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Map Trek Ancient World App for iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch is a product of Knowledge Quest Maps, a leader in the homeschool community for geography and history resources and iHomeEducator, a leader in the production of educational apps. We already have and love their downloadable Map Trek Maps, which made me very excited to get to try out the Map Trek App.
Blending the study of geography and history beautifully, Map Trek Ancient World is the first of their map apps. Since their downloadable maps come in 4 different sets, I assume hope there will eventually be 4 different apps as well.
This app is very intuitive. Ben found it easy to use the first time he tapped it open. When you tap to open the maps, this is what you see. The timeline actually covers up to the first millenium AD, and contains 3 quizzes spread out over the timeline, and one final quiz that covers it all. You simple slide your finger along the time line to move along.
Tapping on any of the “sticky notes” or maps will reveal a map for that period of time or event. Here I tapped on the map that read, “Early Church” to find a map of Paul’s Missionary journeys. This year, we will be studying the Chain of Christianity, including how Paul helped advance the gospel westward. This map is a perfect go along for that study.
Each of the colored pins represented a different stop on Paul’s 4 journeys. In fact, each journey is color-coded. Tapping on a pin will open up a small window with more information. I tapped on Ephesus.
Going back to the original timeline, I then took a peek at one of the sticky notes — 12 Tribes of Israel.
Of course, Ben wanted to learn more about the Tribe of Benjamin, so we tapped there . . .
The quizzes are randomized and offered every couple thousand years on the timeline. The questions are all multiple choice, and if you guess wrong, no worries, your wrong answer will be eliminated and you can keep guessing again and again until you get it right.
This app is so useful if you are studying Biblical history or Ancient history. You can use it alongside any history curriculum or to enrich the use of the Map Trek Map sets. Even if you’re not studying this particular period in history, it’s just fun to just travel around all of the maps. We have yet to tie this in with our homeschool studies and Ben still enjoys the app tremendously. Many times, as he’s doing his Bible readings and comes across the name of a city, he will grab the iPad to see if there’s more information on the Map Trek app.
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