Online Games, Software for Kids Teach Geography
by Jinny Gudmundsen
Knowing geography helps kids to understand what is happening in the world.
Kids' awareness of countries' locations can be enhanced by playing a free online game from National Geographic called GeoSpy. Youngsters choose a continent, then try to locate all its countries before time runs out.
And for more in-depth geographical awareness (including capitals, cities, rivers, deserts, lakes, oceans, mountains and famous sites), the "Mission Possible World Geography" software game can help (www.edven.com).
Using a spy mission theme to make learning geography facts more palatable, kids infiltrate a research facility to rescue important data about global warming.
Their mission's success is directly related to how well they can answer a series of geography questions. If they answer correctly, they watch a video of their spy character moving forward in the mission.
The questions take many formats, including multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, unscrambling words, and identifying places on a map. Kids can practice learning the facts in a tutorial mode before taking on the less-forgiving mission mode.
"Mission Possible World Geography" will provide a more interactive way of drilling geography facts than simply studying maps.
Score: 3 1/2 (out of 5)
Best for ages 10 and up
From EdVenture Software, www.edven.com, $24.95, Windows/Macintosh
