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Medical Mysteries

http://medmyst.rice.edu/

Target Audience
Grades - 6-8 9-12

This site includes a refreshing presentation of educational materials in a game format. There are three "missions" which each take about a half hour to complete. The graphics are well done and the language used is up-to-date and entertaining for teenage participants. The science content is accurate and relevant. A set of teaching plans, including activities, identifies the mission objectives and benchmarks. The site also provides further activities and a list of vocabulary terms. There is also a list of links for further study. The graphics use Flash technology so the player must be installed before use. There is a link on the site that indicates the required software for the program with links to each. The site was developed at Rice University using a Science Education Partnership Award. The information is based on information from National Institutes of Health. One of the unique features of this site is that the developers provide additional support with the site including printed materials available on the site and workshops. The only drawback to the site is the speed of the animation during the game. The site indicates that it is possible to increase the speed by reducing the size of the viewing screen, but I still found that somewhat slow using a high-speed cable connection. Overall, the site is well worth using while teaching the scientific method, bacteriology, or historical figures concepts.

Reviewer Name:	Judith Gerdin
Reviewer Affiliation:	Paradise Valley Unified School District
Site Title:	Medical Mysteries
Site Owner/Developer:	The Center for Technology in Teaching and Learning
Date of Review:	09/3/2003
Technical Environment used for testing:	Memory: 16+ MB Browser: Internet Explorer 5.2 Internet Connection: Other