| NAME OF PRODUCT: 500 Nations |
| PUBLISHER: Microsoft |
| COPYRIGHT DATE: 1995 |
| Version Reviewed |
| Platform: Win | Format: CD-ROM |
| Content Areas/Topics Covered:
Social Studies, Native American Studies
|
| Intended Audience |
| Early Childhood (preschool-grade 1) | Adult Remedial |
| Elementary (grades 1-6) | Educator |
| Middle (grades 5-8) |
Special Needs |
| Secondary (grades 7-12) |
General Interest/Other |
| Please rate the software on each of the listed categories according to the scale given. After completing each section, please provide supporting comments for your ratings. |
| Content | Poor | Fair | Average | Very Good | Excellent |
| Developmental/Age Appropriateness | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
5 |
| Educational Value | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| Accuracy | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
5 |
| Interest Level/Appeal | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| Interactivity | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| Technical Quality (Audio, Visual, etc.) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| COMMENTS: It
is difficult for me to determine the age appropriateness, since I don't
work with children. I think the educational value is excellent because
this CD-ROM has so much information in it -- so much that I can't be sure
about the accuracy without spending a lot more time on it, although the
fact that it includes lots of source material and Native Americans speaking
for themselves, I think the information here is good. There are some fascinating
tours -- like the virtual tour of Pueblo Bonito at Chaco Canyon -- it's
like you are on a plane flying through the pueblo.
There is lots of audio and visual, such as movies and audio clips. |
| USE | POOR | FAIR | AVERAGE | VERY GOOD | EXCELLENT |
| Ease of Use | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| Clarity of Instructions | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| Quality
of Support
Materials |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| COMMENTS: I found this CD-ROM to be very easy to use. Each page allows you to go back home or to one of the other heading pages, including a timeline and a search engine. There is a teacher's guide that has lots of ideas for using this CD in the classroom that are based around various themes, such as art, how people lived, and historical dates. |
| FEATURES | POOR | FAIR | AVERAGE | VERY GOOD | EXCELLENT |
| Feedback | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Adjustability/Multiple
Levels Offered |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| COMMENTS: Neither of these features are applicable, since this is an a reference CD. |
| OVERALL |
| Strengths: I was very impressed with this CD, particularly since I have studied Native American cultures and it is very easy to get them wrong. There is a lot of information on this CD and is categorized easily by timeline, geography, etc. It also uses a lot of multimedia to make it even more interesting; I like the virtual tours and the fact that the CD includes audio clips of Native Americans speaking for themselves. I would think middle school and high school students would find this CD interesting for the sheer amount of information on it. |
| Areas for Improvement:I could have done without the Kevin Costner video clips, although since the computer on didn't have audio I was spared having to listen to him. |
