Welcome to the second in the award winning Science Series designed and produced by Interactive Learning Productions. 'Science Series 2: Materials' takes you on an exhilarating, fully interactive journey through the world of science, encountering a number of very familiar materials and others, that although in everyday use, you never knew existed. Overview gives you an appetising taster for the disc as a whole. To find out about the exciting features, click on any of the buttons.
General
'Science Series 2: Materials' has been designed and produced by the same team who won the 'Best Educational CD ROM' at the 1993 EMMA awards, for the first in the Science Series 'Elements'. Building on very firm foundations, the second disc brings together a database of over 150 materials, a section of 15 standard tests and an interactive multimedia game. With a vast amount of information, superbly illustrated by over a thousand full colour pictures and in excess of 70 video clips, the disc brings science to life as never before. In addition, Interactive Learning Productions have designed a brand new feature, currently only available on the 'Materials' CD ROM, called Teacher Set Up.
Materials database
The materials database has been meticulously constructed to include materials from all spheres of life. Materials from the world of engineering, such as iron and steel, can be found alongside important foodstuffs, including sugar and coffee. Industrial chemicals, such as carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide, appear with industrial minerals, including calcium carbonate and china. Each material consist of up to eight sections, giving a wide variety of information essential to those studying GCSE or equivalent level science. Ever wondered about the history of tobacco, the production of nylon, the extraction of oil, the occurrence of coal, the composition of acetate, the applications of aluminium or the environmental considerations of forestry? All the answers can be found in the extensive materials database contained within 'Science Series 2: Materials'. With nearly 800 full colour images, including specially commissioned maps and diagrams, this database is an invaluable resource for any student of science.
Tests
The tests section is comprised of fifteen standard tests, each divided into tutorial and investigate sections, that can be done on specific materials. In the tutorial section, the reasons are given for why the test is carried out and the basic ways in which it can be done. Having understood the theory, you can then investigate the test on the materials available. Have you ever wondered why materials are tested for flammability, or what solvent can dissolve plastic? Do you know the melting point of iron or the density of lead? All this and more can be discovered in the tests section, each test being fully explained, both in theory and practice, illustrated by hundreds of exclusive photographs, offering a valuable insight into the properties of materials.
Interactive tests
The tests section includes five tests that have been designed to let you carry out tests for yourself. Ever wondered what the elasticity of polythene was? Select the material and watch what happens as you load on the weights. Which has the greater tensile strength, titanium or copper? Find out by trying them both on the tensile strength test. Do you know the melting point of rubber or the boiling point of oil? Both can be discovered in the interactive tests section. What about conductivity, do all materials conduct electricity? You can find the answers to all these questions by doing the test yourself, without having to have all the materials at hand. The interactive tests are presented as animated graphics, which will allow you to discover for yourself the physical properties of over 150 materials.
Teacher Set Up
This feature allows teachers to create their own database within the extensive materials database, and give pupils the opportunity to explore a certain subsection of materials. If a teacher was preparing a lesson on plastics, for example, only the plastics would be chosen for the list. The materials chosen can either be named or have the names replaced by numbers, allowing the teacher to set a mystery list of materials that the pupils have then to name. This innovative feature can be used to help pupils develop a greater understanding of the properties and applications of materials.
Game
Based around the information contained within the extensive materials database and the informative tests section, this fully interactive multimedia game introduces a sense of competition and fun, while testing your acquired knowledge. Upon starting the game you will be given a broad clue. If the correct answer is given after the first clue then maximum points are earned, if not then another clue is given, each clue getting more specific, though less points are available for the correct answer. The game can be used countless times to test the knowledge you have gained.
Glossary
In the world of science there are many words which may be unfamiliar to pupils new to the discipline. Glossary is designed to help you to understand technical and scientific terms, while allowing the text to be easily read and understood.
The glossary can be used in two ways - firstly, an explanation of any words highlighted within the text can be obtained by simply clicking on that word or phrase. Secondly, by clicking on the glossary icon you can obtain a full list of words in the glossary. On selecting a word you will hear it spoken and then be provided with a written definition. As with other text on this disc, it can then be simply copied to a 'clipboard' or 'file'.
Find out About ILP
Since its origins as a research project at Newcastle University in 1986, Interactive Learning Productions has gone from strength to strength as a major multimedia producer. It has been a consistent winner of national and international awards for the creation of educational CD-ROM titles. In 1993 it won the European Multimedia Award for the best educational CD-ROM title. In the same year the company was acquired by Thomas Nelson and Sons, one of the UK's leading school book publishers.
Find out About Other Titles in this Series
Science Series 1: Elements, the 1993 European Multimedia Award winning educational title enables students to learn about the periodic table, atomic structure and radioactivity. It uses video and animation to explain complex ideas and to enable students to experience experiments and chemical applications that are too difficult or dangerous to recreate in the classroom. Interactive features allow students to examine the structure of atoms, to construct their own and to explore the complexities of radioactive decay and half-life. The disc comes with 'Scrapbook' software that enables users to view, select and save several forms of data to disc for viewing or editing later.
