Topography

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Animated aliens explore the topography (live action and photographed) of Earth in this nicely done effort from Schlessinger Media that covers the three major land forms (mountains, plateaus, and plains) as well as undersea topography. Even though today's sophisticated 3-D maps are produced via radar and satellite images (and sonar, for undersea features), students will also learn traditional topographic cartography via a classroom experiment demonstrated here. Viewers will also discover how earthquakes, volcanoes, water and wind have altered the Earth's surface through good graphics and vocabulary that is clearly and simply defined. While many students will have studied this information by the time they reach the recommended grades 5-8, this comprehensive overview will serve as a good refresher. Recommended. Other titles in the 14-part Earth Science in Action series include: Earthquakes, Fossils, Land Formations, Minerals, Soil, and The Water Cycle.

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Gr 5-8-Two space adventuring animated green aliens, a female captain and a male corporal, narrate the excellent, well-written scripts of Oceans, Soil, and Weathering & Erosion. The aliens' conversation is sprinkled with the right amount of humorous dialogue, which will attract and keep the attention of middle grade viewers. The well-scripted combinations of live action, 3-D animation, and graphics make these educationally sound programs fun to watch. Each video covers the topic fully and includes graphics, which accommodate visual learners. The well-selected video footage of each topic is stunning and will keep the attention of the viewers. Animated segments of geographical features are well illustrated and labeled for easy understanding. Multicultural, mixed gender, believable adolescents perform investigations. The directions are easy to follow, and the well-explained activities can be easily replicated. Follow-up discussion and activities, along with suggested Internet and print resources are listed in the teacher's guide. These videos enjoy very good technical aspects, and the teaching objectives are well achieved. They are excellent introductions or overviews for class units or individual viewing. This excellent series should be purchased by every middle school science program and for public libraries with non-print home school collections.

Copyright 2000 School Library Journal. Used with permission.

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