With the educational institution version, dozens of excellent supplemental lesson suggestions are included in an accompanying teacher’s guide.įor ESL students, OTII may seem overwhelming at first. Taking advantage of the newest capabilities of sound, video, and multi-layering of screens, MECC has produced a very rich and complex product. It soon becomes clear to the player that life was hard and events capricious along the trail. This new version of the game also incorporates real pioneer diaries to add to the authenticity of the program. Do you want to stop and rest, slow down, go forward as usual, or ask for help?” The two main arcade- style games, hunting along the trail and floating down the rapids, are quite complex, with many more choices offered than in the earlier version, the Oregon Trail. Later, on the trail, the computer frequently prompts the player with a variety of situations, such as: “There’s a severe thunderstorm. The initial character creation screen, for example, is where most of the decisions are made that affect later events–which trail to take, what kinds of skills to have in your party, how fast to go and how much food to eat each day. There are numerous decisions to make, encouraging problem-solving and discussion.
As the players advance, a map automatically shows progress along the trail. Multi-media aspects in Oregon Trail II include pop-up pictures and videos of animals and places.
MAC OREGON TRAIL EMULATOR SOFTWARE
The publisher, MECC, has been in the educational software field for over twenty years, famous for Number Munchers and Word Munchers, but the Oregon Trail has been the big money-maker for the company spin-offs include Amazon Trail, Amazon Trail II, Yukon Trail, Africa Trail, and MayaQuest Trail. It would be easy to spend an entire term with lessons built around this single software–it’s that good.
It would be difficult to use the Oregon Trail II in ESL classes for less than a week’s worth of one- or two- hour sessions it is too interesting and too big of a program. Learning objectives help students relive a historical period that changed the United States (1840-1860) by traveling the Oregon, Mormon, and California trails. Teachers can have students role-play, practice making decisions and then see the consequences, write in journals, work on strategies for success, write descriptions of people and places, and take tests for comprehension. Younger students will concentrate on the game aspects such as hunting and floating river rapids older students will “talk” and “trade” with colorful characters along the way, and get caught up in the human drama that unfolds with cholera, dust storms, and thirst. It takes the learner on a pioneer trip in the West.Ĭlick on the pictures to see full-screen versions. It is not specifically for ESL learners, but is an outstanding program and can be adapted for ESL use.
MAC OREGON TRAIL EMULATOR WINDOWS
The Oregon Trail II is a CD-ROM-based program for either Macintosh or Windows targeted for ages 10-adult that has definite learning objectives and numerous suggestions for activities relating to the software. Windows: 486 or higher, 4MB RAM (8MB recommended), Requirements: MAC: System 7.1, 5MB RAM (8MB recommended),ġ3″ color display.
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