This CD-ROM provides interactive, multimedia software that enables students to investigate many aspects of Native American and European encounters in the Mississippi Valley through study of original historical sources, including texts, maps, artworks, and archaeological finds. The Lower Mississippi Valley was chosen as the study area because of the region's great range of cultural encounters, involving numerous British, French, Spanish, African, and Native American groups. Since many of the original documents were written by French and Spanish explorers, language-learning tracks were also developed, making the software useful for multiple subject teaching across the curriculum. "Hands-on" interactive learning exercises that simulate real-world research problems are provided. Students use authentic historical sources in these exercises to answer questions about Native American and European encounters. The exercises are arranged in an "interactional spiral" of increasingly sophisticated queries that prompt students completing one level of investigation to tackle a more complex level of study. The interactional spiral consists of three levels: Beginner (middle/junior high school), Intermediate (high school), and Advanced (college). The software consists of three language tracks--English, French, and Spanish--each containing several modules. A graphical interface guides users through introductory presentations and associated learning exercises. Users can access a glossary, a bibliography of suggested readings, a notepad for writing essay answers, and other learning tools. An online list of additional classroom projects and activities is provided. (BT)