AUGUSTA – A new interactive, Web-based program will put Maine’s students in the shoes of a cybersleuth as they put together the puzzle of the state’s history, using their laptops as tools.

DiscoverME is being tested in schools now – including Vassalboro Community School – and will be released into 75 schools statewide next month. Besides putting state-provided laptops to good use, officials hope the program fills a void in teaching resources available for history instruction.

“Students will understand themes of history, not just events,” said Bob Shafto, executive director of the Center for Educational Services. “That’s a difficult skill to teach.”

The program poses questions related to themes in history, presented as cases they must investigate and solve. They investigate by clicking a map of the state and scanning through historical documents behind each county.

“Detectives move around the state, solving cases and getting points,” said Frank Callanan, project director for DiscoverME. “The teacher has a role within the game. They are the chief of detectives.”