Smart-Bear Adventures 1 - Jeanie Whistler and Cubs

$24.95, Win 98, Win XP, Mac OSX

Teaches: science, bears, hibernation

CTR Review

This is an interactive, science-based story of a bear community, set in Whistler Mountain, a fictional setting. The first screen consists of a map, with six bears, each representing a stage of life. Clicking on a bear leads to three rather dry narrated pages that explain each bear's situation (finding a mate, having cubs, weaning, hibernating, taking a bath and so on). On any page, a magnifying glass highlights bear facts; a nice touch. Children can then visit a creative flannel board activity where they can decorate a nature scene using graphics from the story. This work can be saved from session to session, and a password system protects a child's work; useful for classrooms. The main weakness is the clunky interface -- some of the icons won't work unless the active viewing area is "unclicked"-- a process that takes learning. Also, some of the icons shown in the flannel board section are only available when the second disk is purchased. The main strength of the program is the content, which includes bear-based facts (for example, you get a good idea of how stressful the hibernation process is on a bear's body). Once you get used to some of the frustrating quirks in the interface, this could be a nice addition to a science lesson.