking part in a service retreat during a unit on American Romanticism. The payout for volunteer expeditions is the single highest award in the game: bonuses double each time you complete a subsequent volunteer challenge to a high standard. If you are interested, see Mr. Meehan for details. When you're finished and want to submit it, click here.

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