Animated Atlas: The Revolutionary War

Grab someone, anyone, and see if he or she can name three battles of the Revolutionary War. Lexington? Concord? Saratoga? Yorktown? Where the heck are these shrines of American history, anyway? Here, viewers learn where the major battles occurred, as well as why these particular places came to be so important. Animated maps, graphics, paintings and portraits are used to illustrate people and events, often using a curiously Monty-Pythonesque technique (adding moving ice floes to "Washington Crossing the Delaware," etc.). While advertised as appropriate for intermediate elementary grades, the vocabulary and quick-moving script would likely confuse even middle-school age students. This would, however, be ideal for high-school students, or as a good college refresher. The teacher's guide, while not particularly creative with its standard glossary, transcript, and discussion questions, will still aid desperate first-year teachers. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Reagan)