National Geographic World Atlas
By Stacy Zeiger,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
More detail would enhance interactive but basic world maps.
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National Geographic World Atlas
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What’s It About?
Kids open NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC WORLD ATLAS to reveal a spinning globe that places the world at their fingertips. From there, they may choose from four map styles, zoom in to find a favorite place, or use the search feature to locate a specific city. A location detector also helps kids pinpoint exactly where they are on the globe. Once kids have found a place, they can read facts about the country and capital city, as well as view local weather and an annual temperature chart. Kids also can place pins on the map, color-coded by category including places they've visited, places they wish to visit, and customized descriptions. Aside from the ability to zoom in and out, quickly find places by searching, and pin locations, the app doesn't differ much from a traditional atlas.
Is It Any Good?
Four maps help kids see the globe through different lenses, and the rotating globe makes looking up cities and countries slightly more entertaining than a traditional atlas. The app's pinning feature -- though not very robust -- is probably its best offering. With it, kids can make their own connections to places on the globe by creating custom, color-coded pin lists. Overall, though, the app lacks in-depth information about cities and geographic regions, which means kids may quickly decide to search elsewhere (better choices even include some of the other Nat Geo products referenced within the app).
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Plan the ultimate fantasy vacation, using a globe or a map of the world to pinpoint all the places you'd like to go.
Study a country and plan a day when you will enjoy food, games, and activities that the citizens of that country enjoy on a regular basis.
Find a local map and let kids navigate as you take a walk or drive around town.
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
- Subjects: Social Studies: cultural understanding, exploration, geography, government, the economy
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: collecting data, investigation
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Release date: November 8, 2013
- Category: Reference
- Publisher: National Geographic Society
- Version: 3.5
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 6.0 or later
- Last updated: August 16, 2016
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