MICROSOFT TAKES KIDS ON A FASCINATING JOURNEY INSIDE THE EARTH WITH THE
NEWEST SCHOLASTIC'S THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS CD-ROM

Best-Selling Science Software Series Expands

LOS ANGELES - MAY 16, 1996 - Amid the excitement of the Electronic
Entertainment Expo today, the science of geology exploded into rock-solid
fun with the introduction of Microsoft's latest software gem for kids,
Scholastic's The Magic School Bus Explores Inside the Earth. True to the
Scholastic book series and PBS television program, the latest adventure
takes kids on an earth-moving journey with the wacky science teacher Ms.
Frizzle and her inquisitive class. Together they blast out of a volcano,
jump faults, rappel down a canyon, uncover age-old fossils, explore a dark
cavern and more as they search for rocks and minerals missing from a
student's prized rock collection. As kids navigate through the layers of
the Earth, they encounter entertaining activities, study multimedia
reports and dig into experiments, all designed to making learning geology
a real gas.

The fourth title in the award-winning Magic School Bus CD-ROM series,
Scholastic's The Magic School Bus Explores Inside the Earth is bursting
with fun for kids ages 6 to 10. This time, the magical yellow bus morphs
into a high-powered drill to transport Ms. Frizzle's class to thrilling
adventures in six geological zones. From a giant fault and a deep cavern
to the inside of a crystal and a rumbling volcano, kids experience
exciting learning activities at every turn. Along the way, kids locate and
solve clues that lead them to the rocks and minerals missing from the
collection. When all the clues are solved and the missing elements are
found, kids hit pay dirt and earn their own animated Rock Hound
Certificate.

"We've got a winning formula for making science concepts come alive with
the Magic School Bus series. Kids love the interactive adventures led by
the familiar characters, and parents appreciate the value they realize
through endless hours of fun," said Charlotte Guyman, general manager of
the kids and games business unit of the interactive media division at
Microsoft.

"The Magic School Bus Explores Inside the Earth makes science fun while
actively involving children in a hands-on learning process," said Deborah
Forte, executive vice president and division head of Scholastic
Productions. "This title is destined to join the three other CD-ROMs in
the series as a classic for both the home and the classroom."

WAHOO! DIG INTO THIS GOLD MINE OF FUN LEARNING

Jumping on board the bus, kids are in control of their fun-filled
adventure, conducting interactive science experiments, playing
entertaining games and discovering activities at their own pace. A tremor
of fun awaits kids as they complete puzzles of prehistoric animals, make
their own virtual diamonds or create colorful cave drawings that can even
be printed out. Do you know why volcanoes come in different shapes and
sizes, or how stalactites differ from stalagmites? You'll find the answers
in the diverse games and activities that abound, providing endless hours
of fun learning in a unique way. Help is never far away, with Ms. Frizzle
and Liz the Lizard always available to provide advice and tips throughout
the adventure. Here are some of the highlights of what children can learn
and do:

* SCIENCE CONCEPTS. Complex science concepts are brought to life so kids
can easily understand them, giving children the opportunity to learn about
the inner workings of science at each geological zone they visit. For
example, kids learn how fossils are formed and how earthquakes are
measured.

* GEOLOGICAL ZONES. The Magic School Bus covers six distinct geological
zones: a canyon, an underwater volcano, a giant fault, a deep cavern, a
land volcano and a geode (crystal). Children drive the bus directly to any
of the zones.

* EXPERIMENTS. Kids experience learning firsthand by varying different
environmental conditions to produce some amazing results. For example,
inside the land volcano, kids can create different types of volcanic
eruptions by changing the amount of gas and heat. It's a real blast!

* GAMES AND ACTIVITIES. Fun games and activities keep kids engaged in
learning. The games reinforce key science concepts and encourage kids to
explore each geological zone. In one game, kids compete by drilling
through layers of the Earth's mantle in search of oil and coal. Panning
for gold, chasing lava flows, jumping earthquake faults, and racing bats
in a cave make up more of the fun.

* REPORTS. Students in Ms. Frizzle's class have prepared their own
multimedia reports, one for each geological zone they visit. Each report
includes videos, drawings and loads of information. For instance, one
report shows how rivers, glaciers and weather shape the Earth through
erosion. Fossil formation, famous volcanoes, and tsunami and earthquake
damage are just some of the topics waiting to be discovered.

"With Scholastic's The Magic School Bus Explores Inside the Earth, our
students navigate with ease and excitement while learning to become
inquisitive geologists," said Lenore Hynes, elementary computer curriculum
coordinator for Sunman-Dearborn Community Schools, Sunman, Ind. "Once
again, the Magic School Bus series has enhanced our science curriculum
with a rich, interactive and integrated program that stimulates learning
and exploration."

New York-based Music Pen Inc. has again collaborated with Microsoft to
develop Scholastic's The Magic School Bus Explores Inside the Earth. This
title joins three highly acclaimed CD-ROMs currently available:
Scholastic's The Magic School Bus Explores the Human Body, Scholastic's
The Magic School Bus Explores the Solar System and Scholastic's The Magic
School Bus Explores the Ocean. Each of the these popular titles is ranked
in the top-20-selling software titles for children, according to PC Data,
February 1996.

SCHOOL EDITION EXTENDS LEARNING

The School Edition, available to schools, libraries and museums, includes a
free Teacher's Activity Guide to enhance and extend the learning
experiences in The Magic School Bus Explores Inside the Earth. The
convenient three-hole-punched guide features an introduction to The Magic
School Bus Explores Inside the Earth and more than 20 student activities
for learning more about volcanoes, canyons, geodes, faults and more - all
designed to help teachers integrate The Magic School Bus Explores Inside
the Earth into their classroom curriculum.

PRICING, AVAILABILITY AND SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Scholastic's The Magic School Bus Explores Inside the Earth is available
now at resellers nationwide for approximately $44.95. The School Edition,
which includes the Teacher's Activity Guide, is also available for
approximately $44.95. To run the program, users need a multimedia PC or
compatible with a 486SX/25 MHz or higher microprocessor; either the
Microsoft MS-DOS operating system version 5.0 or later with the Windows
operating system version 3.1, or Windows 95; 4 MB of RAM (8 MB
recommended); 5 MB of available hard-disk space; a Super VGA, 256-color
monitor; a double-speed CD-ROM drive; an 8-bit sound card (16-bit
recommended); headphones or speakers; and a Microsoft Mouse or compatible
pointing device.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in
software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of
products and services for business and personal use, each designed with
the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take
advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
 
 =========================================================
 From the 'New Product News' Electronic News Service on...
 AOL (Keyword = New Products) and Delphi (GO COMP PROD)
 =========================================================
 This information was processed from data provided by the
 company/author mentioned. For additional details, please
 contact them directly at the address/phone# indicated.
 Trademarks are the property of their respective owners!
 =========================================================
 All submissions for this service should be addressed to:
 BAKER ENTERPRISES,  20 Ferro Dr,  Sewell, NJ  08080  USA
 Email:   rbakerpc@aol.com   --or--   rbakerpc@delphi.com
 =========================================================
