HistoryThe BestieIntermediate
Explorers of Time and Place, a free history course on Tomo

Explorers of Time and Place

Like Duolingo, but for Explorers of Time and Place. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.

For the part of you with thirty open tabs that never became anything.

A short one: 26 levels across 3 sections, about 52 minutes end to end, roughly 10 days at five minutes a day. It moves through Investigate Your World, The Power of Great Journeys, and Protecting Our Shared Story. It assumes you already know the basics.

26 bite-size levelsAbout 5 minutes each

Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android

Hoot the Historian, the guide who teaches the Explorers of Time and Place course
Explorers of Time and Place
with Hoot the Historian
26
Levels
3
Sections
5
Min/day
What you'll learn

Key ideas in Explorers of Time and Place

  • Modern objects often use plastic because it is cheap and light.
  • Older objects were frequently made of metal or wood before plastic was common.
  • Using material clues to distinguish between old and new objects
  • Repeated use over many years leaves physical marks like dents or stains.
  • Paper changes color and texture as it gets very old.
  • Identifying specific wear-and-tear clues that indicate long-term use
  • Labels often mention places or companies that do not exist the same way today.
  • Written dates or old-fashioned logos are direct proof of when an item was made.
  • Detailed pictures take up too much space
  • Looking from above turns 3D objects into flat shapes
  • Simple symbols make it easier to see the layout
  • Colors and shapes in symbols represent real features
  • The view from above shows how different places are spaced out and connected.
  • The tradeoff between realistic pictures and map symbols for clarity
  • Ground-level views are often blocked by walls or trees that hide the path to other places.
  • Connecting the ground-level view to the bird's-eye view
Why not just Google it

You've tried the other tabs

Wikipedia

Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.

YouTube

You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.

ChatGPT

One answer, then back to scrolling.

Online courses

Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.

Tomo gives Explorers of Time and Place the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.

Try a question

Here's what playing it feels like

A real question from this course. Take your best guess.

Spotting History in the Classroom

If you found a very old lunchbox from the past, what material would it most likely be made of?

Get it right to open this lesson and 25 more in the app.

Course map

Where Explorers of Time and Place takes you

Go beyond basic facts to discover how people shaped our world and how our surroundings shape us. Learn to piece together the past like a detective and read the secrets of the landscape.

  1. 1

    Investigate Your World

    • Clues in the Classroom: Finding History Nearby
    • Mapping Your Path: Symbols and Secret Views
    • Then and Now: Spotting Changes in Your Street
    • The Weather Watch: How Climate Changes Our Day
  2. 2

    The Power of Great Journeys

    • Beyond the Horizon: Why People Explore
    • Packing for the Unknown: Tools of the Trade
    • Comparing Lives: A Child in the Past vs. You
    • Island Life: How Water Shapes a Community
    • Travel Through Time: How Moving Around Changed
    • Leaving a Legacy: How One Person Changes the Future
  3. 3

    Protecting Our Shared Story

    • Nature’s Treasures: Why We Care for the Land
    • Old Objects, Big Stories: Why Museums Matter
    • Our Global Family: Connecting with Faraway Places

3 sections · 13 units · 26 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.

How it's taught

You pick the voice

This course
The Bestie

Explorers of Time and Place is taught in the The Bestie style: your friend who just gets it. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.

Keep going

More History on Tomo

The Historian's Lens course icon

The Historian's Lens

Professor

Move beyond memorizing dates and start questioning how the stories of our past are built. Learn to spot bias, compare conflicting accounts, and understand why the 'truth' of history changes over time.

88 levels2h 56mIntermediate
The Magic of Bali course icon

The Magic of Bali

Professor

Go beyond the beaches to discover the soul of the Island of the Gods. Learn how ancient kings, unique traditions, and a resilient spirit shaped this tropical paradise.

170 levels5h 40mBeginner
The Secret History of Great Wealth course icon

The Secret History of Great Wealth

Bestie

Ever wonder how the world's richest families actually built their fortunes? Go behind the scenes of history's biggest bank accounts to see the moves they made and the systems they used.

170 levels5h 40mBeginner
The Great Molasses Flood course icon

The Great Molasses Flood

Bestie

Step into the sticky streets of 1919 Boston to uncover the mystery of a giant wave of syrup. Explore rare photos and hear the voices of those who survived the strangest disaster in history.

54 levels1h 48mBeginner
Beyond the K-Drama: Real Korean History course icon

Beyond the K-Drama: Real Korean History

Storyteller

Move past the screen and discover the real stories behind Korea's most famous eras. We'll debunk common myths from historical dramas and explore how ancient traditions still shape modern Seoul.

26 levels52mIntermediate
Athena: The Goddess of Wisdom course icon

Athena: The Goddess of Wisdom

Bestie

Step into the sandals of the most powerful goddess in Olympus. Learn how to think like a strategist, win your battles with brains over brawn, and discover why Athena is still the ultimate symbol of wisdom today.

170 levels5h 40mBeginner
Start free

Start Explorers of Time and Place today.

Download Tomo, search Explorers of Time and Place, and play your first lesson in under a minute.