Discovery Center in Focus
Records at the National Archives reveal how generations of Americans have shaped their government. From petitions and protests to voting and canvassing, these records tell the story of democracy in action. These records and their stories are the inspiration behind the Discovery Center, the new educational interactive experience opening at the National Archives Museum alongside The American Story this fall.
The Discovery Center offers engaging educational games in the Archives Arcade and Family Room. The exhibit alsoincludes an activity space and classroom for educational programs and school groups. Explore several of the activities within the Discovery Center and the records and stories that inspired them. We are grateful to The Boeing Company for their support of the family area and classroom.
Democracy Disco
It’s time to get your groove on! "Democracy Disco" invites visitors to engage with videos of people dancing throughout American history. At this interactive station, up to three visitors can play short dance clips from the Archives’ holdings and then recreate the moves themselves during a scored performance round.
The gesture-sensing technology will evaluate the dancers’ accuracy and award them points—all in the spirit of light-hearted competition. Visitors can save a recording of their performance to their digital account, allowing them to show off their best moves.
From Carmencita, one of the earliest motion pictures ever made, which featured the first woman captured on film in Thomas Edison’s studio in 1894, to hula dancers performing at the 25th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, any visitor can see how Americans have expressed themselves through dance for more than a century.
The Clause of Power
Uh-oh, it looks like the powers of each of the three branches of government have gotten mixed up!
At the "Clause of Power," guests will meet characters representing the executive, legislative, and judicial branches and use an on-screen claw machine to return the powers to the correct branch of government. In this fun, fast-paced game, guests will test their knowledge of governmental checks and balances—all before the clock runs out!
In Plain Sight
Inspired by the 1993 educational video game “Busytown,” “In Plain Sight” is a game-based interactive that explores different ways the federal government has historically impacted daily life. Within each scenario, visitors will encounter townspeople who need help and determine which government agency is equipped to solve the problem.
Visitors earn points toward their overall Discovery Center score based on their answers to each scenario. With themes such as public health and safety, culture, food, and the environment, each scenario reveals a related National Archives holding. Reach a certain number of points and redeem a prize in the National Archives store!
“Speak Out!”
“Speak Out!” is a retro, 8-bit video game based on 1954 Congressional hearings that investigated whether comic books contributed to juvenile delinquency. The game explores different points of view to decide whether the First Amendment of the Constitution permits comic book companies to publish any type of content they wish, as well exploring the rights and freedoms U.S. citizens have to speak out on issues they care about.
Based on records of the Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency, first established in 1953, the game shows how in the 1950s, many adults were worried about the nation’s teenagers. At one point, Newsweek even reported that juvenile crime had risen by more than 30 percent since 1940. One new form of entertainment, comic books, quickly became the focus of public concern. Popular crime and horror comics sold by the tens of millions each week and featured shocking stories and colorful, often violent illustrations. Civic and religious leaders blamed them for encouraging bad behavior, and some communities even held comic book bonfires to protect their children.
The Senate subcommittee held public hearings in New York in 1954. As a part of their work evaluating the legitimacy of the “danger” comic books posed, the subcommittee received many letters. Some of these were from children themselves, which come to life in the actual gameplay.
Comic book publishers defended their work as a form of free expression protected by the First Amendment. After reviewing testimony and evidence, the subcommittee found no proof that comic books caused juvenile crime. Rather than ban them, it encouraged the comic book industry to regulate itself by creating a ratings code and limiting violent content.
