press release - paul revere 121030 2200 - ansel …...page%1of4% forimmediaterelease% %...
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Suma Raju • 650-‐766-‐8024 [email protected]
RIDE WITH PAUL REVERE BY WAY OF AN iPAD
Cognitive Kid Changes The Way History Will Be Taught With Ansel & Clair: Paul Revere’s Ride
Hillsborough, CA (October 30, 2012) – Over the past 15 months, Cognitive Kid has launched two critically acclaimed, award-‐winning apps: “Ansel & Clair Adventures in Africa” and “Ansel & Clair Cretaceous Adventures”. Below are some highlights:
− Featured numerous times by iTunes including “#1 Staff Favorites” − Featured on iPads in Apple retail store (Ansel & Clair Adventures in Africa) − 12 national awards, including 2 Parent’s Choice Awards, Dr. Toy, NAPPA and more − Rave reviews from national newspapers, magazines, app review sites and educators − Highly rated by users with over 83% of iTunes customers giving it a 5-‐star rating
Ansel & Clair’s Adventures in Africa installed in
Apple retail stores Some of the awards for Cognitive Kid apps
Building on this critical success, Cognitive Kid has launched an app that showcases a completely new way of learning History. “Ansel & Clair Ride with Paul Revere” is a fully interactive lesson that uses all the features of the iPad with interactivity, animations, stunning graphics, world-‐class music and games. Some specific features include:
-‐ Mini-‐games explain concepts such as Boston Tea Party and No Taxation without Representation; 13 colonies jigsaw and “Help Samuel Prescott Escape” maze provide additional context
-‐ Integrated maps enable children to touch and drag locator to see actual locations of key places -‐ Extensively researched; even includes famous historical quotes by Paul Revere and others -‐ Art, poetry, music and puzzles incorporated in a thematic and contextual manner
o Licensed historical artwork of Paul Revere and others by famous American artists o Rendition of “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere” by H.W. Longfellow
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o Rebus puzzles popular at the time of the American Revolution o World-‐class music with period appropriate American tunes
-‐ New additions like the Who’s Who Photo booth and pop-‐up quiz reinforce and test knowledge; while the ability to type your own notes in the Travel Log encourages creativity
Who’s Who Photo booth with short biographies Listen to Longfellow’s poem about Paul Revere
Pop-‐up quizzes to test your knowledge Touch and drag locator to see map of key places
Begin your exciting adventure by putting together an old, torn map of the American Colonies, so you can go back in time to find Paul Revere. As with our other apps, you are accompanied by friendly travel companions Ansel, an intergalactic photographer from the planet Virtoos, and a knowledgeable Virtoosian robot named Clair. Both of these original animated characters were specially created for the touch screen. Together, Ansel & Clair are on a mission to take photographs and document their journey so they can teach their fellow Virtoosians all about Paul Revere and his famous midnight ride.
Puzzle teaches about the 13 original colonies
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Meet the brave patriot, Paul Revere in his Boston home, and learn about his career as a silversmith, his famous engraving of the Boston Massacre and his involvement with the secret society called the Mechanics. The strained relationship between the American colonists and the British and associated complex issues of this period are brought to life through fun mini games:
-‐ Toss tea chests into the Boston Harbor or to a hungry shark while learning about the Boston Tea Party
-‐ Drag money bags over from the American colonists to King George III and watch the colonists protest “No Taxation Without Representation”
Who could have imagined that learning history could be so much fun!! The scene then shifts to the streets of Boston, where Ansel & Clair find a coded message in the form of a Rebus puzzle. Help them decode the message to British General Gage ordering him to capture rebel leaders John Hancock and Samuel Adams and seize the arms that the Patriots have hidden in Concord. Find General Gage and help Ansel & Clair warn Paul Revere who they find at Dr. Joseph Warren’s home along with William Dawes. Have fun tracing Paul Revere and William Dawes routes. Reenact historical events by helping Paul Revere’s friends light the lanterns on top of Old North Church to warn Patriots across the river. And then ensure that Paul Revere safely crosses the Charles River in a boat by wrapping his oars with cloth to muffle the sound of rowing. Meet Paul Revere’s friend, John Larkin across the Charles River. Decipher another coded message, and voila! John Larkin has a fast horse ready for Paul Revere. Witness Paul Revere ride through the night shouting his warning, “The Regulars are coming”, and learn through Ansel’s questioning, “Who are these Regulars? I thought the British troops were coming”. Witness Paul Revere warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock that the British are on their way to capture them. The adventure continues when Samuel Prescott joins Paul Revere and William Dawes, and they all ride towards Concord to warn the Americans about the British. But, alas! They are stopped by British troops. Did you know Samuel Prescott was the only one of the three riders that night who successfully escaped to warn the Town of Concord? “Ansel & Clair Ride with Paul Revere” is sure to provide children and adults with hours of fun and education at the same time. It is available through iTunes for $4.99 and is compatible with all iPads. Visit www.anselandclair.com for additional information.
Fun mini-‐game explains Boston Tea Party
Decode a secret message in the form of a Rebus (popular at the time of the American Revolution)
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Historical Disclaimer As with all Ansel & Clair apps, Cognitive Kid spends significant time and effort researching the subject to ensure accuracy. While researching for Paul Revere, Cognitive Kid found some differences in interpretation and chronology of the events, especially among books for children (e.g., Paul Revere is misquoted as shouting “The British are Coming”, whereas he actually shouted “The Regulars are Coming”). In case of conflict, we have relied on what we believe to be the most reliable and scholarly of articles. For example, we have relied on Paul Revere’s personal letters (for example, the 1775 deposition by the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, and the 1798 letter to Secretary of the Massachusetts Historical Society) as the source of the details of his ride. While Cognitive Kid has made painstaking efforts to verify facts, it is possible that some factual errors have crept into the app. Cognitive Kid apologizes for these mistakes. If you do find something that is not accurate, please email [email protected] and we will update the app to fix any inaccuracies. About Cognitive Kid Founded in 2010 by two parents passionate about preparing children to be successful and competitive in the 21st century, Cognitive Kid creates engaging, immersive, and interactive educational applications for touch screen devices. The company’s products combine thought-‐provoking educational content with engaging gameplay and thrilling interactions that keep children engaged and entertained.