Step into a vintage newsroom! Investigate historical mysteries, examine sources, uncover bias, verify evidence, and decide which stories deserve to make the front page. 16 interactive challenges!
November 8, 2026 Date app was updated 2 Number of launchesLink & QR Display
AI This app uses AI. Prompts and inputs are sent to the app author's chosen AI provider under their privacy policy.
Additional Details
Welcome to The Fact Desk!
The truth is out there. Can you prove it?
Step into the newsroom of The Meridian Ledger, a fictional newspaper with a long history of checking the facts before going to print. As a new member of the verification desk, your job is to investigate historical mysteries, examine documents, uncover misleading claims, and determine what the evidence actually proves.
But there's a catch: You can only publish what the evidence supports!
16 Interactive Investigations
Work your way through four increasingly challenging levels:
Level 1: Intake
Learn to examine historical documents, identify sources, check dates, and determine what information was actually available at the time.
Level 2: Perspective
Investigate bias, distinguish firsthand knowledge from secondhand reporting, and uncover how information changes as it moves between sources.
Level 3: Corroboration
Compare independent sources, trace information back to its origins, and determine whether multiple reports truly confirm a claim.
Level 4: The Lede
Put everything together! Evaluate conflicting evidence, recognize the limitations of hindsight, and decide which headline the newsroom can responsibly publish.
An Immersive Learning Experience
This isn't a traditional multiple-choice quiz. Students become historical investigators working inside a vintage newsroom filled with documents, investigative tools, and challenging editorial decisions.
Features include:
16 interactive challenges across four progressive tiers.
Hands-on investigation tools including a magnifying glass, document timeline, source chains, and corroboration bench.
Authentic historical reasoning through fictional archival documents, competing claims, and incomplete evidence.
Career progression from Copy Runner to Editor in Chief.
Six achievement badges rewarding careful investigation and responsible conclusions.
A final investigation that brings earlier evidence back into play.
What Will Students Learn?
Students practice essential skills in historical thinking and media literacy:
Evaluating primary and secondary sources.
Recognizing bias without automatically dismissing a source.
Distinguishing independent corroboration from repeated information.
Understanding how dates and historical context affect evidence.
Supporting claims with appropriate documentation.
Recognizing uncertainty and avoiding unsupported conclusions.
Classroom Connections
Recommended Grades: 9–12
Subject Areas: History, Social Studies, English Language Arts, Media Literacy, Digital Citizenship, and Critical Thinking.
Standards Alignment: Designed to support Common Core History/Social Studies Literacy Standards RH.9-10.1, RH.9-10.6, RH.9-10.8, RH.11-12.3, and RH.11-12.9.
A Note for Educators
The historical cases, characters, and archival documents in this activity are fictional and were created specifically for the experience. The investigative skills students practice are designed to transfer to real historical research, news evaluation, and everyday information literacy.
Your next assignment is waiting at The Fact Desk. Check the evidence. Question the claims. Print only what you can prove!
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