Microsoft Takes Kids on a Fascinating Journey Inside the Earth With the Newest Scholastic’s The Magic School Bus CD-ROM
-
Science concepts . Complex science concepts are brought to life so kids can easily understand them, giving children the opportunity to learn about the inner workings of science at each geological zone they visit. For example, kids learn how fossils are formed and how earthquakes are measured.
-
Geological zones. The Magic School Bus covers six distinct geological zones: a canyon, an underwater volcano, a giant fault, a deep cavern, a land volcano and a geode (crystal). Children drive the bus directly to any of the zones.
-
Experiments. Kids experience learning firsthand by varying different environmental conditions to produce some amazing results. For example, inside the land volcano, kids can create different types of volcanic eruptions by changing the amount of gas and heat. It’s a real blast!
-
Games and activities. Fun games and activities keep kids engaged in learning. The games reinforce key science concepts and encourage kids to explore each geological zone. In one game, kids compete by drilling through layers of the Earth’s mantle in search of oil and coal. Panning for gold, chasing lava flows, jumping earthquake faults, and racing bats in a cave make up more of the fun.
-
Reports. Students in Ms. Frizzle’s class have prepared their own multimedia reports, one for each geological zone they visit. Each report includes videos, drawings and loads of information. For instance, one report shows how rivers, glaciers and weather shape the Earth through erosion. Fossil formation, famous volcanoes, and tsunami and earthquake damage are just some of the topics waiting to be discovered.
