TOOL FACTORY LAUNCHES ELEMENTARY ZONE
WITH TWO PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS ALREADY!
East Dorset, VT. June
10, 2002—Tool Factory,
Inc. is pleased to announce the launch of its premier internet subscription
service, Elementary Zone for American schools. The UK version of the site has already won two prestigious awards
this year. The nearly 100 activities in Math, Science, and Literacy
are designed to complement curriculum while at the same time entertaining
children with superior graphics, funny sound effects, and thoroughly
engaging content. When students
log into www.elementaryzone.com,
building knowledge and sharpening skills become incredibly fun!
Science
Activities
Where else can children experiment with bungee jumping
while investigating the relationship between the stretch of an elastic
band and applied force? In
Bungee Jump, kids select variables from
a table, and then click “Jump!” to see if the animated bungee jumper
will reach far enough to grab a purple ball in the water.
Other science activities include Water
Slide, Electrical Circuits,
Parachute Drop, Healthy Eating, Does it Grow?,
and Hair and Eye Color. Many of the activities in the age 4-7 zone
help children develop categorization skills as they drag and drop
items into Venn diagrams and charts.
In the popular activity Laser
Maze, kids manipulate a maze of mirrors to develop an understanding
of reflection. Students enter a virtual laboratory in Un-mix It, where they separate materials
by selecting a tool such as a sieve, magnet, floater and sinker, and
washer and evaporator. Immediate
feedback is always provided in every Elementary Zone activity.
Math
Activities
Activities
like Fraction Snap, Forest Fire, Where on the Line?, Complete
the Sequence, and What Percentage?
are guaranteed to keep kids practicing their math skills. In Stepping
Stones, you can help an explorer through the jungle by telling
him how many more stones he needs to hop on to reach the precious
diamond. Fraction
Snap helps kids hone their ability to quickly match fractions
and their equivalent diagrams. They will sharpen spatial intelligence
in Tessellations as they help a queen repair
her quilt by rotating and dragging pieces of fabric into place. Since there are three levels of difficulty
in each activity (easy, difficult, or expert), Elementary Zone
is ideal for students of all different abilities, and continues to
challenge individuals as they progress from one level to the next.
Literacy
Teachers
will be thrilled to find a varied collection of “writing frames” in
the Literacy Zone. These templates
are designed to guide students as they begin to write play scripts,
reports, portraits, instructions, poems, stories, newspaper articles,
cinquains, opinions, and more. Each
writing frame includes a description of the activity, objectives,
examples, and “helplines”. In the play script activity, students get tips for creating characters,
writing dialog, designing content, and writing stage directions.
Once students have completed the outline for their writing
activity, they simply click “submit” to publish it in a separate window
and, if desired, print it out.
About
the Service
Tool Factory offers
four different Elementary Zone services as an unlimited site license. A school may choose from the learning zones
for ages 4-7, 8-11, or 4-11, giving the entire school building access
to Elementary Zone for a year. Teachers
can filter access to specific activities, or they may choose to make
all of the activities available. There are also teacher’s notes to
help educators implement each activity in a classroom setting.
For
parents, there is even a home version which gives their kids access
to all of the activities in the ages 4-11 zone for a year.
The home version includes parent’s notes which suggest follow-on
activities that can be done in the home.
Getting
started couldn’t be easier. Go
to www.elementaryzone.com to sign up for
a free trial!
Minimum System Requirements
Windows and Mac compatible, internet connection
with Flash player.
To Order
School
site license: covers
unlimited use in an entire building for one year
Ages
4-7 $89.95
Ages
8-11 $89.95
Ages
4-11 $119.95
Home
Version: covers use
in one home for one year
Ages
4-11 $19.95
Sign
up for a free trial at www.elementaryzone.com
Order
online using our secure ecommerce engine.
To order toll free from the US or Canada call (800) 220-8386.
Fax your order to (802) 375-6860.
Email your order to orders@toolfactory.com
By Mail: Tool Factory, Inc. 3336 Sunderland Hill Road, Sunderland, VT 05250.
About Tool Factory
Tool Factory conducted an exhaustive search for unique
educational software in various markets around the globe. Their flagship
product line consists of 26 educational software tools, which were
hand-picked for their innovative contribution to computer-based learning.
To complement the tools and applications, Tool Factory is also distributing
an extensive range of curriculum titles throughout North America.
Their second catalog launches with 127 CD-ROM products, many of which
are new releases in North America.
For press inquiries, please call Kendra Ericson at (802) 375-6549 or
email kendra@toolfactory.com
