Rainforest Journey from EdTechLens (Schoolhouse Review Crew Review!)

We received this for review purposes!

 Product Links: Rainforest Journey

Vendor Information Link: EdTechLens

Age Appeal: K-5, we used 4th and 5th

Format: Online and downloadable PDF questions and text

Price: Please visit the website for current prices and options.

Does your family want to explore the rainforest from the comfort of your home?  EdTechLens has developed a program called Rainforest journey.  This science program contains five units:

• Big Picture
• Adapt or Die!
• Animals, Plants, and Fungi
• Ecosystem

There are 34 lessons which include stunning photos, text, and video clips.  Each section of text is also linked to an audio version.  There are also interviews with scientists and rainforest trip journals.  At the end of each lesson there are reviews and activities.

Our Experience: 

B and C enjoy science and learning about different ecosystems, so I was excited to be able to review Rainforest Journey.

I had C work on fourth grade and B review fifth grade.  They each did a lesson a day.  At first I had them go in the program’s order, then I decided to open it up for them, so they could see what the rest of the program was like.  I thought C’s program was a lot more detailed than B’s.  Her lesson review pages were usually three to four pages and B only had two.  Her lessons were also a lot more complete, with added descriptions, videos, and other extras.

They both enjoyed this program, so I plan on having them continue working on it.

Mama’s Thoughts:

• I thought the photos were spectacular.  I liked the interviews with the scientists and the rainforest journals.  They were a great addition to the text.
• I was glad that there was audio to go with the text, because it gives those who have diffculties reading a chance to enjoy the program.
• I liked the ability to download the PDFs of each lesson and the lesson review.  I had the children verbally give the answers, but being able to print the reviews was a great option.
• I thought this online science program for kids had a lot of good information, but I would have liked more detail about the animals and plants.  Fifth grade seemed to have a lot less detail and work than fourth grade did.  It would have been nice if the photos had been labeled with the specific name of the item and not the generic name.  The videos were really short and did not contain a lot of detail. 
• I had B and C work on one lesson a day (it took them around 20 minutes each time).  They could have done more though, because they really like to learn.
• I think that more multiple choice questions would have been nice for the lesson review.  It would have been a good break from the essay questions.  

B’s Thoughts (boy, age 12, officially in sixth grade):   

I thought that EdTechLens was an interesting science program.  I liked learning about the rainforest, which is a subject I have learned a whole lot about. 

I thought that the photographs were really nice.  It would have been nice if the photos had been labeled better.  For example, instead of saying “an owl,” it could say “eagle-owl.” 

I would have also like more info. about the topic being studied. 

I would recommend this product for people younger than me. 

 C’s Thoughts (girl, age 10, officially in fourth grade):

• I think that the photos are really beneficial, so that I could see what the plants and animals look like.
• I think audio clips of the text would be good for people who can’t read.
• This science curriculum would be good for people of all ages.
• I thought that the photos could be labeled better.

 

Dad’s Thoughts:

Dad was not available.

Mama recommends!

Social Media Links!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/edtechlens
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Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/edtechlens/
Google +: https://plus.google.com/+Edtechlens
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/edtechlens

   

Digital Frog International- Digital Field Trip Series

Product: The Digital Field Trip Series
Vendor Information: Digital Frog International, 1-800-621-3764 (FROG), www.digitalfrog.com
Age Appeal: K-12th grades, there is a lot of reading for teachers of younger grades, so use the link below to try the demos.
Format: DVD, contains e-books (workbooks and teacher guides)
Price: $125 for Home License

Want to get away, but you can't leave home? Then come take a trip with Digital Frog Field Trip series to the desert, rainforest or wetlands.

Each field trip group has the same basic sections:

• the field trip using QuickTime Virtual Reality.
• study of the area.
• different types of rainforests, deserts or wetlands.
• mechanisms of the rainforest, desert or wetland.
• human impact or endangered areas.

The easiest way to start is to begin in the field trip. In the field trip you will go to multiple posts where you will explore the area learning more about the plants and animals. In the field notes, you can locate the organisms to study. There are pictures, text and sometimes videos to help you learn more. For the more difficult words to pronounce you there may be a “Say-it” icon to help you learn how to pronounce it.

You can go back at any point in time during your field trip experience. There is also a handy menu and map of the digital field trip.

You will not want to forget to go through your “my computer” icon and explore the workbooks, graphic resources, and CD text.

To be able to try a demo, you can join the free Digital Frogger Club, here. When you try the demo you will have a good idea of what the field trips are like.



What I Liked:

• So much complete information.
• Workbooks for each field trip.
• Complete text for each field trip available.
• Extra graphics (silhouettes and line drawings) to be used for flash cards, to color or pad for games (I would like to use them for a flannel board).
• Excitement from B (age six) and C (age 4) each time program is used.
• Blue checks appear on the field trip map when the activity is complete.

What I Disliked:

• Wish e-books and extra material would automatically download, not just the field trips.
• The teacher's guide for the Desert Field Trip was not complete, so it had to be downloaded from the Internet.
• When enlarging the screen it would be nice if the text would then fill the screen, because it would be easier to read.

What B (boy, age six almost seven) Liked and Disliked: I liked everything about it really. My favorite field trip was the wetlands. I liked seeing the beaver and the caddis fly! And the beaver run. The beavers use the beaver run to to help carry the trees to the lodge. And we have beavers at the ranch. We've seen beaver dams at the ranch before. A tree has fallen on a path, so we can't go that way. A beaver might use the tree for it's dam. I liked seeing the dragon fly in the wetlands at post nine. I liked learning about every animal and tree.

Do you want to learn more about the rainforest? Yes! When the vines grow from one tree to another and one tree falls, the other will fall too. When they fall, they will form a tree fall gap.

I think Momma liked it too. I know I did. Thank you to Digital Frog International for making the field trips.

What C (girl, age four almost five) Liked and Disliked: I loved everything about it. I really liked putting my own photos into the wetlands workbook. And I liked taking pictures of a frog at the wetlands we visited. I liked learning about the plants and animals at each post, like the dragonfly. I liked seeing the duck. I didn't dislike anything.

Windows System Requirements: Need a Pentium II with DVD drive using Microsoft Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Windows 7. Pentium III is recommended. 32 MB required (64 recommended) and QuickTime 7 or later.

Mac System Requirements: G3 300 with DVD drive needed and Mac 10.3.9 or later. Needs QuickTime 7 or later.

More Digital Frog International Products: Digital Frog 2.5, Science Matrix: Cell Structure and Functions, each individual field trip on CD

I would recommend this product.

There are more reviews of this product. Please go here to read more.

Disclaimer: I received this product for free for review purposes. All links were current when posted.