Earth & Environment Investigations Rock Search (Apple II, 5 1/4" Disk) Focus Media - 1989 USA, Canada Release

From Eli's Software Encyclopedia
Earth & Environment Investigations Rock Search
Packaging cover Earth & Environment Investigations Rock Search.
Product ID 41898-20330
Product UPC 041898203302
Platform(s) Apple II
Packaging Generic Binder
Media 5 1/4" Disk
Copyright date 1989
Publisher(s) Focus Media
Category(s) Education, Science, Geology
Recommended age(s) Grades 7-12.
Country of Origin United States of America

Description from the packaging.

Welcome to Rock Search, a sophisticated simulation that will give students an appreciation of geology, as well as the thrill of uncovering the past. The program is designed for students in grades 7-12 with a readability rating of 7-8. Even older persons will enjoy the simulation, and a glossary is available for younger students.

In the simulation, players are sent on an exploration of a mythical land in search of a legendary King of Trilobites. The King is apparently a 60 cm cast of an ancient trilobite and is made entirely of gold. To find the cast students must be able to identify different rocks and fossils, classifying and dating them appropriately. The geologic clues presented by these rocks and fossils will lead students to the location of the gold fossil.

Players will search through igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks outcropping in terrains varying from volcanic to tundra, and from coastal beaches to towering, young mountains. Possible discoveries range from common fossils to such exotic (and unlikely) finds as woolly mammoths frozen in ice and insect fossils trapped in amber.

Rock Search is designed in such a way that it can be used by individual students, as well as in a lab setting. Users will find it easy to proceed through the program by selecting choices from a menu or by typing simple verb-noun commands. Background information is available on-screen and a save feature allows students to stop the simulation at any time and resume play at a later date. Special teacher utilities that allow students' progress to be analyzed are also included.

Educational Objectives

The aim of this program is to provide a positive, successful learning experience which will help students enhance their abilities in identifying different rocks and fossils and improve their general knowledge about geology. Students must make informed and thoughtful decisions in order to complete the simulation. They must be able to define and implement a strategy to find and identify the Trilobite King.

This is achieved in the following ways:

  • Through the simulated geologic exploration, the student will learn about rocks and fossils and about a rock hunter's life.
  • In reading the handouts and answering test questions, the student will learn about the geologic time scale, weathering and erosion, classifying rocks and fossils, and will be able to correlate rocks and fossils to their respective time periods.
  • In viewing the graphics the student will gain a visual appreciation of different terrains, and the rocks and fossils found therein.

Cognitive Objectives

Upon completion of the simulation, students will be able to

  • distinguish and identify igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks,
  • describe how each of the rock types are formed and explain the rock cycle,
  • discuss different land formations and the types of rocks likely to be found therein,
  • discuss the earth in terms of geologic time, and identify flora and fauna typical to each era,
  • identify common fossils, and correlate each to a specific geologic era,
  • discuss the role of weathering and erosion in the formation of rocks.

System Requirements

Apple II
Required RAM 64K

Binder Scans

Binder cover Earth & Environment Investigations Rock Search. Binder back Earth & Environment Investigations Rock Search.

Screenshots

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Package Contents

Reviews

Credits

Producer Danielle McDougal, Linda Unger
Programmer Johan Van Imschoot, Steven Hughes, Michael Byrne

Trivia

Cheats or Easter Eggs

Technical Notes

Links