ClueFinders 5th Grade Adventures with 6th Grade Adventures
© 1999 The Learning Company
This combo pack provides two of the best multiple subject programs out there for fifth and sixth graders. Our just-graduated fifth grade testers found the Fifth Grade CD challenging but doable, and boy, did they enjoy it. The adventure begins with the ClueFinder kids shipwrecked on a mysterious island. Two of their teammates are trapped in an underground hideaway, and the ship's captain and crew are missing as well. It's up to the rest of the gang to find their friends and get off the island— all before a monstrous volcano blows its top. To solve the mystery and save the day, kids help the ClueFinders complete activities and collect the strange CrypTiles that will unlock the island's secrets. The ten activities cover math, social studies, reading, critical thinking and science. One especially challenging game has players combining fractions with unlike denominators to make whole units. There are spelling and vocabulary games, computational activities and map reading exercises. With each successful play, kids are awarded CrypTiles, which they use to get closer to the big rescue. Besides a compelling theme and solid activities, the program has other thoughtful features that kids and grown-ups will appreciate. For instance, before beginning the adventure players can take a brief skills test that sets the activity levels to match kids' strengths and weaknesses. The program also jumps in with help when children are struggling and keeps records of kids' progress. In the Sixth Grade program, the ClueFinder kids have 24 hours to stop an army of mutant plants from destroying their hometown. To solve the mystery, kids play nine activities that teach sixth grade reading, math, geography, science, history and problem-solving. Features include pre assessment and automatic leveling that takes into account kids' scores on the pretest. A smart help system provides clues when children need them. The program also tracks kids' progress and prints out customized workbooks. The testers loved the program and were determined to play all the way through to solve the mystery.
Win, Mac OS (CD-ROM)
Teaches: reading, math, geography, science, history, problem solving