Review of The Magic School Bus and How it Can Be Used to Support a Theme on the Human Body

Recently, I reviewed the web-based program for the Magic School Bus p(ublished by Scholastic, Inc.; copyright 2011)and I found this program to be highly entertaining and both eye-catching and ear-catching. The site even provides video clips on the various topics for the children to preview with information on where to find full episodes. The program is free to use and provides ideas for classroom activities, whole science kits for purchase, and even “pop” quizzes to test the children on their knowledge of the various topics. This is largely a science-based program but the subtopics run the full gamut of everything from adventures in space to kitchen science. Other topics covered include earth science, life science, physics, archaeology, much more. The intended age range is from three years to 10 years and would work wonderfully in a kindergarten classroom. Specifically, this site would come in handy for supporting a theme on the human body. A significant theme used in science for kindergarteners is that of the five senses. This site provides fun activities for the kindergarteners to perform to increase their knowledge base of how the senses work. A fun game on this site is called “Gets an Earful” where the student listens to a sound and has to match it the object that typically makes the sound. This is an easy way to demonstrate the function of hearing and what we would be missing without our sense of hearing. The activities and experiments typically call for small groups to carry out the directions and exploration which is a fun way for young students to learn the art of cooperation and teamwork.  Students can take a quiz regarding their knowledge of the human body either before, during, or after the unit and this will give some of the students a true feeling of success. However, for students who need hands-on activity to learn the material the experiments provided are a true gateway to learning. This website is not necessarily all that interactive so the true purpose or function for the classroom will be the activities and ideas provided. For the group work projects provided I would want to have a loosely structured classroom environment where the students are free to check out the groups’ projects and discuss with each other their findings.

  The fact that this program really isn’t that interactive is the huge drawback for a group of kindergarteners. I feel that the video clips will hold their attention for only a short while but hopefully they will serve to pique the students’ interest in further exploration of the human body. The main advantage of this program is that includes characters from T.V. and books that many of my students will already be familiar with. It can be extremely helpful for students to hear the same, valid, factual information from beloved, trusted characters that they hear in the classroom because sometimes my word just isn’t enough.

Review of The Human Body Explorer Deluxe and Recommendation for Use in a Kindergarten Classroom

  Upon researching information for The Human Body Explorer Deluxe I discovered that many parents and educators found this software to be effective in teaching about the human body. This program is suitable for ages six to nine years and would specifically meet the criteria of what our school is looking for in an interactive program to teach about the human body.

  The Human Body Explorer Deluxe teaches, through interaction, about basic human anatomy including basic function of body organs, the five senses, the Digestive System, the Circulatory System, and the importance of healthy living. The students will be able to test their own progress in fun, lively, timed gaming assessments.

  The children take guided tours through the human body and then get a chance to test what they have learned through interactive gaming provided on the software. The children get the opportunity to piece together a human skeleton and after practicing can piece it together against a timer. The main character for the software is a human skeleton that adds comedy and wit to learning anatomy for such a young age group. There is even the opportunity for the students to decide what the skeleton will do during his day including what he eats, what activities he pursues, and how long he sleeps. The program will start over if he spends too much time in front of the television to reiterate healthy living habits.

  Our K-2 grade levels will benefit from this software in ways that standard model displays have not been able to benefit them. In addition to interactively exploring the human body as a class, the students will be able to play the games and explore the software on their own at their own leisure so they will be learning while having fun. Priced at below $20.00 for a single software unit, the package actually includes The Human Body Explorer and The Science Explorer and was  published by DK Interactive Publishing in 2000. This could potentially save the school money in material costs. As it is now, models of human organs are costly and we do not them in every classroom which is a hindrance when combining the various classrooms for interactive group work. This software is priced at a point well under budget and is affordable enough that when the time comes to upgrade the school will not be taking a loss. Often assessing young children on their knowledge of anatomy can be difficult but this software provides teachers with a way to observe the children’s knowledge and understanding through their gaming.

 According to Discovery Education, this software is highly re-playable so the children will not grow bored with exploring this program again and again. Discovery Education says that through the experiments and interactive gaming, this software keeps the children tuned in and eager to keep learning. Also, Discovery Education found this software to be layered in a way that allows the students to go in depth on any topic they choose. Each level has another sublevel with more information. This helps to ensure a sound financial investment so that children are not just playing through a game, beating it, and done with it. Many parents are impressed by the knowledge their children display after using this software and Discovery Education gave it the Award of Excellence. Following is a link to the Discovery Education Review site.

Discovery Education Review Corner. 2011. Discovery Education. 19 March 2011. <http://school.discoveryeducation.com/parents/reviewcorner/software/humanbodyexpl.html>