The Animals

Publisher: Toolworks

Reviewed by Courtney James

SCHOOL SUBJECTS: science

GRADE LEVEL: all grades

PLATFORM USED FOR EVALUATION: Mac

HARD DISK OR CD-ROM?:CD-ROM

TIME TO PLAY: varies

RATING: 10

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRAM:

This program is designed to orient children and adults to over 200 exotic mammals, birds, and reptiles. Through brief clips of movies, pictures, and profiles of the animals you can learn about many animals. When you arrive at the main screen all you ha ve to do to get started is to click on the big M to go to the main map.

By clicking on almost any part of the map you can begin your exploration of The Animals. You can make explorations through the Media Library, Kids Corner, Story Theater, Zoo Nursery, Research Center, and Guided Tours. The guided tour brings you on a tri p through bear, cat, biome, reptile, and primate tours. In these tours you are shown a numerous amount of pictures, profiles, movie clips, and transcripts. You can also go through tours on night animals, endangered animals, animals in disguise, critter coverings and feathered friends, and jaws, claws, and creature features. In the fact and fable section of the tour you are shown eight different animals and told facts and fables of these animals. The fact and fable tour runs for four minutes but yo u can stop at any section for a longer period of time. There is also 10 climatical zones or biomes that you can visit: the island, montane, tropical rain forest, tropical dry forest, desert, taiga, savannah, temperate forest, grassland, and the tundra.

There are four different galleries: the jungle, A to Z, Waterhole, and Creature Features. The A to Z makes a list of all the animals on the program and puts them in alphabetical so there is easier access to them.

EVALUATION OF THE PROGRAM:

The animals is presented in a clear and accurate fashion. The program provides children with an acccurate look at many different animals in the San Diego Zoo. It provides them with knowlege about animals they may not of known before or knew little about . This program I feel would serve as a good educational device for children at home or in the classroom. The animals is a good way for children to acquire knowledge and have a fun time at once. The program will keep them intrigued and want to lear n. It is clearly represented and I think that any child would be capable of using the program with little or no help. The program has no cultural or gender preferences within it. There are no timed activities so children wonÕt feel pressured to go too quickly and rush through areas. This program I feel has no weaknesses to it at all. All the imformation is easily assessible and easy to understand. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would have to say The Animals is a definate 10. If I am to get my own class room I would definately use this program as a part of my curriculm.

APPLICATION OF THE PROGRAM:

The animals could be easily integrated into a classroom program. When trying to discuss the wildlife or any other exotic or zoo animal this would serve as a great educational resource. Also for the younger kids you could go to animals sounds and teach them the differences between animals. The Animals is a great teaching device for any science lesson given in the classroom. If you are doing a lesson on extinct animals you can go into the tour and go through a whole lesson on just extinct animals.