InfoTech Review

Digital Field Trip to the Rainforest, The

The Digital Field Trip to the Rainforest. Digital Frog International, Inc., Trillium Place, RR #2, Puslinch, Ontario, N0B 2J0, Canada. 800/621-3764. 1997. $99 (5-copy lab pack $249). Contents: 1 hybrid CD-ROM, teacher’s guide 65 p., student guide, 55 p. Systems (*indicates version previewed): Macintosh, Win 3.1*. Equipment required for version previewed: (486DX/33MHz, higher, 8MB RAM, Windows 3.1 or higher), SVGA monitor (256 colors), double-speed CD-ROM drive, 16-bit sound card, amplified speakers or headphones. [6-12, SCI] In The Digital Field Trip to the Rainforest, users are offered the unique experience of taking a virtual walking tour through the Blue Creek Rainforest Reserve in Belize. The main menu displays choices for getting started on the virtual field trip or selecting one of four topics. During the field trip, users encounter the sights and sounds of the real rainforest reserve. Twenty-eight “sign posts” along the trail feature a virtual reality video and text. Clicking blue terms brings a selected animal or plant into the view screen. The trail proceeds along the understory, up into the canopy layer, across rivers, and into caves. “Rainforest Study” takes a closer look at the rainforest plants and animals and their interdependencies. Topics such as trees, vines, epiphytes, and botany are covered, along with animal characteristics, habitats, etc. “Rainforest Types” has information about rainforests around the world, both temperate and tropical, as well as their similarities and differences. “Mechanisms of a Rainforest” explores the various layers of the forest, tree fall gap, seasons, productivity, decomposition, and the water cycle. “Endangered Rainforest” explains the global benefits of the rainforest, its biodiversity, and how human impact plays a large part in the endangerment of the rain forest. A bookmark feature enables screens to be selected, saved, and viewed later as a slideshow. Photographs and movies can be copied from files on the CD. Text can be printed from a file on the CD only, not from within the program. Narrated instructions on how to navigate are available from a “Quick Tour.” Any word in the text can be clicked for a definition, and many terms have optional pronunciation. A graphical map feature has thumbnail links to the various sections of the program. The teacher’s guide includes a copy of the student workbook, annotated with answers, as well as discussion questions. The student workbook also is available as a file on the CD and can be printed from standard word processing programs. The Digital Field Trip to The Rainforest is an extensive study of the rainforest that can be used for research in biology, general science, and environmental studies. Teachers and students can utilize the bookmark feature to select parts of the program for presentations.

Keywords: rainforests, rain forests, virtual field trips, Belize, Central America, ecology, biomes, biodiversity, life science, environment, ecosystems

Subject Areas: Science