Ansel & Clair’s Adventures in Africa
by Cognitive Kid, Inc.
Recently, educational travel apps are slowly becoming more popular to find in the Apple Store and today’s review will let your 4-9 year old travel the wonders of Africa. With a Dora the Explorer or Diego feel, twisted with a little Blue’s Clues, this adventure series educational app will truly stimulate all senses. Seamlessly, this educational app incorporates a variety of curricular areas in a textbook like app for children. While on this virtual field trip, children will be developing their language and vocabulary, critical thinking and higher order skills. Cognitive Kid has recently launched Ansel & Clair’s Adventures in Africa. With original music and two very adorable characters, Ansel, the intergalactic travel photographer and Clair, Ansel’s brilliant side kick who happens to be a robot. Both friends are from the planet Virtoos and with the help of their spaceship, Marley Peterson, they will explore the continent of Africa.
As Ansel and Clair were traveling the world, Marley, their spaceship broke into many pieces over the continent of Africa. One of your missions is to locate the missing pieces as you explore three regions in Africa: Nile Valley, Sahara Desert and the Serengeti Plains. Along the way, will never need to question what something is or its role. Cognitive Kids has incorporated a wonderful page-by-page help guide as well as auditory explanations from Ansel. This African simulation can store up to 4 players as it remembers your achievements along the way. Amazingly illustrated with life like art, or 3D images, users won’t even realize that learning is actually happening. Our motto that we try to abide by,”Gaming for a Reason“, is certainly met with the integration of this app on our iPad device.
Applicable2U was amazed at the vocabulary development that this application provides. In order to find Marley’s missing pieces, users will become familiar with the oceans and rivers surrounding Africa, visit a number of monuments and landmarks as they grasp the various animals and plant life found in Africa. Navigation within each region is guided by “tracker” buttons. Tracker buttons are either active, not yet completed or completed interactions with objects from that region. Through differentiated instruction, users will listen to Ansel and Clair explain each finding. However, if at anytime, a user(s) requires additional support, simply press the light bulb attached to the tracker and Clairvision will offer a deeper understanding with pictorial hyperlinks, dialog and text. All explorers have a backpack, inside Ansel’s is a camera and travel log. Users will collect 29 gorgeous images of animals, landmarks, and bodies of water. Each stored and arranged in a journal for future viewing. We were pleasantly surprised to find added games and puzzles that integrate math and science which keeps to the theme of Africa as we explored the various regions. Who knew that in one simple download that my student(s) or child could travel the world, learn to tell time, and develop a wide range of science and social studies skills. The integration of mobile learning to any home or school setting is truly effective!
Cognitive Kids has certainly hit home with this travel educational series. As an educator, Ansel & Clair’s Adventure’s in Africa can most certainly fit into an elementary setting as it meets the academic standards of both Social Studies and Science. Overwhelmingly, Applicable2u can see this is an application that could appropriately fit into a whole, small or individual group setting. Ansel & Clair’s Adventures in Africa provide opportunities for extended discussions, questions and a true understanding of key vocabulary. With the integration of such technology, various learning styles are met and content is understood, not just covered. Learning can happen in a variety ways. Simply connect your iPad device to a large screen and open the opportunities for a scavenger hunt or webquest like activity where children can discuss content and respond to questions via paper or even a documentation app on your device. As continents are learned, use this app for research purposes rather than having students freely out on the Internet as it supplements those hardcover books from the library. Interested in developing science and social studies curriculum at the same time, create a “Find the Definition Of” interactive game as you incorporate an interactive whiteboard to your lesson or unit. The possibilities are endless which explains why this is gaming for a reason!!!
Applicable2U would definitely recommend downloading this educational app. Currently it is being offered at a discounted price, so get it while you can! We are encouraged to see that this app is one of a series and we look forward to future apps added to the iTunes library. To learn more about Cognitive Kids, Inc., please visit theirwebsite here. Or you can begin on your African adventure today, by clicking here.
Please be sure to read - How Can Teachers Help Make Great Apps?
Reviewers website: www.applicable2u.wordpress.com
Friday, October 21, 2011 at 7:00AM 
Roma is one of the best history apps on the market (and why it is one of the most expensive). Roma, as the full title suggests, contains many 3D objects which you can ‘manipulate’ with your fingers (zoom, turn, etc.). It also has a “bubble” view of various locations. “Bubble” view acts as if you were standing right in the middle of the Stabian Baths in Pompeii, for example. If you move the iPad around, up and down, the screen acts like you are actually there looking around, taking in the scenery. There are 3D maps you can push across and tap icons for further information. The content of the app is historically accurate and the students will find it very engaging. The dozens of images throughout the app are very high quality and give a rich overview of the ancient Roman Empire. There are several photo galleries throughout the various topics as well. The app is very user friendly with easy navigation by tapping on the orange topic or the orange bookmark icon in the top left corner. Or you can simply swipe across the screen to go to the next topic. The developers of this app have two other apps of the same build: The Last Supper and Firenze (Florence). I cannot wait to get my fingers on those apps! If you teach World History, you must buy this app! It is worth every penny.
