Time Warp Trio

Those of you who visit this site on a regular basis know that I consider a successful educational site one that teaches a subject while entertaining the student. In that way, they learn and have fun at the same time. These sites are great for subjects that tend to be dry and boring, such as math and history. Today the Family First Site visits a web site that is a perfect combination of education and entertainment, so much so that I spent a lot of time there myself. Who says you can’t teach an older dog new tricks?

The name of the site is Time Warp Trio. The is web site is the companion to the television series which offers a wonderful opportunity to get kids excited about history. Its lively humor and irreverent attitude combine to make the programs refreshing and appealing, while providing solid historical facts. Based on the widely popular book series by Jon Scieszka, this web site (and television series) will attract readers and non-readers alike.
The concept of the show is to use time travel (or warp) to visit significant events in history, and interact with famous characters. The main characters, Joe, Sam, and Fred get a chance change the course of history. The first episode is entitled Weird Beard, and is about Blackbeard the Pirate. Put It Back, Jack are fact-based missions where players must return a stolen artifact to the correct time and place by answering questions based on information provided in the Plentifax 487 for that time and place. The Plentifax 487 are guides to each time and place visited by the trio, presented in a humorous, futuristic gizmo format. These guides include all the information needed to solve the Put It Back, Jack! missions.
There is a special section for teachers and parents, so they will have an idea of the goals and objectives for each mission. There are also games that can be played, such as Sound Detective, where players try to recognize sounds from specific times and places in history.
This is a wonderful site that uses the latest in Internet technology. It is a wonderful complement to the television shows that are on Discovery Kids on NBC, and The Discovery Kids Channel. There is a new adventure every week, so hurry on over and catch the latest one, which involves a bridge and an inventor who makes light bulbs.
http://www.timewarptrio.com/