X is for X-Ray (iPad)
By Liz Panarelli,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Curiosity-boosting peek inside everyday objects.
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X is for X-Ray (iPad)
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What’s It About?
Tap an object -- such as a drum, teddy bear, or toaster -- organized in alphabetical order. The image gets larger, and a poem appears. Tap the speaker icon and hear the poem read. Swipe the object to view 360 degrees around it. Tap it for the x-ray image to appear. Tap the page icon at the bottom of the screen for a detailed written explanation about the object. Don't forget to go all the way to Z for an inside peek at an iPad.
Is It Any Good?
The x-ray images on X is for X-Ray show density, not the inner workings of objects as you'd see in a book such as David Macaulay's How Things Work. Still, it's a beautiful and engaging app. The text encourages scientific curiosity, particularly by recommending such activities as cooking almond biscotti or using onion juice to write in invisible ink. Sound effects and poems enrich the app for younger kids, and everyone will love the treat at the end: unzipping the zipper to get a peek at an x-ray of an iPad!
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Read the longer bits of informational text with your prereaders.
Consider trying one of the extension activities, like making almond biscotti or performing a recommended science experiment.
App Details
- Device: iPad
- Subjects: Language & Reading : vocabulary, Science : engineering, physics, substance properties, Arts : photography
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning : investigation
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Release date: October 2, 2012
- Category: Education
- Publisher: Touch Press
- Version: 1.0.3
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 5.0 or later
- Last updated: February 6, 2020
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