About Us 

The Upstairs in the Past module from Stories Past is an interactive web site created to boost skills in English, Science, Mathematics and Social Studies. Aimed primarily for students grades 5-8, it can also be used for teaching English in an innovative way.

Students explore a family's living quarters and in each room gather virtual items--toys, photographs, letters, diaries, household accounts, and other materials--related to the residents of the house. Returning to the present, students investigate the things they have collected. Each item has one or more associated pages that might include a problem to be solved,  related links, a set of discussion questions and enrichment exercises, and a history note. 

Much more than lesson plans, Stories Past uses a modular approach to learning, testing a variety of core skills presented within a connected unit. "Upstairs in the Past" is not a complete curriculum solution; instead it is affordably priced to be used within an existing course structure. Self-paced learning, with tools for teacher tracking, means students can explore the module at their own pace and in their own way. On-line testing with immediate feedback translates the experience into real skills. Finally students have the opportunity to contribute back to the site. Through creative submissions, students' final product can be published on the site through the Stories Past Gazette. [Next]