Best-of-Class Shareware/24 Karat Shareware - Children & Education.iso/disk5/usgeo/usgeo.doc

Text File | 1995-03-25 | 31KB | 647 lines

                     If You Want To Learn
                        U.S. Geography
                  You Gotta Have This Program!
              Copyright (c) 1994  KidStuff Software
             6490 Dubois Rd.  Lewis Center, OH 43035
               614-548-5043  Compuserve 71043,3706


"If You Want To Learn U.S. Geography You Gotta Have This Program!"
is the solution to the problems today's students (and adults!)
have with geography. The 11 activities of USGEO will soon transform
even the most geographically illiterate into a geography wizard.
The program effectively utilizes colorful VGA graphics, speech,
and music. Hear the state and capital names spoken! The following
activities are included with the program: 1. Color the Geographic
Regions; 2. A geography Quiz including State Information and
Attractions, Major Cities, and Professional Sports Teams; 3. Match
Capitals to states on the map; 4. Select Matching Capitals from a
list; 5. A Slap Jack Card Game to match States and Capitals, or
States and Nicknames; 6. Match the State Flag to the correct state;
7. Display State Information such as State Bird, Flower, Tree, Song,
Motto, etc.; 8. Select a state from the map when given its Bordering
States; 9. Match the State Names to states on the map; 10. Select
Matching State Names from a list; 11. Put together an electronic
puzzle map of the U.S.A. by moving the states with the mouse to
their appropriate locations.

          Shareware Registration Form - USGEO 2.2

 [ ] $15.00 Registration fee for If You Want To Learn U.S. Geography
 [ ] $2.50  shipping & handling for orders outside the U.S. or Canada

 [ ] Sound Blaster/Adlib Version     Disk Size:  [ ]  3 1/2"
 [ ] PC Speaker Version                          [ ]  5 1/4"

 (Shareware versions of the following programs are available.
  See descriptions of these programs at the end of this file.)
 [ ] $3.00  "Sounds Like A..."     [ ] $3.00  "Talking Number Machine"
 [ ] $3.00  "Preschool Pack"       [ ] $3.00  "Masterpiece Menu"
 [ ] $3.00  "Talking Time Tutor"   [ ] $3.00  "Ms. Piggy Bank"
 [ ] $3.00  "Kinder-Carton"        [ ] $3.00  "My Reading List"

 Benefits Of Registering:
 The registered version of USGEO provides sound files which
 include the names of all 50 states and capitals. The speech
 option is available in all activities, and the shareware screens
 are removed. You will also receive the most current version at
 the time of registration, support via phone or mail, and
 notification of and substantial discounts on program upgrades
 or new software from KidStuff.

 Payments may be made by VISA, Master Card, check or money
 order (checks must be for U.S. funds on a U.S. bank) to:
                                  KidStuff Software
                                  6490 Dubois Rd.
                                  Lewis Center, OH  43035

 Name:    _________________________________________

 Address: _________________________________________

          _________________________________________

 Phone:   ________________________


      Credit Card Information:

            [ ] VISA        [ ] Master Card

      Credit Card Number: ___________________________

      Expiration Date: ______________________________

      Signature: ____________________________________


 I received the shareware disk from:  ________________________

 Comments or suggestions:

 _____________________________________________________________

 _____________________________________________________________

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
USGEO requires a 286 12Mhz or faster computer, 640K RAM, a hard
drive, VGA color monitor, and a mouse. The speech works with
either the speaker or Sound Blaster, Adlib, or compatible sound
cards. Sound Blaster and Adlib support provided to registered users
only. USGEO is not compatible with Microsoft Windows and must be
run strictly from DOS.

INSTALLATION
Insert disk 1 and type A:INSTALL (or B:INSTALL). After installation
you should have the following files:

    USGEO.EXE   USGEO.DOC
    USGEO.GXL   USGEO.INF
    USGEO.RSC

Once installed, change to the USGEO directory and type USGEO to run
the program. From the main menu screen you may press F10 to set the
program options.


 SOUND CARD PROBLEMS
 The following applies only if you experience a conflict with your
 sound card. (no sound, sporadic lockups when sounds are played, etc.)
 In that case you will need to run the USGEO program one time passing
 the address and interrupt number used by your sound card. These numbers
 should be found in a line similar to the Set BLASTER line below in your
 AUTOEXEC.BAT file (the autoexec.bat file should be found at the root
 level of your C drive).

                          SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T4

 The A220 gives you the I/O address for your card, the I5 is the
 interrupt number. Your numbers may vary from these, so use whatever
 numbers are listed after the 'A' and 'I'. When calling USGEO use
 only the numbers, not the letters. To tell USGEO which numbers are
 used by your sound card, run the program by typing the above numbers
 after the program name, as in:

                          USGEO 220 5

 Again, notice that you use the numbers only, not the letters,
 (** replace the numbers above with your numbers if they are
 different **). The Address or 'A' number must be typed first, then
 the interrupt or 'I' number, separated by spaces. This only needs
 to be done one time as the settings will be saved to a file USGSND.CFG.
 After that you can run the program by typing USGEO only.

MAIN MENU OPTIONS

 - Ship: exit USGEO and return to DOS. You may also press ESC to
   exit the program.
 - States: Click a state to hear its name and/or capital spoken.
 - 9 activity icons: begin one of the 11 activities. The activity
   icons are the fish or animals appearing around the map. The
   activities may also be activated by pressing the function keys
   F1-F9.
 - F10: Set the program options.

PROGRAM OPTIONS:
Press F10 from the menu screen for the Program Options window.
Use the ENTER key to move to the next field, or the Up or Down
arrow keys to move to the previous or next field. Press ESC when
you have entered all desired information. The options are saved
to disk. These options may be modified at any time.

  The first 9 options control whether the name of the state and/or
  capital will be spoken in that activity. Enter a 'Y' to turn
  speech on for that activity or a 'N' to turn it off.

       Speech On?
         Main Menu - State Name
         Main Menu - Capital Name
         Capital Match
         Flag Match
         State Information - State Name
         State Information - Capital Name
         Border States
         State Match
         U.S. Puzzle

  *** In the shareware  version the speech is available for the
  Main Menu and State Information activities only, and speech
  files are provided for only the first 10 states and capitals
  (alphabetically) - Alabama through Georgia. This allows us to
  distribute the program more economically without the additional
  size of the remaining sound files, and we hope provides an
  additional incentive to order the registered version of the
  program. Other than the shareware reminder screens, this is the
  only difference between the shareware and registered versions
  of the program. ***

  The next 3 options control whether background music will be
  played during that activity. Enter a 'Y' to turn speech on
  for that activity or a 'N' to turn it off. (Music is available
  only on systems with a sound card installed).

       Music On?
         Main Menu
         Flag Match
         State Information

  The next options control whether abbreviations for each of
  the states will be displayed on the map for that activity.
  Enter a 'Y' to display the abbreviations for that activity
  or a 'N' to turn them off.

       Show Abbreviations?
         Geographic Regions
         U.S. Quiz
         Capital Match
         State Information
         Border States
         State Match
         U.S. Puzzle

  Other Options:
    Slap Jack - Easy or Hard (E/H)
    There are two difficulty levels for the Slap Jack game.
    Enter 'E' for the easier level, or 'H' for the harder level.

    Show Instructions?
    A 'Y' in this field will display brief instructions before
    each activity begins. After reading the instructions, click
    or press a key to remove the instruction window and begin
    the activity. After you are familiar with each of the activities,
    you can turn this feature off, by entering 'N' here.

    Speaker (1) or Sound Blaster (2)",340,230);
    USGEO provides support for either the PC speaker or Sound Blaster,
    Adlib or compatible sound cards. Enter a '1' to use the speaker,
    or '2' if you have a compatible sound card. If you change the
    sound output from speaker to sound card, or vice versa, you must
    exit and then restart the program in order for the change to take
    effect.

   Music Volume (1-15)/Speech Volume (1-15)
   These options allow you to control the relative volume levels
   of the voice to the music in the Sound Blaster version of the
   program. These options will have no effect on some sound cards.
   They will work on Sound Blaster Pro or similar cards. They will
   have no effect in the PC speaker version of the program. There
   is no way to adjust the volume of the PC speaker.

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES:
There are 11 different geography activities. The icons representing
them are found on the main menu. The activities may also be
activated by pressing the function keys F1-F9. The function keys
correspond to the program icons beginning with the upper leftmost
icon (the penguin), and moving in a counter-clockwise direction.

See the Program Options section for information on setting the
various options for each activity. For most activities you can
determine whether you would like state abbreviations displayed
on the map, and whether you would like to hear the state and/or
capital spoken for that activity.

Due to the irregular shapes of the states, when clicking on a
state, clicks near the center of the state will register most
accurately. For activities that use the timer, you will start
with 100 points for each question or problem. The point value
will decrease by 5 for each second taken to answer the problem.

After an activity that maintains a score is exited, the
scoreboard will be displayed. The high scores are displayed
in the leftmost column and the current scores displayed in the
rightmost column. Click or press any key to remove the scoreboard.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
           Activity 1: Geographic Regions
Click - Icon 1: Penguin               Key: F1
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Select a region by clicking a region name from the list at the
bottom of the screen. A checkmark will appear beside that region
and the mouse will change to the color of that region. Click all
states that are found in that region. When a region is complete,
a tone will sound. If an incorrect state is clicked, all states
previously colored for that region will be changed back to white.
The regions apply to the 48 continental states. Alaska and Hawaii
are not included in this activity.

 SPACE - shows all states in the current region.
 ESC - exits the activity.

The following regions are used in this activity.
   New England States:
      Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire,
      Rhode Island, Vermont
   Middle Atlantic States:
      Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania
   Southern States:
      Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana,
      Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee,
      Virginia, West Virginia
   Midwestern States:
      Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri,
      Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin
   Rocky Mountain States:
      Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming
   Southwestern States:
      Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
   Pacific Coast States:
      California, Oregon, Washington,


-------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Activity 2: U.S. Quiz
Click - Icon 2: Fish with Bubbles     Key: F2
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Select a category for the quiz from the three icons displayed.
The categories include - 1.) State Facts and Information, 2.) Major
Cities, and 3.) Professional Sports Teams. If you select category
1 or 2, you will be able to select the region or regions which
you would like to work on. Click on the region name to check or
uncheck each region as desired. Only questions for the selected
regions will be displayed. Click OK or press ENTER when you have
selected your regions.

Depending on the category selected, you will see a fact about a
state, a major city, or the name of a sports team displayed in the
lower right corner of the screen. Click the state which corresponds
to the displayed information. Each quiz "question" is initially
worth 100 points. A timer is displayed at the top of the screen.
The point value for the question decreases according to the amount
of time taken to select the correct state. If the state clicked is
correct, it will be briefly highlighted and the points appearing on
the time clock will be added to your score.

 SPACE - shows the answer to the current question.
 ESC - exits the activity.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
           Activity 3: Capital Match/Map
Click - Icon 3: Shark                 Key: F3
-------------------------------------------------------------------
After clicking the Shark Icon, or pressing F3, you will see two
new icons at the bottom of the screen. Click the map icon to
activate this activity. A state capital will be displayed in the
lower right corner of the screen. If speech is enabled for this
activity, the capital will also be spoken. Click the state for
which this is the capital. If the state clicked is correct, it
will be highlighted and the points appearing on the time clock
will be added to your score.

 SPACE - shows the answer for the current capital.
 ESC - exits the activity.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
         Activity 4: Capital Match/List
Click - Icon 3: Shark                 Key: F3
-------------------------------------------------------------------
After clicking the Shark Icon, or pressing F3, you will see two
new icons at the bottom of the screen. Click the selection list
icon to activate this activity. A state will be highlighted in red
on the map. If speech is enabled for this activity, the state name
will be spoken. Use the arrow keys or click the arrows displayed on
the screen to highlight the name of the capital for this state.
Press ENTER or click the capital name. If the answer is correct,
the state will be displayed in yellow and the points appearing on
the time clock will be added to your score.

 SPACE - shows the capital name.
 ESC - exits the activity.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
               Activity 5: Slap Jack
Click - Icon 4: Frog                  Key: F4
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Select whether you would like to play states and capitals, or states
and nicknames. Then select whether you would like to play against
another player, or against the computer. Two cards will appear, one
with a state name, the second with either a capital or a nickname.
If the second card displayed is the correct capital or nickname for
the state, you must "slap" the cards. Player 1 (rightmost player)
uses the ENTER key to slap. Player 2 (leftmost player) uses the
SPACE bar. The first player to slap a match receives 100 points.
50 points are deducted for slapping an incorrect match.

 ESC - exits the activity.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
               Activity 6: Flag Match
Click - Icon 5: Fish with Flag        Key: F5
-------------------------------------------------------------------
A screen displaying 18 state flags will appear with a state displayed
at the center of the screen. If speech is enabled for this activity,
the state name will be spoken. Click on the flag which belongs to
that state. You will receive 100 points for each correct flag, and
will lose 20 for each incorrect click. When all the displayed flags
are matched, a new set of flags will be displayed until all 50 flags
have been matched.

 SPACE - shows the correct flag.
 ESC - exits the activity.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
          Activity 7: State Information
Click - Icon 6: Whale                 Key: F6
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Click on any state to display a window with information about that
state. From the program options window, you may control whether the
state name and/or capital are spoken in this activity. Click a second
time to remove the information window.

 ESC - exits the activity.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
           Activity 8: Border States
Click - Icon 7: Group of Fish         Key: F7
-------------------------------------------------------------------
A list of states will be displayed in the lower left corner of the
screen. If speech is enabled for this activity, you will hear the
names of each of those states spoken. Click the state which is
bordered by the states listed. If the correct state is clicked,
it will be highlighted and the points appearing on the time clock
will be added to your score.

 SPACE - shows the correct state.
 ESC - exits the activity.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
          Activity 9: State Match/Map
Click - Icon 8: Fish beside Florida   Key: F8
-------------------------------------------------------------------
After clicking the Florida Fish Icon, or pressing F8, you will see
two new icons at the bottom of the screen. Click the map icon to
activate this activity. A state name will be displayed in the lower
right corner of the screen. If speech is enabled for this activity,
the state name will also be spoken. Click the state which matches
that name. If the state clicked is correct, it will be highlighted
and the points appearing on the time clock will be added to your
score.

 SPACE - shows the answer for the current state.
 ESC - exits the activity.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
         Activity 10: State Match/List
Click - Icon 8: Fish beside Florida   Key: F8
-------------------------------------------------------------------
After clicking the Florida Fish Icon, or pressing F8, you will see
two new icons at the bottom of the screen. Click the selection list
icon to activate this activity. A state will be highlighted in red
on the map. Use the arrow keys or click the arrows displayed on the
screen to highlight the name of this state. Press ENTER or click the
state name. If the answer is correct, the state will be displayed in
yellow and the points appearing on the time clock will be added to
your score.

 SPACE - shows the state name.
 ESC - exits the activity.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
             Activity 11: U.S. Puzzle
Click - Icon 8: Lobster               Key: F9
-------------------------------------------------------------------
A state will appear at the bottom of the screen. If speech is
enabled for this activity, the state name will also be spoken.
Using the mouse, move the state to its correct location on the map.
Once the state is in the correct position, it will automatically be
"pasted" onto the map. (Do not click the mouse button). Each state
is initially worth 100 points. The point value will decrease in
proportion to the time taken to place the state. As each state is
placed it will be highlighted and the points appearing on the time
clock will be added to your score.

If you are not able to place the state, you have two options. The
interior states may be hard to place if some of their bordering
states have not yet been placed. If you think you could place the
state after other states have been located, click the RIGHT mouse
button to skip over that state and return to it later. If you do
not know where the state is located at all, you may press the SPACE
bar to automatically place the state.

 RIGHT MOUSE - skip the state, but come back to it later.
 SPACE - automatically place the current state.
 ESC - exits the activity.

=======================
TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE:
=======================
USGEO will not run under Microsoft Windows. The speech
will not work on a system slower than 12 Mhz.

Programs using graphics and sound require large quantities of memory.
If you are having trouble with the program, please free up all
available memory. If you have any TSR's or memory resident programs
loaded, they should be removed from memory. USGEO will access expanded
memory if available.

USGEO requires a color VGA monitor/video card.

A mouse driver must be loaded via your config.sys or autoexec.bat
file before using USGEO. See the documentation that came with
your mouse.

Sound Blaster/Adlib or compatible versions of each of these
programs area available to registered users.

=========================================================================
                  P R E S C H O O L   P A C K
=========================================================================
The colorful graphics, songs, and speech of Preschool Pack will
be sure to capture the attention of your preschooler. From the
main menu screen, which contains a cat which meows and winks when
clicked, to the bee which frowns when a mistake is made in the
matching game, you and your preschooler will appreciate the
careful design and attention to detail of Preschool Pack. Through
six different and entertaining activities your preschooler will learn
about counting, number recognition, the alphabet, colors, matching,
classifying, and memorizing his name, address, and telephone number.

The activities include: "Animal Homes", where animals must be placed
in their appropriate homes - either farm, forest, or circus. Most of
the animals have an accompanying animation and animal sound!
"Balloons", where the user must click on a color block matching
the color of a rising balloon before it pops; "Matching", a memory
game with an animated bee rewarding the user who locates all
matches; "Counting", where the user counts along with the computer
as a variety of colorful images, from dinosaurs to dolls, are
displayed; and "ABC's" where the user must find all letters which
match a displayed letter. "ABC's" uses speech to pronounce each
letter as it is selected. In the last activity the child will
learn to spell his name, as well as learning his address and
phone number. All activities are reinforced with cheerful music
and animation sequences.

=========================================================================
                  S O U N D S   L I K E   A . . .
=========================================================================
"Sounds Like A..." is a unique and entertaining game for children
ranging in age from approximately 1 1/2 to 7 years of age. The
program uses colorful graphics and a variety of high-quality sounds
ranging from a clock "ticking" to a dog "barking". In the first of
two games, the child must find the picture which matches a sound.
Your child may hear, for example, a cow "mooing". He/she will then
click on a square containing the picture of a cow. A game consists
of 12 sound/picture pairs. As each picture is matched with the
accompanying sound, parts of a larger underlying picture are revealed.
The second game is a matching or memory game with a slight twist. The
child must match a picture with the appropriate sound. For example, if
the child clicks on a block revealing a picture of a donkey, he must
find the block which contains the "Hee Haw" sound in order to make a
match.

*** An enhanced version of Sounds Like A... is available for Sound
Blaster or Adlib systems that provides 36 MIDI songs in addition to
the sounds of the standard program. Your child will hear a song and
match that song to its corresponding picture. There are 12 children's
songs, 12 Bible songs, and 12 Christmas songs. Also included in this
version is a "tape player" where your child can play any of the sounds
or songs in the program.

=========================================================================
            T A L K I N G    T I M E    T U T O R
=========================================================================

"Talking Time Tutor" will have your child telling time in no
time! Your child will hear the time spoken using high quality
digitized speech. TTIME provides a variety of different time
activities each with three skill levels. Activities include
setting the analog clock to match the digital clock, setting
the digital clock to match the analog clock, setting the analog
clock to the spoken or written time, and setting the analog clock
to a future or past time. Additional features are provided to
entertain your child as he/she learns. Each of 6 analog clocks has
its own animation routine.

       Pocket Watch        Display minute count by fives.
       Owl                 Eyes move left to right.
       Bear                Honey bee flies around.
       Santa               Christmas tree with blinking lights.
       Cat                 Eyes move up and down.
       Dinosaur            Munches on grass.
       Cuckoo Clock        Cuckoos

The colors of the band on the digital wrist watch may be changed.
A bear on the screen tells time-related jokes or asks your child
questions about time. Isn't it about time you invested in
"Talking Time Tutor" for your child?

=========================================================================
        T A L K I N G    N U M B E R    M A C H I N E
=========================================================================
The inspiration for "Talking Number Machine" (TNUM) came from my
daughter Lisa, age 7. From the time she learned to read, she was
continually asking me, "Mom, what's this number?". At the time she
could not recognize numbers over about 999. After working with the
"Talking Number Machine" she is comfortable with numbers up to the
trillions. TNUM is designed to help children recognize, say, and
write numbers from 1 to 9,999,999,999,999. TNUM uses high quality
digitized speech to say the numbers which appear on the screen.
Mouse and/or keyboard commands may be used. The program includes
the following activities:

  Number Machine - Click on the Number Machine and the machine will
      produce an interesting fact containing a large number. The fact
      will be displayed in a frame, with the number highlighted,
      along with an accompanying picture. For example - "Americans
      eat 50,000,000 hot dogs a day." They may then choose to have
      the computer say the highlighted number, or have the computer
      display that number in words. The user may also choose to
      write the number in words by selecting from a list of number
      words (no typing is required). Help is available to display
      the next word if the user gets stuck. The registered version
      of the program contains 175 number facts.

  Enter any Number - The user may enter (calculator style) any number
      up to 13 digits. They may then choose to have the computer say
      that number or have the computer display that number in words.
      The user may also choose to write the number in words by selecting
      from a list of number words (no typing is required).

  Enter the Written Number - The computer will "think" of a large
      number and display that number in words, for example - nine
      million two hundred fifty one thousand three hundred seventy
      two. The user must enter the digits to make that number. Help
      is available to display the next digit if the user gets stuck.

   Count By - TNUM can also help your child learn to count (by
      increments of 1 to 10). If the user selects 2 the program will
      begin counting by 2's - 2, 4, 6, 8, etc. until you decide to stop.

A utility program is included with TNUM which allows you to enter
your own number facts for use in the program.

=========================================================================
             M A S T E R P I E C E    M E N U
=========================================================================
Masterpiece Menu is a menu program designed specifically for children.
Even the youngest children will be able to run their own software
using Masterpiece Menu. The painter "paints" each program icon on
the easel. Click the easel or press ENTER to run the displayed
program. The large, colorful program icons are standard PCX files.
Setup is a breeze, simply press F10 to enter your child's program
information. You can even set up separate configurations so each
child can have his/her own menu. Masterpiece Menu runs in EGA or
VGA mode and includes a "screen saver", calendar, and animated
clock.

=========================================================================
               M S .  P I G G Y   B A N K
=========================================================================
Ms. Piggy Bank provides an effective and entertaining way for
children ages 6 to 10 to learn about money. Ms. Piggy Bank offers
6 different money activities, all using high quality speech and
graphics, with full mouse support. The simplest activity teaches
the names and values of coins and bills up to twenty dollars. Your
child will quickly learn the value of each coin as they try to
maneuver a piggy bank to catch falling coins. Your child will
learn, for example, that two quarters are equal to a half dollar
in the Money Equivalents activity. In the Total Money activity
your child will enter the total of the displayed coins and/or bills
on a cash register. The Select Money activity displays a total and
your child selects the coins and/or bills which add up to that total.
An entertaining board game for 1 or 2 players allows your child to
put his newly acquired skills to work, earning money and an
opportunity to visit the Toy Store where he can practice making a
purchase and counting out the amount of change received. The program
is easily configurable for children of various ages and skill levels.