The Children’s Atlas of the United States offers an overview of the different aspects of the country that a third to fifth grade student may be studying. The program opens to a map with all states outlined. Approximately half of the states are shown with an object that symbolizes the state and the object eventually becomes animated as the user watches. For example, an oil rig squirts oil in Texas, a saxophone plays in Louisiana, and a skier maneuvers through Colorado. When all the symbols have completed their animation, the screen "loops" or begins again. This continues until the user clicks anywhere on the screen.

When the user clicks the opening screen, five icons are presented on the screen. However, the icons are simply vague pictures; no printed explanations accompany them. Some exploration is in order for the user. A Capital Dome simply plots the fifty state capitals. There is no further explanation or activity to do with that screen.

An icon of a City Skyline gives major cities and densely populated areas of the country. Here, the user may click on any state to be presented with a close up of that state, including its basic information and statistics; for example, the state’s area in square miles, largest city, famous people from the state and so on. If the user is interested in this information, further information is given by clicking more icons, again without "clues" as to what each icon represents. A historical page will even be read to the student in clear and simple terms.

The Flag icon shows pictures of a particular state’s tree, flower and bird. Again, the icons of this sub-menu are not accompanied by wording. When each of the states’ symbols are shown, there is no further explanation. The user is only given the graphics.

Lastly, a Window gives the highlights and attractions of the chosen state. Actual photographs in this area can include text, sound and, at times, animation. While the student views a beautiful picture of a Cape Cod beach, a narrator gives a short summary of the area while crashing waves can be heard, and an animated ship, which may be the Mayflower, sails across the water in the distance.

Another area of this software includes a game section. There are six to choose from, all on various levels. "Border Clash," a simulated card game, is confusing. One would have to refer to the user’s guide as the directions on the screen are vague. The icon labeled "Go Out" can be easily interpreted as an exit but actually reshuffles the deck of cards. The "US Puzzle" is offered on two levels. The "easy" level outlines each state. The "hard" version leaves the map blank. Each state is presented in random order, and it is up to the user to place them in the correct area of the map. The catch is that the student is timed against him or herself. If the game is completed as one of the six fastest, the student is allowed to type his/her name on the winner screen, which is like a "Hall of Fame".

Although this program is accurate for the intended population, it is lacking in a few areas. As previously mentioned, virtually none of the icons include words to specify the contents. A teacher would have to use the Reference Guide. The worded icons are misleading (e.g.,"Go Out" means reshuffle). Screens are easy to navigate, but many times this is done on a trial and error basis, as a new user does not know what each icon specifically entails. No gender race or any other type of bias is evident. Famous people from each state include the deceased and the living of both genders and all races.

The Children’s Atlas of the United States is aesthetically pleasing. Sound is clear; both male and female narrators voices are soothing and music is light. Videos and animation are both intrinsic and extrinsic, depending on the situation. At times, animation is played as a lighthearted opening or to spark a giggle from a student; this animation has no educational value or purpose. At other times, a video has meaning to the text and more vividly explains the material to the student. As mentioned before, at times meaningless animation is mixed with educationally functional videos and photographs.

This program is based on a non-linear system. The student may navigate throughout the program, turning in any direction at will. All areas can be exited at any time, including the "Read to Me" areas, although exiting may be difficult to perform at times. No assessment techniques can be foreseen, as the student is unable to create or print any student-written material. The Children’s Atlas of the United Sttes seems to be more of a supplemental program than a main ingredient in a social studies curriculum. What is offered is an overview of the country, basic information about each state and games that require some knowledge of the country.

The Children’s Atlas of the United States seems to be a closed system. Some options are offered, but the user is unable to go beyond set parameters. A single user, especially in the game section, uses the program best. In at least two of the games, the user is forced to play against him/herself or the computer. Very small groups (up to three) may be able to view other information about the various states together, but that may be all that is possible with a group of children.

The Children’s Atlas of the United States limits the teacher’s interaction with the student in terms of social studies. Student activity worksheets are provided but only allow the student and teacher to copy information from the program. There is very little opportunity for critical thinking. A teacher might have students who have finished social studies work early use this program for review or have students use it to begin state reports by obtaining basic information on the computer.

 CLASSROOM USAGE:

This system best serves a single user. In some instances, a small group of three may benefit from the available options. One interesting aspect about the worksheets is that some of the information that is asked of students can be more easily found in a standard textbook rather than using the computer program to find the information. Again, this program may be best suited as a supplement rather than a vital part of the social studies curriculum.

 CRITICAL SUMMARY:

The Children’s Atlas of the United States is a brief overview of our country. It is a closed, non-linear program created both to entertain and act as a supplement for third- to fifth-grade students. Students may learn basic information about all fifty states such as area, population, and famous natives. Games are also offered to play against oneself or the computer, which require knowledge of the country and individual states. With the required knowledge, these games are sure to be entertaining while reinforcing the learned information.

Some aspects of this program were pleasing. The games had possibilities of being fun, and basic information about each state was aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Nevertheless, I also found this program came to many dead ends. Many screens were exited after only a minute or two because there was simply nothing more that could be done with the screen. Some areas and many icons were confusing and deceptive. Overall, the software should be used as a non-mandatory source of United States information. Of note, a newer version of this software might be technically more advanced and require more critical thinking. Computer-based atlases are sure to be a part of the future, and students should learn how to use them in schools to complement their classwork.

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