ERAPIN
Daily classroom practice for history and geography
Daily practice in absolute and relative location, built around real historical events. Students decode geographic clues, place events on the map, and guess the year. No login. Works on any device.
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How It Works
Sign in at teach.erapin.com — no password, just a magic link to your email.
Create a classroom. You get a unique room code and student link.
Share the link — paste it into Google Classroom, project it, or print it.
Students open the link, enter their name, and start the session. No accounts needed.
Watch the class leaderboard update in real time on your dashboard.
What Students See
Each round shows a historical photograph paired with a written geographic clue — something like "a fortified city on a broad tidal river, near the southeastern corner of a large island off northwestern Europe." Students decode the spatial language, combining absolute location reasoning (specific coordinates, named places) with relative location reasoning (positioned relative to neighbouring features). They study the image for additional visual context — architecture, vegetation, signage, clothing — then place a pin on the world map and guess the year using a slider. Points are awarded for accuracy in both location and time.
Variable rounds per session — pick 5 to 30 events per pack-published session, or play the daily 5-round activity. Each round scores out of 5,000. After the session, students see their total, performance badges, and the class leaderboard — but not the answers, so it's safe to project.
TEACHER FEEDBACK
"I tried GeoGuessr but it was too hard for the kids and just random points. EraPin is 5 historical locations with unlimited time — the kids like the game aspect and I debrief them about the events when they finish."
— BROCK SANITER, 7TH GRADE, ELMWOOD SCHOOLS
WHAT STUDENTS SAY
"They play a lot of different games in school. They said this was really amazing and they really saw value in it as a school tool."
— 7TH GRADERS, ELMWOOD SCHOOLS
Why Teachers Choose EraPin
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Spatial Reasoning Practice
Students practice absolute and relative location reasoning through real historical events — not random street views.
🔒
Zero Prep, Zero Accounts
Share a link. Students enter their name and play. Scores appear on your leaderboard in real time.
⏱️
Runs Itself, Daily
A fresh event every day, automatically — drop it into any lesson as a five-minute reasoning opener.
📚
Works With Any Curriculum
AP World History, GCSE, KS3, KS4, IB History. Build a session on any topic, or publish a curriculum pack.
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Built for Classrooms
Live leaderboard, projector mode, Google Classroom integration, CSV export.
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Any Device
Chromebooks, iPads, phones, laptops. No app to install.
Use It For
Inquiry opener for a new unit. End-of-unit review. Sub-day session that runs itself. Geographic-reasoning and spatial-thinking practice. Chronological-thinking review. Geography-skills practice.
Build Your Own Session
By default, students play the same daily EraPin as players worldwide. But you can publish your own session to override it for your classroom.
Pick a pack: Browse 100+ curriculum packs, choose exactly the events you want, and publish for any date.
Add specific events: Search Wikipedia by name and add them to your session — or generate events by topic for anything we don't cover yet (a daily generation limit applies).
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is EraPin really free?
- Yes. No credit card, no trial period. Teachers and students play for free. AI event generation has a daily limit.
- Do students need accounts?
- No. Students click a link, enter their first name, and play. No email, no password, no downloads.
- What devices does it work on?
- Chromebooks, iPads, phones, laptops — any device with a browser. No app to install.
- How long does a session take?
- Variable — pick the round count when you publish a pack (5 to 30 events). The daily activity is 5 rounds, untimed. Sized to fit any time you have.
- Can I see my students' scores?
- Yes. Live leaderboard updates as students complete rounds. Project it on a smartboard.
- Can I run sessions about specific topics?
- Yes. Browse 2,500+ events across APUSH, AP World, KS3, NY Regents, and other curricula. Pick a pack, choose a length (5–30 events), publish.
- How is it different from generic map tools?
- EraPin uses real historical events tied to curriculum frameworks instead of random Street View locations. Students practice absolute and relative location reasoning, chronological thinking, and historical reasoning. Each clue is written to teach geographic literacy — students decode descriptions like "between the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan" or "directly across the Channel from southern England" to locate specific events. Includes live class leaderboard. Completely free.
- What subjects does it cover?
- World history, geography, chronological thinking, and spatial reasoning. Aligned with AP World History, APUSH, GCSE, KS3, KS4, IB History, NY Regents, and general social studies. Particularly strong for absolute and relative location practice — a core requirement in the C3 Framework and most geography standards.
- Is content appropriate for all ages?
- Events sourced from Wikipedia. Teachers preview all rounds before publishing and can remove any they consider unsuitable.
- Can students see each other's answers?
- The final screen shows scores and performance dots but not the actual answers (city, country, year). It's safe to project on a classroom screen.
EraPin is a free daily classroom activity teaching absolute and relative location through real historical events. Used as a starter activity, warm-up, do-now, retrieval-practice exercise, and geographic literacy practice by history, social studies, and geography teachers worldwide. Aligned with the C3 Framework, AP World History, APUSH, GCSE, KS3, KS4, IB History, NY Regents, and other major curricula. Curriculum-aligned content with class leaderboard, no student accounts. Variable session length (5 to 30 events). Works on Chromebooks, iPads, phones, and any browser. Available in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, India, and 48+ countries.