Visions Of Adventure

Geography comes to the video format in this innovative four-tape series which offers thumbnail portraits of each of our United States. We watched the opening volume which focuses on the Northeast, Eastern seaboard, and Washington, D.C. An amiable male and female narrator introduce each state with a brief anecdote highlighting some particular aspect about the state (i.e. New Jersey is the most crowded state), which is followed by a quick overview of the vital statistics: location, population, history, state capital, economy (industries, agriculture), and weather. Using a good mix of animated graphics and tourism department footage for each of the states, the program offers a good basic introduction to U.S. geography. The format is both colorful and appealing, and the production values quite good (we did, however, notice that "West Virginia" was misspelled "West Virgina"). The other three volumes in this handsomely packaged series cover the North Central, Southern, and Western United States. Optional "teacher's guides" are available for $5.95. Highly recommended. (Available from: Video Marketing, U.S.A., 6445 S. Whiskey Hill Rd., Hubbard, OR 97032; 1-800-688-6872.)