Customer Reviews

Earth Science: Rock 'N Learn

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I teach 4th and 5th grade science to a group of urban and multicultural students. This is the first DVD I have seen that effectively addresses Earth Science content that will appeal to the age group and to English learners. The program has chapters on all of the key ES concepts and provides a quiz to test knowledge which includes some test taking tips.

The characters are funny and add songs to aid in understanding. They have Italian and New York accents (my background) so I can introduce my California kids to East Coast style.

After this review, I'm writing the company to request a similar program for 4th/5th Life Science. It must have been designed by middle school science teachers, because it hits the mark perfectly.

We enjoyed using this as a review of our Earth science curriculum. The kids, age 8 and 10, liked it and it really helped them remember a few key points. This is one of our favorites out of all the R-n-L series.

Three award-winning, computer-animated DVDs from Rock 'N Learn correlate to national Science Education standards, and are an excellent way to get young people interested in the basics of science. "Earth Science" (61 min., for grades 3-8) teaches how the earth's tilt causes the seasons, and about the water cycle, what causes weather, the different types of rocks and fossils, topography and volcanoes, plate tectonics, energy and resources, alternative energy and conservation, and much more. "Life Science" (59 min., for grades 3-8) covers plants and photosynthesis, the parts of a plant, the parts of a flower and pollination, characteristics of animal groups, ecosystems/food chains/food webs, genetic traits and adaptations, an introduction to human body systems and more. "Physical Science" (55 min., for grades 5 & up) covers lab safety, the scientific method, the parts of atoms, molecules and the states of matter, physical and chemical changes, mixtures versus pure substances, the definition of electricity, understanding magnetism, motion and gravity, and more. All three DVDs have a bonus section designed to help young viewers with multiple choice tests, and are a superb pick for public and grade school libraries, home schooling DVD collections, and just plain educational fun. Highly recommended.

So, this video is very helpful. My 3 year old knows his planets in order from this song! My 6 year old understands all about planets, rocks, etc. Downside...one of the characters has a REALLY annoying voice. I am from NY, but goodness, this is ridiculous. She can actually confuse things because of pronounciation! If you can get past the voices, this video is great.

We found the material is well covered but the style of presentation appears to be for a younger audience than Grade 5. We find The Magic School Bus materials are more engaging in their style of presentation and The Magic School Bus story books cover more details on each subject. However, this video covers some concepts The Magic School Bus series does not. This is a good addition to our educational library for our 4 year old.