Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1116 in Software
• Brand: Avanquest Software
• Released on: 2000-06-07
• Platforms: Windows NT, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows Me, Windows XP, Windows 95

Amazon.co.uk Review
Become a Science Explorer is another excellent CD-ROM from Dorling Kindersley aimed at children aged 6-10 years old. Children will love the challenge of going on a mission and trying to become a Science Explorer.

Fizz, the helpful ball of energy, guides children around the different environments where children can carry out activities, answer questions or look at information screens. The graphics are excellent and there is a wealth of scientific information for children to find out in a variety of interesting ways. Children's learning is also cleverly extended when they're given further explanations once they have answered a question.

Children are rewarded with prizes, badges, stickers, rosettes, medals and the ultimate prize of becoming a Science Explorer. They can use their Science Workbook to make scientific observations, answer questions and collect stickers--guaranteed to turn any child into a budding scientist.

There is a range of science experiments that can be printed out and undertaken. These would be ideal for parents to go through with younger children using the comprehensive parents' guide. There are also some very good worksheets, which would help to consolidate children's learning.

Become a Science Explorer is a fantastic CD-ROM that really supports the science curriculum in schools. This would be an excellent buy for parents or teachers of children aged 6-10 years old. --Amanda York

Manufacturer's Description
Why are bubbles round? Why are flowers colourful? What is air? Discover the answers to these and hundreds of other amazing science questions. You will soon find that science principles are at work in everything around you, from rockets in space, to bubbles in the sink. Plus you can take part in eight interactive science activities, print off 20 experiments to go and do, and fill in eight stimulating worksheets. Then test your scientific knowledge in the Bright Sparks Quiz. In no time you will be a true Science Explorer!

Customer Reviews

A nightmare to install - but fairly educational
This software was a nightmare to install, I should have learned from the last GSP offering but I didn't. If you have XP service pack 2 you will still need to download the patch for service pack 1 once that is loaded you will then need to download another patch from the read me file! that done it will be neccesary to update your audio drivers and then re install the CD again! What a nightmare, still apparently if I buy any DK / GSP software in the future I will not need to do all of it again! Hmmmm right.

The reason we bought this was because my daughter's school had been using it and my daughter wanted to complete it to get her rewards (on the disc) It struck me as a bit boring at times but she stuck to it and finished the tutorials and the whole disc in one day, well 3 hours actually, + the 2 hours to install it!

For a younger child who is starting out on year 2 studies it will probably take longer as they will not have covered some of the topics (my daughter is 7) so aim for 6 year olds and you will be fine.

Overall it gets a 3 because it was educational and it did work eventually.

Disappointing
I've bought excellent kids' CDs from Dorling Kindersley before, and thought this one would be of the same quality. Unfortunately, it isn't.

The graphics are very static, except for Fizz, the "ball of energy" who acts as an anchor through the various activities, and who speaks in an American accent with a very irritating speech impairment.

There seems to be less games to go round than in other DK software I have, and my 6-year old had completed all the activities within a weekend. She hasn't played it since.

Not Scientific
I came across the following statement in the text: "Temperature is measured using a thermometer. Temperature can be measured in either Celsius or Fahrenheit." If this supposed to be educating the scientists of the future, why is confusing them with the Fahrenheit scale? Even American scientists don't use that any more.