Overview
of Star Express Series
The Star Express Series is a collection of programs for grades 3 - 6 that offer
a thematic, interdisciplinary approach to teaching. The collection includes The
Honeybee, The Storyteller, and Blue Jeans and provides lessons and activities for language
arts, science, math, social studies, art, music, and drama. Oriented around
exploratory video, with comprehensive hypertext information and teachers guide,
these products are ideal for cross-curricular instruction using the interactive
technology of multimedia.
Originally created for DOS, these products have been
upgraded to Windows by Alchemedia,
Inc. This means that the Star Express Series programs will work smoothly on all versions of
Windows (95/98/me/2000/XP). The video segments have been digitally recaptured from laserdisc masters to
provide improved digital video quality.
The video of The Storyteller begins the software as the main experience. The
professionally made video uses vivid graphics to allow Curly Bear, The Storyteller,
to show how cultures can pass forward to Native American children. Curly Bear tells
ancient and powerful stories linking the Blackfeet's past to the present in the minds
of the children. Blackfeet elders, like Joe Bear Medicine, use a combination of
words, Native American art, and songs to tell their stories.
The computer-played video creates on-line a peak experience for the elementary
age student. The interaction with this video experience aims at producing higher
order thinking. A multimedia CD-ROM makes the video work interactively from
within The Storyteller and provides on-line activities for the student following the
TELL, TEACH, and PLAY functions. Children are encouraged to explore their own
cultures and traditions.
The Star Express is a new generation of award winning learning materials offered in a
multi-thematic, multi-disciplinary, and multimedia format.
The thematic lessons are organized around ten themes which should be universal to
elementary classroom life, discussions, and content. The themes are; cycles,
symbols, society, memory, time and space, nature, work, imagination, discovery and
invention, self reliance, and meaning.
The multi-disciplinary character of the lessons is achieved as the on-line Teach
function rotates the student through the four major disciplinary areas- math, science,
language arts, and social studies - while still maintaining the integrity of the chosen
themes.
The series uses original videos from subjects taken from all across America. The
videos are supplemented with motion interviews with key subjects and additional
support video. On-line and from within the computer materials, students and call up
the video at any time. As they proceed through the Socratic Explore function, they
access tools - interviews, glossaries, video clips, and fact files. Their explorations are
captured in an on-line note taker and may be included into student writing using an
appropriate authoring tool or word processor.
The videos deliver artistic and educational experiences. The subjects are
wide-ranging and episodic, and from all over America.
* This product is compatible with Optional Management Systems
such as TLC SchoolConnect, Visual CASEL, Novell ZenWorks, and Microsoft's
Roaming Profiles.
Product
|
Supported
OS
|
Workstation
|
NOS
|
Disk
Space
|
|
Star Express –
Bue Jeans
|
W95 osr2,
W98 SE,
W2K Pro SP1, XP Pro
|
P133 800x600
16 bit 32 MB
(Audio)
|
Novell 3,4,5,6 w/ Minimum patch list, WINNT SP4, W2K
Server SP2
|
35 MB for Program
100 KB per user
|
|
Star Express –
HoneyBee
|
W95 osr2,
W98 SE,
W2K Pro SP1, XP Pro
|
P133 800x600
16 bit 32 MB
(Audio)
|
Novell 3,4,5,6 w/ Minimum patch list, WINNT SP4, W2K
Server SP2
|
35 MB for Program
100 KB per user
|
|
Star Express -
Story Teller
|
W95 osr2,
W98 SE,
W2K Pro SP1, XP Pro
|
P133 800x600
16 bit 32 MB
(Audio)
|
Novell 3,4,5,6 w/ Minimum patch list, WINNT SP4, W2K
Server SP2
|
35 MB for Program
100 KB per user
|
