Heinemann Explore KS2 Geography Landscapes

www.heinemannexplore.co.uk

KS2 (Years 3 - 6)

Geography, ICT & English

Description

This is a reference resource containing information and articles about Mountain, Forest, Desert and Polar Environments. It is laid out in website format and the information is organised into 'Key Questions' that lead to articles about aspects of these regions. The articles are supported by a menu of links to pictures, diagrams and sometimes short video clips. Each Key Question also leads to a section called 'Digging Deeper', which contains more in-depth information and supplementary material where the user can investigate in more detail and focus their research on a particular topic.

Access to a glossary of geographical terms is provided on each page and important vocabulary is also directly hyperlinked to its definition throughout the site. The articles have a follow-up activity that often takes the form of a worksheet to print out. These can be accessed separately in the Activities Bank. There is a page of web-linked backup resources to be found on the Internet, including one to a web-cam in Antarctica. Tests are provided to check learning at the end of each region's unit. These are multiple-choice and give feedback to the pupil at the end. All resources, such as diagrams, photos and videos, are conveniently stored in 'banks' for quick access.

In addition to the Geography materials, five Literacy plans have been included as examples of how to use the resources for language work. ICT activities are provided with these so that teachers using an interactive whiteboard can follow up sessions using the computer. Specific queries can be addressed using the Search function by selecting keywords from a list.

Supporting Documentation

The CD-ROM comes with a user manual giving clear instructions on how to install the software, including how to add it to an RM WindowBox machine. The CD-ROM contains HTML and Microsoft Word files that need an Internet browser and a suitable word processing package to be viewed. A browser setup is provided on the CD-ROM. The contents of the CD-ROM can also be installed onto a hard drive or network and instructions are given.

The manual gives an overview of the product and explains its structure. It also shows how the resources and activities link to the National Curriculum and where to find coverage of the different strands within the CD-ROM. Its relevance to the ICT Curriculum is also laid out. Suggestions are given for how to use Heinemann Explore for classroom and library work and how it can promote the use of geographical skills and the use of different sources of information in schools.

Technical Support

A guide to the layout and use of the CD-ROM is given in the 'About this Site' section. This explains the rationale of the site, the resources and the structure, giving guidance about how to best explore the contents.

Email addresses and phone numbers are given on the CD-ROM and in the User Manual for those needing more information or experiencing technical problems.

Purpose of the Program

This program provides a wealth of articles, pictures, diagrams and activities to support geographical investigation and skills.

Curriculum Relevance

The publisher rightly claims that the resource provides a huge number of library and classroom resources for Geography, which can also be used to support teaching in Literacy and ICT. The material is appropriate for the targeted age range (7–11) and supports the Key Stage 2 Schemes of Work.

Extent

The CD-ROM contains information on four geographical regions and out of these the 'Mountains' area is the only one linked to a specific QCA Unit (Unit 15: The mountain environment). The Key Questions, which are the starting point for exploring information on the CD-ROM, match well with much of this unit and provide a good means of introducing and exploring the topic. The diagrams are particularly useful in their explanation of how mountains are formed, but maps and photos that provide the teacher with a comprehensive package with which to cover the unit are also provided.

The information about the other regions is covered in a similar way and with equally good resources, but the link to the QCA Scheme is less specific. This means that the user will need to use Key Words to search the CD-ROM for articles which support the units they are working on rather than having a ready-made bank of resources organised for them. Units for which Heinemann Explore Landscapes may be relevant are those where environments are compared and investigated, such as Unit 7: Weather Around the World; Unit 10: A Village in India; Unit 22: A Contrasting Locality Overseas and Unit 24: Passport to the World.

Judging the relevance of the material by another yardstick, the National Curriculum, the organisation is less of a problem, making the breadth of objectives covered clearer. Collecting and recording evidence, analysing data and drawing conclusions are all addressed, as is the use of a wide range of geographical vocabulary, atlases, secondary sources and ICT. The emphasis of the CD-ROM is to support the identification and description of places, which it does well. Human features and lifestyles are described for each environment, giving a rounded picture of the place and the interdependence of life within it.

Appropriateness

The content of this program covers the range of abilities and understanding usual at Key Stage 2. The text can be accessed on two levels, both of which provide a suitable degree of depth whilst remaining accessible to this age group. The pictures, diagrams and animations are straightforward and colourful, containing a good deal of detail and appropriate vocabulary. Activities are generally open ended, mirroring the type of tasks expected in a Key Stage 2 classroom and designed to be completed independently by children of this age group. Whenever new vocabulary is introduced, a link to the definition is provided, ensuring that pupils can explore the information independently and with understanding.

Quality

Images and diagrams are of a high standard; pictures expand when users click on a thumbnail and are of a suitable size to use as an interactive whiteboard demonstration or with a large monitor. Graphics are bright and attractive and of a high resolution, linking clearly to the information they are chosen to illustrate. The videos are short and, although interesting, do not add as much educational value to the content. Specially constructed animations, on the other hand, are well designed to demonstrate the geographical processes they cover.

Links within the CD-ROM site are instantaneous and the navigation facilities of Back and Forward buttons, menus and shared borders allow for smooth access between pages. Links to sites outside the CD-ROM are all functional and lead to useful, supporting materials. The Literacy plans can be printed as Microsoft Word documents, as can the activities. All of the resources are relevant and without bias, although information sources are not stated. The site contains British English spellings.

Differentiated levels of text are given with the user having the choice of two versions of the articles. In the first, more difficult vocabulary and sentence structure is used. By clicking on an icon the text is modified to include simpler language and a slightly shorter format. Both sets of pupils can follow up their research in the Digging Deeper sections where again the text is differentiated. This facility also allows for mixed-ability classes to work on the text in shared reading with an interactive whiteboard or data projector.

The size and colour of the text cannot be altered and no other configurations are available to the user.

Heinemann Explore Landscapes is a wide-ranging reference resource containing information and articles about Mountain, Forest, Desert and Polar Environments. It consists of a large bank of articles, pictures and diagrams that support both whole-class and individual research. The quality of the materials is excellent, with clearly written information backed up by relevant resources. Numerous pupil activities and quick 'Test Me' quizzes give opportunities for the material to be reinforced in interesting and lively ways. The CD-ROM is laid out in website format which allows for independent research by pupils as does the differentiated text, which caters for mixed ability readers and the range of ages in Key Stage 2. This is an attractive and comprehensive package with which to learn about the contrasting environments of the world.

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Product Overview

This product is distributed by Heinemann Library (Tel: 01865 314591)