History Teacher Teaches History Using Assassin's Creed Syndicate in Class

These days, it has become increasingly challenging for teachers to keep students focused on the classroom, as technology and smartphones (those damn TikTok videos) have taken up young people’s time. Because of this, educators are always looking for different ways to hold their attention for as long as possible.

In contrast, video games are one of the few forms of entertainment that can keep their fans obsessed with a single story that can last more than 40 hours, so why not use them? And that’s exactly what a middle school teacher did in Brazil!

History Lessons Through the Eyes of Jacob Frye

The idea came from Wesley Bernardo, who teaches history to several classes daily and recently took his own PlayStation 5 to a lesson about the Industrial Revolution.

In order to do this, he played Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, using the game’s setting to demonstrate what life was like for workers in 19th-century factories – what was recorded by a student, and the teacher shared it on his Instagram.

“They use coal as energy,” Bernardo explains in the video while controlling the protagonist, Jacob Frye, in the middle of the Hightower Coal. “They burn the coal, which generates the steam to make the machines in the back work.” The post quickly went viral on social media, and you can check out the video right below:

In the comment section, Bernardo explained how that happened: he asked the school for permission to use the console for more playful, immersive lessons, and luckily, the request was granted. The Brazilian teacher also mentioned a list of other games he plans to use, such as Red Dead Redemption to discuss the American West and Manifest Destiny, Tekken 8 to explore cultural differences, and even Mario Kart to talk about social equality.

You can also find a bunch of commentaries from adult gamers jokingly asking if the professor is accepting new students – a heartwarming sight that proves games can go far beyond simple entertainment!

By the way, this isn't the first time games have entered the academic world. In Poland, for example, many schools and universities distribute free copies of This War of Mine to be used as a study object in ethics, sociology, and history classes to teach both students and teachers about the realities of war.

I must confess, as someone who learned that giving up is not an option while playing Dark Souls and realized I could never be a doctor after playing Surgeon Simulator, I truly identified with this story while writing it! Jokes aside, I actually learned English while playing video games (with my trusty dictionary by my side), so this story gives me a real warm feeling. After all, it’s more than just fun – it’s art, and it’s education!