Get Me Out of Here!
© 2006 The Critical Thinking Co.
Children use drop-down menus to select commands like "Go North on Oak Street" in order to navigate through a grid of streets out of town. The first step is to select a map and review road advisories; a good exercise in reading comprehension. These list where to start and end on the map, any road hazards, tasks that might need to be completed (pick up a weather report), one way streets, etc. Note that you should print these instructions because the map and instructions cannot be displayed at the same time — which is just one of the many clunky attributes of this experience. After you input the program, the car will try to move through the map. If there is a problem, the mistake is highlighted. To make the game more challenging, the teacher can shut this feature off under the set-up dialog. The graphics are average, the map is hard to read, and the places on the map are poorly labeled. In addition, the car you are navigating doesn't look like a car. If you're looking for bells and whistles, you'll be disappointed. However, it does teach organizational skills and map reading, and follows a series of instructions. This is a good idea, but not implemented very well.
$23.99, Windows XP, Windows 98, Mac OSX
Teaches: programming, directions, maps, reading comprehension & writing skills
CTR Rating: 68%