What is The Anachronism Spotted (tAS)?

The Anachronism Spotted (tAS) is the companion Facebook/Instagram reel and YouTube short, or Facebook group post to the Spot the Anachronism series. Where the StA Facebook/Instagram reels and YouTube shorts, and Facebook group posts offer the viewer a puzzle – the before-and-after animations that trains the eye – tAS drops the following day to name and show exactly what was corrected. tAS is a tightly-associated visual companion that completes the two-part observation sequence: see the anachronism or anachronistic omission graphically pointed out, then see it graphically revealed and named.

The relationship between StA and tAS

StA reels/shorts/posts challenge viewers to identify what is historically wrong in an image. tAS is the companion reel/short/post released the following day that identifies and names the correction. The challenge prompts the viewer to find the on their own what is wrong in the image. tAS delivers the reveal: here is what was corrected clearly indicated and here is what it is called. tAS is not included in the paid subscription product that is also called Spot the Anachronism. In the latter context, the teacher/homeschool parent works with the student(s) to amplify the educational material provided in the subscription.

What a typical tAS post contains

A tAS reel/short/post uses the exact same before-and-after image dissolve introduced by the StA reel/short/post, except that it first uses animated drawn circles to indicate where the anachronism is, labeling the general category of what is wrong or missing; then, in the second segment of the dissolve, is uses an identical animated drawn circle to indicate the correction, and labels exactly what it is.

tAS and the subscription layer

tAS reels/shorts/posts appear on the same social channels as StA reels/shorts/post: Facebook reels and posts, Instagram reels, and YouTube shorts. There is no subscription required to see tAS – it is part of the same free social layer as StA. The subscription product also called Spot the Anachronism provides material for a more structured learning experience. The monthly subscription product contains 10 PDFs with static image comparisons, guided observation notes, discussion prompts, and subscriber access to slider comparison web pages.

In Brief

  • tAS (The Anachronism Spotted) is the companion to StA Facebook/Instagram reels, YouTube shorts and Facebook group posts – it names and graphically indicates each correction
  • StA is a distinct monthly subscription that provides full educational depth as a complement to the StA/tAS reel/short series.
  • tAS reels/shorts/posts are part of the free Spot the Anachronism social-media series and are published on the same Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook Group channels as StA.
  • tAS is a free public reveal reel/short/post. The Spot the Anachronism subscription is a separate product that provides PDF image studies, guided observation notes, discussion prompts, and interactive comparison pages.

Related Content

→ See: What is Spot the Anachronism?
→ See: What educational value does StA provide?
→ See: What does “Learn How to See History” mean?