The judges said:
What a wonderful way to explore the usefulness and importance of maps in everyday life and in a variety of professions! This site is impressive for its diverse
content and the intensity of user engagement. The judges spent a lot of time on the site because the content was compelling, the interaction was entertaining,
and the site was generally easy to use. Rich content encourages learning and effectively communicates messages. The judges particularly appreciated the variety
of presentations, showing that maps are used in different time periods, places, and situations. The "Find the Sunken Treasure" game is innovative in
introducing kids to the tools professionals might use (e.g., gradiometer) in a fun and accessible way. The graphics are extremely engaging, from sharp
"realistic" images to playful illustrations. The games emphasize the active process behind using maps by putting users in control of their own
experiences.
The producers said:
Bean Creative partnered with The Children's Museum of Indianapolis and the National Geographic Society to create a website and international traveling museum
exhibit, "National Geographic MAPS: Tools for Adventure." We created five computer interactive games for the exhibit that introduce kids to the roles
maps play in daily life and provide collaborative, hands-on activities that help children and parents map their own adventures. Bean Creative then modified the
games for play on the National Geographic Society website, so kids and parents around the world can explore virtually. Our team of experts in children's education
created engaging map games on land, at sea, in the air and in space to help kids in grades 3-5 experience adventures through maps, artifacts and interactive
experiences. The interactive, animated games—all based on U.S. National Geography Standards—include rich graphics, engaging storytelling, compelling
animation and real-world kid user testing to ensure extraordinary appeal with solid educational features. Both the website and the traveling exhibit invite
children and families to become explorers, chart new territory and plan their own adventures.
Credits: Website design and development by Bean Creative. The National Geographic MAPS exhibit and website were made possible by Lilly Endowment, Inc. with support
from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
CD-ROM
The judges said:
This cutely designed game evokes a sense of delight and encourages curiosity in kids and adults alike in exploring the diversity of frog life in the Taiwanese
environment. The judges loved the mix of the "real" (e.g., video clips of frogs in their habitat) and the animated (e.g., an illustrated "froggy
chorus"). The developers were very creative in designing multiple ways to learn about different aspects of frog biology, from how they reproduce, to where
they live, and how they lay eggs. The game uses sound imaginatively and the activities are varied and deep enough to be fun without being too complicated. Overall
the game is extremely visually appealing and fun to play, making learning enjoyable.
The producers said:
Frog Paradise is built to provide children with a great way to recognize frogs in Taiwan. It gives them a better understanding of indigenous frogs and
therefore familiarizes them with the biological variety of the island and the beauty of Nature. This project uses the interactive and visualized multimedia to
attract children's attention and interests, transform the information about frogs into the one that is easy and clear for children to learn, and merge the
situational games with learning for children to absorb information about frogs naturally in the process of raising frogs. The content is divided into two parts:
learning and games, mainly introducing 11 kinds of frogs in Taiwan. The learning units include "Frog's life," "Frog's home," and "Frogs'
family," which introduces five categories of frogs in Taiwan. The "Frog-raising games" parts are situational content, children can get a hand-on
experience of keeping their favorite frog to reinforce their learning about frogs' lives from their baby stage until the happy ending—forming a lovely
"frog choir"! The visual design of the frog band adopts techniques used in animation with bright and natural colors and cute frog characters to attract
children's attention and learning motives.
The judges said:
A strong and creative narrative concept engages users with artwork in the museum's collection. The "adventure" premise of helping a work of art find its
home by learning about its characteristics works really well. The judges enjoyed the experience of taking a trip through what feels like the actual museum building,
with varied and interesting graphics. The ability to "Stop for Now" and save progress is a very thoughtful feature encouraging return visits.
The producers said:
Meet Me at Midnight is the Smithsonian American Art Museum's (SAAM's) first Web site for kids and families--and our first experiment with game-oriented role playing. When we started the project in 2004, we were inspired by how naturally and enthusiastically children used sites like pbskids.org to explore, play, and learn. We were also humbled by the variety and ingenuity of games available on other Web sites.
In Meet Me at Midnight, SAAM and Bean Creative worked hard to balance the joyful and creative aspects of gaming with our desire to impart substantive knowledge about art and museums. Consequently, SAAM designed content that aligns with educational standards for the visual arts. At the same time, Bean Creative's comic-book inspired visuals, playful audio, and game design establish a mood and narrative structure for the mystery plotline. A Parents and Educators guide (http://midnight.si.edu/parents/links_to_learning_elements.html) offers tips on visiting art museums, a lesson plan, and links to specific curricular topics within the site.
The judges said:
The variety of bright and inviting games about butterflies and their habitats appeal to different learning styles. Interacting with each activity enables visitors
to take an active role in learning and the judges found the segments involving trivia or closer looking, especially the "field observation" activity, to
be most successful. The activities move along at an appropriately quick pace, the concepts are easy to understand, and the games are extremely intuitive overall.
The game made the judges interested in visiting the museum and seeking more information on the topic.
The producers said:
When the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia set out to ensure that the visitor's experience in the new Butterflies! exhibit was both enjoyable and
educational there was no denying that competing with live butterflies was going to be a challenge. In order to ensure conservation issues surrounding butterflies
were not over shadowed by the live tropical experience, there needed to be an exhibit component that was as engaging as the butterflies themselves. An interactive
computer kiosk of games inside the tropical garden has proven to be the perfect way to engage our 10-14 year old visitors. In the exhibit, the kiosk reinforces the
3 main educational goals of the exhibit through interactive games. The games highlight issues such as global warming, habitats and basic butterfly biology and
conservation.
As Professor Richard Wallace says, "The exhibit is beautiful, and the software complements it perfectly. I teach field and classroom-based natural history
courses at Ursinus College and would love to have a software program like the butterfly habitat simulator in the Academy's new butterfly exhibit. It's a great bit
of programming — aesthetically lovely, easy to use, pointedly educational, a lot of fun, and usable to good effect in a short time."
