View manual text
User’s Guide
© 2002 Riverdeep Interactive Learning Limited, and its licensors, and © 2002 ImageBuilder Software. All
rights reserved. Liberty’s Kids™ and © 2002 DIC Entertainment Corporation. Used under license. All rights
reserved. Uses Bink Video Technology. Copyright © 1997–2001 by RAD Game Tools, Inc. All rights
reserved. Uses Miles Sound System. Copyright © 1991–2001 by RAD Game Tools, Inc. Adobe® Acrobat®
© Adobe Systems Incorporated. The Learning Company is a registered trademark of Riverdeep Interactive
Learning Limited. Adobe and Acrobat are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated. Windows is either a
registered trademark or a trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
Macintosh and Mac are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. QuickTime and the QuickTime logo
are trademarks used under license. The QuickTime logo is registered in the U.S. and other countries. Pentium
is either a registered trademark or trademark of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. All
other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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Liberty’s Kids
Table of Contents
About Riverdeep – The Learning Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Hardware and System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Windows® Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Macintosh® Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Installing and Starting the Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Installing the Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Starting the Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Signing In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Using the TLC Learning Launcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Educational Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Reporting on a Revolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
In the Print Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Editing Desk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Layout Area and Printing Press . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Chalkboard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Ben’s Innovations and Inventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Getting the Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Moving Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Toolbar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Interviewing Sources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Your Notebook and Sketchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Reference Guide for the American Revolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Finding and Using Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Editing and Publishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Choosing Quotes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Getting Feedback on Your Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
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Composing the Front Page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Publishing and Printing Your Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Windows®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Macintosh® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Contacting Riverdeep – The Learning Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Customer Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
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About Riverdeep –
The Learning Company
Riverdeep – The Learning Company provides highly motivating, dynamic,
curriculum-based Internet and CD-ROM learning experiences for the K–12
market. Our products feature interactive, problem-solving approaches and realworld applications that help develop your child’s underlying thinking skills and
creativity, while reinforcing important areas of the basic curriculum, such as
reading, writing, and mathematics.
Since 1980, The Learning Company’s award-winning titles have consistently
produced the highest quality educational software available. Liberty’s Kids has
been extensively researched and tested, with input from parents, children, and
professionals in education. The product features a precise balance of educational
content and entertainment value, so your child has fun while learning!
As parents and educators, we recognize that education is a continuous process, so
we develop a complete system of age-appropriate programs. Carefully sequenced
by age groups, this system makes it easy for you to choose the right products for
your children at each stage of their educational development. As an integral part
of our system, each of our products addresses a specific age group and subject
area with appropriate themes to heighten your child’s interest in learning.
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Hardware and System Requirements*
Windows® Version
Runs on: PC and compatibles, 166 MHz or faster processor, with:
•
32 MB of memory (RAM)
•
Hard disk with 60 MB of free disk space†
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8X or faster CD-ROM drive
•
16-bit color monitor capable of 800 x 600 resolution
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Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000,‡ or XP‡
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Windows-compatible sound card
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Windows-compatible mouse
Recommended:
•
Browser, such as Netscape Navigator® 4.0 or Microsoft® Internet Explorer
4.0 or later
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28.8 kbps or faster modem
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Printer
Macintosh® Version
Runs on: PowerPC® Macintosh® computers, 180 MHz or faster processor, with:
•
32 MB of memory (RAM)
•
Hard disk with 60 MB of free disk space†
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8X or faster CD-ROM drive
•
Monitor capable of displaying thousands colors, 13"or larger
•
Mac OS 8.6 to 9.1, Mac OS 10.2
•
Mouse
Recommended:
•
Browser, such as Netscape Navigator 4.0 or Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0
or later
•
28.8 kbps or faster modem
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Printer
*In the interest of product improvement, information and specifications represented herein are subject to
change without notice.
†An additional 7 MB of disk space may be required to install Adobe® Acrobat™ Reader.
‡If you are running Windows 2000 or Windows XP, you must have administrative privileges to install this
program correctly.
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Liberty’s Kids
Installing and Starting the Program
Liberty’s Kids runs from your CD-ROM drive. However, you need 60 MB of free
hard disk space to store some program files.
Installing the Program
Windows®
AutoPlay is usually enabled when you install Windows on your computer. (See
your Windows documentation for more information.)
To install the program with AutoPlay on:
1.
2.
Insert the program CD in your CD-ROM drive.
Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the setup process.
To install the program with AutoPlay off:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Insert the program CD in your CD-ROM drive.
Double-click My Computer.
Double-click the CD-ROM icon.
Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the setup process.
Macintosh®
To install the program with the AutoPlay extension on:
1.
2.
Insert the program CD in your CD-ROM drive.
Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the setup process.
To install the program with the AutoPlay extension off:
1.
2.
3.
Liberty’s Kids
Insert the program CD in your CD-ROM drive.
Double-click the Liberty’s Kids icon in the open window.
Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the setup process.
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3
Starting the Program
Play
Read this
User’s Guide
Play in
Practice
Mode
Go to the
TLC
Learning
Launcher
Visit
Liberty’s
Kids online
Go to the
Printables
screen
Windows®
To start the program with AutoPlay on:
1.
2.
Insert the program CD in your CD-ROM drive.
At the Play screen, click Play.
There are two ways to start the program with AutoPlay turned off. You can
choose to follow either set of instructions.
To start the program with AutoPlay off (Option 1):
1.
2.
3.
4.
Insert the program CD in your CD-ROM drive.
Double-click My Computer.
Double-click the CD-ROM icon.
At the Play screen, click Play.
To start the program with AutoPlay off (Option 2):
1.
2.
3.
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•
Insert the program CD in your CD-ROM drive.
Click the Start button. Then choose Programs, The Learning Company, and
Liberty’s Kids, in that order.
At the Play screen, click Play.
Liberty’s Kids
Macintosh®
To start the program with the AutoPlay extension on:
1.
2.
Insert the program CD in your CD-ROM drive.
At the Play screen, click Play.
To start the program with the AutoPlay extension off:
1.
2.
3.
Insert the program CD in your CD-ROM drive.
Double-click the program icon.
At the Play screen, click Play.
Printables
Select an
activity
Print an
activity
Preview an
activity
Return to
the Play
screen
The Printables screen contains more than 20 activities you can print for additional
fun away from the computer. Learn more about the American Revolution with
these puzzles, games, and brain teasers. Click the name of the activity from the
list at left to see a preview at right. Click Print to print the selected activity, or
click Back to return to the Play screen. You can also print the answer page for
each activity.
Practice Mode
When you play in Practice Mode, you can access any of the events, in any order,
an unlimited number of times. You can switch between events, but only after you
have collected the necessary number of quotes and a sketch. (You can, however,
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quit in the middle of an event, restart the game, and choose a different event.)
Your newspaper editions appear on the bulletin board as usual, but overall scores
are not tallied on the chalkboard.
Signing In
Enter a new
name
Play the
game
Select a
name
Add a name
If this is your first time playing Liberty’s Kids, click New Name at the Sign-in
screen. Type your name in the sign-in list, then click Play. If your name is already
on the sign-in list, click your name. If you don’t see your name, click the arrows
on the side of the list until you find it. Then click Play. The sign-in list can
contain up to 99 names.
Note: If you have inserted the Liberty’s Kids CD in the CD-ROM drive, clicking
Play will start the program.
Using the TLC Learning Launcher
The TLC Learning Launcher is your gateway to Liberty’s Kids and other
programs from Riverdeep – The Learning Company. You can access the TLC
Learning Launcher by clicking the TLC Home button on the Play and Sign-in
screens.
If you are not yet ready to begin playing Liberty’s Kids, take some time to explore
the other areas of the TLC Learning Launcher. The TLC Learning Launcher
provides an innovative interface with convenient tools to update and organize
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your Riverdeep – The Learning Company educational software through our
secure server. On the Automatic setting, the launcher will ask if you would like to
receive an update. On the Manual setting, you can click the New! button any
time you want to receive the latest updates.
Note: The online services advertised as part of this product may be changed or
discontinued at any time.
Go to the
Parents area
Visit TLC
Kids.com on
the Web
Go to the
My CD-ROMs
area
My CD-ROMs Area
If you have purchased and installed other products from Riverdeep – The
Learning Company, you may be able to access those products in the My CDROMs area.
Parents Area
Go to the Parents area to learn more about the TLC Learning Launcher. Here,
you can change the launcher setting to Manual. You can also find out which
products from Riverdeep – The Learning Company are appropriate for various
age groups.
TLC Kids.com
In the TLC Kids.com area, be on the lookout for fun movies and demos of new
products. You may also find updates that you can download for your program.
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Educational Focus
Liberty’s Kids is designed to reinforce children’s knowledge of important events
surrounding the American Revolution in an absorbing and entertaining way.
Players set out as newspaper journalists and get the story behind important
historical events of the period. As they do, they encounter famous characters and
ask the essential questions relevant to the significance of seven events that outline
the quest for American independence.
By meeting and interviewing various characters familiar with the who, what,
where, when, and why behind each event, children are exposed to the different
perspectives of those involved with the people, ideas, and goals of the time.
Rather than dryly collecting facts about each happening, children are placed in
the scene of the time and hear the varied reasons and conflicting goals that
influenced the birth of a new nation.
As they collect quotes from characters, children decide which is valuable
information that should be saved for their newspaper article. Choosing quotes
that best answer the who, what, where, when, and why questions focuses children
on the relevant information and encourages them to listen and sort between
statements that contain specific information and those that are less complete or
do not directly speak to the questions at hand. Two statements that pertain to
why the event occurred or was significant are required to illustrate the different
views of the population. Once players gather a sufficient number of quotes
containing information for their article in their notebook, they can return to the
print shop to assemble their quotes into a coherent article describing the event.
Players can interview any or all of the characters associated with the event, to
obtain many points of view.
At the print shop, players read their collected quotes and determine which contain
the most complete information as they sort between different opinions and levels
of accuracy. Choosing the best quotes translates to better subscription sales,
encouraging the player to make thoughtful choices. In addition, players have the
option of receiving feedback on their selections, simulating editorial feedback
where players can act upon constructive criticism. When requested, feedback
about the information contained in the chosen quote appears below each choice.
Players can then replace quotes that do not contain complete answers with any
other quote they collected during their interviews, and can again ask for feedback
on subsequent choices. In this way, players are encouraged to solicit advice on
quotes that they believe to be of value, and can repeat this process until satisfied
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Liberty’s Kids
with their article. They can move on to publish their paper at any time after they
have chosen quotes that answer each question. They can then print their finished
article or choose to see it again via the bulletin board.
The gameplay through the seven events, featuring the chronology of early unrest
in the colonies through the Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary
War, relays important facts from the social studies curriculum, and, more
importantly, gives children a sense of the divisions and ideas behind the birth of a
nation. The program features engaging and immersive environments with
appealing characters, and children can create, personalize, and publish articles
using those facts. The seven events are as follows:
Event 1
Event 2
Event 3
Event 4
Event 5
Event 6
Event 7
The Boston Tea Party
The Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Declaration of Independence
Crossing the Delaware/Victory at Trenton
Surrender at Saratoga
Winter at Valley Forge
Victory at Yorktown
Players can choose to play the events in chronological order, or they can play the
events in Practice Mode, where the events can be played in any order to
accommodate best what is being studied in the classroom or to allow children to
choose areas of interest. After players have created articles on all seven events and
the game is completed, they can replay each event again as a different quest,
interviewing characters and collecting new objects, to further enhance their
understanding of the varied thoughts of these important events in American
history.
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Reporting on a Revolution
Throughout the New World, there’s a growing sense of unrest. More and more of
the colonists are yearning for greater independence and struggling to be free from
British control. What starts out as a protest over unfair taxation escalates into a
full-blown revolution that will change the course of history. Your assignment: find
the facts and come back with the story! As an apprentice reporter for Ben
Franklin’s Pennsylvania Gazette, you’ll be covering the key events of the
American Revolution, from the Boston Tea Party to the climactic Battle of
Yorktown.
You’ll be working with Sarah Phillips and James Hiller, two talented young
apprentices at the Gazette. Sarah, ever loyal to her king and country, just arrived
from London to search for her father. However, the street-smart James is excited
by the prospect of greater independence from, and less interference by, the British.
Even though their perspectives may be different, Sarah and James are always
ready for the challenge of getting the “scoop” that will be tomorrow’s front-page
news. Sarah and James will be working closely with Moses, Ben’s right-hand man
in the print shop. Moses learned all about the news business from Ben. They both
will be giving James and Sarah a hand.
You’ll meet many different people with many different points of view, so you’ll
need to be careful to separate fact from opinion and find information that is both
accurate and detailed. Because it’s a time of great uncertainty, not all your sources
will be immediately interested in talking to the press. Sometimes, you’ll have to
find ways to show you can be trusted, or simply do someone a favor to get what
you need. When you’re finally able to learn the who, what, when, where, and
why behind your story, you’ll be ready to make front-page news!
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Liberty’s Kids
In the Print Shop
Innovation
Chalkboard
Printing
press
Bulletin
board
Editing desk
Layout area
When you first sign in, you arrive at the print shop, where the Pennsylvania
Gazette is published. This is where you receive your assignments. You’ll return
here to put together your story, then to lay out and print the front page. Clicking
the Print Shop icon in the toolbar will bring you back to the print shop if you’ve
gathered enough quotes and sketches. (See Moving Around.)
Bulletin Board
When you first arrive at the print shop, go the bulletin board to receive your
assignment. After you edit your story, Moses posts his comments and suggestions
on the bulletin board. (See Rating Your Story.) There are seven frames on the
bulletin board, one to hold the front page from each story you cover. When
you’ve completed publishing your front page and it’s posted on the bulletin board,
you see the name of your next assignment in the empty frame beside it. When you
click the empty frame, Moses gives you a briefing on the next story and sends you
on your way.
Editing Desk
When you’ve talked to enough witnesses in any of the events and gathered all the
quotes and sketches you need, click the editing desk in the print shop. This is
where you edit your story. (See Choosing Quotes.)
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Layout Area and Printing Press
After you’ve finished editing your story, move to the layout area, where you can
add the headlines and other elements that make up your front page. To get an
idea of how your page looks on paper, click the Print button to print the page on
your printer, if you have one available. When the page is complete, click the
Publish button to publish your paper. (See Composing the Front Page and
Publishing and Printing Your Paper.) Then return to the bulletin board to see
Moses’ comments and to receive your next assignment.
Chalkboard
The chalkboard shows the total number of copies of the Pennsylvania Gazette
sold. You can go to the bulletin board to see how many copies were sold per
event.
Ben’s Innovations and Inventions
Along with being a newspaper publisher, Ben Franklin was a successful inventor.
You may be surprised to discover how many of his creations are still in use today!
Displayed around the print shop are several of Franklin’s most popular
innovations, including bifocals, a harmonium, a Franklin stove, and the kite and
key used in his experiments with electricity. When you click one of them, Moses
explains its significance.
Getting the Story
When you cover a story as big as the American Revolution, you need to be where
the action is and interview people from many different backgrounds. Your base of
operations is the print shop at the Pennsylvania Gazette. Here, Moses tells you
about your assignment and sends you on your way. The rest is up to you.
As a reporter, your two most important tools are your notebook and your
ingenuity. In your travels, you will find quite a few people who seem to have the
information you need but are less than willing to part with it. However, if you
listen carefully to what they have to tell you, you may find out what you can do
to win their trust and cooperation. This may involve finding an object they need
or taking an item from one person to another. (See Finding Objects.) Sometimes,
the most useful information can be the most challenging to track down.
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Liberty’s Kids
When your source agrees to an interview, your notebook helps you record their
quotes and holds the sketches that will illustrate your story. (See Your Notebook
and Sketchpad.) Not everything they say will be useful, but you’ll have the
opportunity to pick the best quotes for your story once you return to the print
shop. Remember, you are going to be a long way from home, so make sure to get
all the information you can before you head back.
Moving Around
Any time you enter a new scene, moving your cursor around the screen shows
you where you can move and what you can do.
When the cursor changes to a large arrow, clicking moves you to that
location. A downward pointing arrow takes you back to the previous
location.
When you move your cursor over many of the text and graphics
windows, the cursor changes to a curved arrow. Clicking on text or
graphics with the curved-arrow cursor cycles through your choices. If
you continue to click with the curved arrow, the cycle repeats.
You can search for items to add to your inventory by moving the
cursor over the scene. When the cursor is over an item you can pick up,
it changes to a pointing hand. When you click an object with the hand,
the toolbar automatically opens to give you access to your inventory
slots. (See Toolbar.)
When you move your cursor over a character who has something to
say, it changes to a dialogue baloon. Click the character to hear what
he or she has to say.
When you move your cursor over a character you can interview, it
changes to a scroll. Click the character to begin the interview. (See
Interviewing Sources.)
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Toolbar
Make sketch
Notebook
Help
Inventory slots
Print shop
Reference
Quit
In the bottom-left corner of most screens, you’ll see an icon that looks like
a rolled-up paper scroll. When you click the scroll, it springs open and
displays a set of tools that will help you as you gather information. Click
the right edge of the toolbar to close the scroll. The toolbar automatically
opens when you click an object that can be added to your inventory.
Clicking the Notebook icon displays the notebook for interviewing
characters. The notebook automatically opens to the appropriate page for
the event. (See Interviewing Sources.)
Click the Make Sketch icon to capture a sketch of your current location
or of the person you are interviewing. Sketches are saved in the sketchpad
section of your notebook. (See Your Notebook and Sketchpad.)
Use the inventory slots to store objects you collect. You can drag objects
to and from the slots. When all the slots are occupied, if you drag an
object to an occupied slot, you replace the old object with the new one.
(See Finding and Using Objects.)
Clicking the Ben Franklin icon gives you a brief, helpful message if you
get stuck. Clicking the icon while you’re in the print shop provides you
with some information about what you need to do next.
Clicking the Reference icon opens the Reference Guide for the American
Revolution, where you can find information about the important people,
places, and dates of the era. (See Reference Guide for the American
Revolution.)
Click the Print Shop icon to return to the print shop.
Click the Quit icon to exit Liberty’s Kids.
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Interviewing Sources
To compile a good story, you need to talk to as many people as you can, asking
the questions that will provide the most useful facts for your article.
The best way to do this is to remember the five W’s of good journalism: Who,
What, When, Where, and Why. A good news story has concrete answers to all
five of these questions. These questions are so important that your notebook is
already divided into five sections to hold answers to each. It also contains a
section for sketches.
As you interview characters, you’ll find that not all their answers are useful.
Sometimes, their answers may not provide any useful details or the character may
simply offer an opinion about what happened. The most valuable quotes will
come from people who are eyewitnesses. When you return to the print shop to
edit your story, you can pick the best quotes you’ve gathered. (See Choosing
Quotes.)
Your Notebook and Sketchpad
Question
Answers
Click the
arrows to
browse
through the
notebook
Click the
tabs to
select other
sections, or
the
sketchpad
When you click a character you meet, your notebook automatically opens and
you can select any of the tabbed pages. Click Ask and James or Sarah will ask a
question. For example, when you are investigating the Boston Tea Party, the Who
question will be, “Who do you think destroyed the tea?” After the character gives
the answer, you can click Save to save the quote. Sometimes, the character may
have more information for you; click Tell Me More to get more information.
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When you have exhausted all of the character’s answers, you can click Ask to
repeat the interview.
Your front-page story needs a good picture. Clicking the Sketchpad icon in the
toolbar captures a drawing of the character you are interviewing. You can also
use the sketchpad to make a sketch of a particular scene, rather than a character.
Your sketchpad can hold up to eight sketches. Sarah or James will tell you when
your sketchpad is almost full.
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Reference Guide for the American Revolution
Go forward
one page
Go back
one page
Return to index
Having good background information will always help you put together a better
story. Clicking the Reference icon in the toolbar opens the reference guide at the
index page. The reference guide is divided into three sections: “People,” “Places,”
and “Timeline.” Click the People or Places tab to jump to a list of topics. Clicking
one of the topics gives you one or more pages of information on that subject. For
example, if you want to learn more about Samuel Adams, click the People tab on
the index page, then click the topic, Samuel Adams. The Timeline section contains
a list of dates of important events.
You can click the triangular arrow icons at the bottoms of pages to go forward or
back one page at a time. Clicking the Index link will return you to the index page.
Finding and Using Objects
To convince a character to grant you an interview, you’ll often need to find
something for them or bring something to them. As you move from scene to
scene, you will discover items that you can pick up and add to your inventory.
When the cursor turns into a hand, it is above an item that can be picked up and
added to your inventory. A character you are speaking to may offer to give you
an item. If the character does, it will appear in the scene and you will be able to
pick it up.
Liberty’s Kids
•
17
To pick up an item, click it when the cursor changes to a hand. The toolbar
automatically opens. Then, drag the item to an open inventory slot on the toolbar.
Not all items you discover will turn out to be useful.
Be aware that you have a limited number of inventory slots. Dragging the item to
one of the slots replaces the item that is already there. (The old item returns to the
place you originally found it.) When an item is placed in an inventory slot, a
larger view of it appears on the screen, and James or Sarah tells you its name and
use. Click anywhere to return to the previous scene.
To offer an inventory item to a character, click the character, who will begin to
speak. Select an item from the toolbar and drag it from the inventory slot and
onto the character. If the character accepts the item, it disappears from the slot. If
it is not something the character wants, it returns to the slot.
18
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Liberty’s Kids
Editing and Publishing
When you’ve gathered all the information you need, you can return to the print
shop by clicking the Print Shop icon in the toolbar. If you don’t have enough
usable quotes for your article, or a sketch for your front page, you will be
reminded to gather more information. Keep in mind you will need quotes to
answer Who, What, When, and Where, as well as two quotes to answer Why.
You also will need at least one sketch to illustrate your story.
Choosing Quotes
When you return to the print shop, click the editing desk (located just below the
bulletin board) to begin work on your story.
Topic sentence
(written for
you)
Cycle through
the quotes
you gathered
Get feedback
on your
choices
Feedback
appears under
the boxes
James and Sarah have written your topic sentence. It appears in the box at the top
of the page. Now, it’s up to you to choose the best quotes for your story.
Below the topic sentence are six rectangular boxes that hold your quotes. There is
one each for the Who, What, When, and Where categories, and two boxes for
Why. Your story must have two Why quotes. Clicking in a box with the curved
arrow cursor cycles through the quotes you’ve collected for that category.
You’ll find that the most valuable quotes come from characters who are
eyewitnesses to events and are willing to provide specific details. Quotes that
simply offer opinions or make assumptions are not as important to your story.
Liberty’s Kids
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19
Getting Feedback on Your Story
While you are working on your story at the editing desk, you can press the
Feedback button at the top of the screen to see Moses’ comments on the quotes
you have chosen. His comments will appear under the box where each of the
quotes appears. After the issue is published, a note containing Moses’ feedback is
tucked under the front-page frame on the bulletin board. Click the note to expand
it to fill the screen, enabling you to reread his comments. Note, however, that
once the paper is published, you will not be able to change the quotes you
selected.
Composing the Front Page
When all the boxes contain quotes, you can go to the layout area to lay out the
front page. Exit the editing desk screen by clicking with the down arrow cursor
near the bottom of the screen. Click the paper by the printing press to go to the
layout area.
Once you’ve completed the story, you’ll need to design your front page. When
you are in the print shop, clicking the paper on the printing press takes you to the
layout area. There are a number of ways you can customize your page.
Print a copy
on your
printer
Publish
the page
Change the
decorations
Change
the
saying
Change
the ads
Add or
change
the
sketch
Add a headline
•
20
•
You can change the decorations on either side of the masthead (The
Pennsylvania Gazette). Clicking the decorative symbols cycles through
several choices.
Liberty’s Kids
•
•
•
•
Along the left side of the page are several advertisements. Clicking these
displays the other ads you can use.
Click the slogan below the masthead to select one of Ben’s sayings. Clicking
the sayings cycles through the available quotes.
Just below the paper’s slogan is a space for your headline—the title of your
story. Clicking in that area allows you to type the title.
A space to insert a sketch to illustrate your story appears just below the
headline. Clicking the curved arrow cursor in that area cycles through the
sketches you’ve collected. While you are in the layout area, clicking the
front-page sketch always gives you the option to select a different sketch
from your notebook.
Your story will appear beneath the sketch. If you want to make any changes to
the story, go back to the editing desk. Return to the print shop (click near the
bottom of the screen with the down arrow cursor), then click the editing desk.
When you return to the layout area, the front page is as you left it and the revised
story is inserted.
A Print button appears at the top of the layout area screen. If your computer is
connected to a printer, you can print a copy of your page to see how it will look
on paper.
Publishing and Printing Your Paper
Once you’re satisfied with your story and the front-page layout, it is time to
publish your paper. Keep in mind that once the paper is published, you won’t be
able to make any further changes. When you are ready, click the Publish button at
the top of the layout area screen. You are asked if you are sure that you are
finished editing. Answering Yes publishes the paper and returns you to the print
shop. The number of copies sold is added to the chalkboard.
Moses uses the chalkboard to keep track of how well the papers are selling. The
better your story, the more papers you sell. He updates the numbers each time
you complete a front page and publish a paper.
When you publish a paper, a copy is posted in a frame on the bulletin board.
Clicking anywhere in the frame displays a close-up view of the page. A Print
button at the top of the screen enables you to print a copy of the completed page.
Now that your paper is complete, Moses will brief you on your next exciting
assignment.
Liberty’s Kids
•
21
Troubleshooting
Try this first! If you have problems running the program, try cleaning the CD.
Gently remove any fingerprints and dust using a clean, soft, lint-free cloth
dampened with water or a CD-cleaning solution. Avoid using materials such as
tissue, which may scratch the CD.
If you have additional questions, please contact our Technical Support
department. (See Contacting Riverdeep – The Learning Company.)
Windows®
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1.
The Liberty’s Kids program icon does not appear in the Start menu.
•
Make sure the product is installed. Reinstall the program if necessary.
2.
You see a message telling you that there is not enough available space on the
hard disk.
Liberty’s Kids requires 60 MB of hard disk space for the program’s data and
executable files. (Additional hard disk space is required to save player
information for more than five players.)
•
Create some free hard disk space by removing some files after backing
them up.
3.
You see a message telling you that there is not enough memory to run the
program.
Liberty’s Kids needs at least 32 MB of installed memory (RAM) to run. Your
computer’s memory may be filled with other programs that are running in
the background.
•
Close any other applications that are running, and restart the program.
4.
The mouse doesn’t seem to work.
There are times in the program when the animation or sound cannot be
interrupted. You see the hourglass cursor on the screen, and any key presses
or mouse clicks are ignored.
•
Check that the mouse is properly connected to the computer.
•
Wait until the animation or sound stops and your normal cursor
returns. Then try pressing the keys or clicking the mouse again.
Liberty’s Kids
5.
Program speed is very slow.
Liberty’s Kids needs at least a 166-MHz computer with an 8X CD-ROM
drive for basic performance.
•
Close any other applications that are running.
•
Remove non-essential applications from your Startup folder.
•
Make sure that you have the latest Windows video drivers for your
graphics card. (Contact the video card manufacturer for the latest
drivers.)
6.
You do not hear music, sound, or speech.
•
Check that the speakers are properly connected to your computer.
Make sure that they are getting power and are turned on, and that the
volume is turned up.
•
Make sure that your sound card is Windows-compatible and is
properly installed for Windows. Be sure that the sound card is
specifically designed to work with the version of Windows that you are
using. Also check that the volume is properly set. (See the
manufacturer’s documentation for information relating to your sound
card.)
•
Make sure the mixer level setting is correct. Click the Start button.
Choose Programs from the Start menu. Next, choose Accessories. Then
choose Multimedia (Windows 95) or Entertainment (Windows 98, Me,
and XP), and choose Volume Control. Make sure that the sliders on the
mixer control panel are all the way up and that no mute buttons are
selected.
7.
Strange graphics appear; the game action stops unexpectedly.
•
Make sure you have the latest Windows video drivers installed.
(Contact your video card manufacturer for more information.)
•
Remove non-essential applications from your Startup folder.
8.
Colors don’t look right.
•
Adjust your monitor’s color and brightness.
•
Turn off your screensaver.
•
Close any other applications that are running.
•
Make sure you have the latest graphics drivers installed. (Contact your
video card manufacturer for more information.)
Liberty’s Kids
•
23
9.
Nothing prints.
•
Make sure the printer is plugged in and switched on.
•
Check the indicator light on the printer to be sure the printer is
“online” or “selected.”
•
Make sure the printer cables are connected tightly.
•
Make sure you have selected at least one print item from the Printing
area. Where applicable, make sure you have selected either Colored In
or Outlined.
•
Make sure you have the latest printer drivers installed. (Contact your
printer manufacturer for more information.)
10. When you print, pictures or text look faint, blurred, or streaky.
•
Check your print quality settings. (See your printer documentation.)
•
Replace your printer’s ink cartridge.
•
Clean the printer head as directed by the printer’s manufacturer.
11. You are not able to connect to our online Web sites.
This feature requires an Internet browser. In some cases, you may need to
start the Internet connection before you run the program.
•
Make sure that you have a browser properly installed. (See your
browser and Windows documentation for more information.)
•
Make sure that the files with an .HTM extension (for example,
“bookmark.htm”) are associated with the browser of your choice. To
check this, double-click any .HTM file.
Macintosh®
24
•
1.
You do not see the Liberty’s Kids program icon on the desktop.
•
Make sure the program CD is inserted in the CD tray, printed side up.
2.
You see a message that there is not enough space on the hard disk.
Liberty’s Kids requires 60 MB of hard disk space for program data files.
(Additional hard disk space is required to save player information for more
than five players.)
•
Create some free hard disk space by removing some files after backing
them up.
•
Adjust the Virtual Memory setting to take less hard disk space. (See
your Macintosh documentation for more information.)
Liberty’s Kids
3.
You see a message telling you that there is not enough memory to run the
program.
Liberty’s Kids requires at least 32 MB of installed memory (RAM) to run.
Try to increase available memory and then start the program again.
(Depending on which Internet browser you use, you may not be able to run
both your browser and the program with only 32 MB of RAM.)
•
Quit any programs that you may be running.
•
Turn off or remove from the System Folder non-Apple® control panels.
•
Reduce the size of the disk cache in the Memory control panel. (See
your Macintosh documentation for more information.)
•
Turn off AppleTalk®.
•
Increase virtual memory.
4.
The mouse doesn’t seem to work.
There are times in the program when the animation or sound cannot be
interrupted. You see the watch cursor on the screen, and any key presses or
mouse clicks are ignored.
•
Check that the mouse is properly connected to the computer.
•
Wait until the animation or sound stops and your normal cursor
returns. Then try pressing the keys or clicking the mouse again.
5.
The music and voice in the game are too loud or too soft.
•
Choose Volumes from Control Panels. Adjust your system’s speaker
volume as needed by selecting the Volume setting.
6.
You do not hear music, sound, or speech.
•
Make sure that the Volumes setting in the Sound control panel in
Control Panels is not set to zero.
•
If you have external speakers, make sure they are turned on and getting
power and that they are properly connected to your computer. Also
check the speaker volume.
•
Turn off or remove from the System Folder non-Apple control panels
and extensions. (Leave the CD-ROM drivers.) Restart your computer.
7.
You hear popping noises in the game sounds and character voices.
•
Check the speaker connection to the computer.
•
Close all other applications.
Liberty’s Kids
•
25
8.
Program speed is very slow, or sounds and animations do not play smoothly.
Liberty’s Kids needs at least a 180-MHz Power Macintosh computer with an
8X CD-ROM drive for basic performance.
•
Close all other applications.
•
If you must have virtual memory on, reduce the amount of virtual
memory allocated.
9.
Nothing prints.
•
Make sure the printer is plugged in and switched on.
•
Check the indicator light on the printer to be sure the printer is
“online” or “selected.”
•
Make sure the printer cables are connected tightly.
•
Make sure you have selected at least one print item from the Printing
area. Where applicable, make sure you have selected either Colored In
or Outlined.
10. When you print, pictures or text look faint, blurred, or streaky.
•
Check your print quality settings. (See your printer documentation.)
•
Replace your printer’s ink cartridge.
•
Clean the printer head as directed by the printer’s manufacturer.
11. You are not able to connect to our online Web sites.
This feature requires an Internet browser. You may need to start your
Internet connection before running the program.
•
Make sure that you have a browser properly installed. (See your
browser and Macintosh documentation for more information.)
•
Make sure you have an Internet connection. You may need to open the
connection before launching the program.
26
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Liberty’s Kids
Contacting Riverdeep –
The Learning Company
Technical Support
If you have questions about your Liberty’s Kids program, please refer to the
Troubleshooting section. If you do not find an answer to your question, visit our
Web site at: http://www.riverdeep.net/learningcompany/support. Click Product
Support. Select the product name from the alphabetical list and check to see if the
problem you are experiencing is listed among the FAQs. If you need to speak to a
technical support representative, click Contact Us and scroll down to the
Technical Support area for the appropriate number.
You may be asked to provide the following information:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Liberty’s Kids
Your contact information (name and e-mail address, plus phone or mailing
address if you wish)
Description of the problem you’re having
Product name and version number (the version number is often printed on
the CD label)
Brand of computer
Operating system (for example, Windows 98 or Mac® OS 8.6)
Processor type and speed
RAM memory (in MB or megabytes)
Video card manufacturer
Sound card manufacturer
Printer type
Hard disk space remaining
Background programs (antivirus programs or screensavers)
•
27
Customer Support
Smiles Guaranteed!
If you are not completely satisfied with this product, Riverdeep – The Learning
Company will gladly refund your purchase price. Return the complete package to
us at The Learning Company, Dock Door #9, 120 Hidden Lake Circle, Duncan,
SC 29334, within 30 days of purchase. Include a copy of the sales receipt,
packing slip, or invoice showing the store name and location. Please enclose an
explanation for the return. Allow 4–6 weeks for refund. Limit 1 per household.
Dealer, wholesalers, and their immediate family are not eligible.
28
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Liberty’s Kids
Credits
Riverdeep – The Learning Company
Audio
Quality Assurance
Audio Production Lead
David Nowlin
Director of QA
Ron Runyon
Development Producers
Kristina Higuchi
Lorraine Neira
Star Stephenson
Dialogue Editors
David Nowlin
Jamie Hert
QA Manager
Dan Mizuba
Designer
Pete Shoemaker
Production Specialist
Jenny Nguyen
Education Designer
Susan Fryer Patrick
Design
Senior Brand Producer
Craig Bocks
Audio Lead
David Nowlin
Editorial Manager
Gabriele Rennie
QA Lead
Andrew Custer
Brand Marketing Manager
Rickelle Burnett
Art Director
Nick Stern
Creative Director
Kenny Dinkin
Jack Rakove
Coe Professor of History and
American Studies
Stanford University
Director of Marketing
Tom Craven
Director of Development
Sid Weber
Mary Holm
Research Consultant
Creative Development
Editorial
Art
Art Manager
Fred Butts
Artist
Krista Hubbard
USA Ink & Paint
Craig Wong
Liberty’s Kids
QA Testers
Melinda Barret
Tony Carbajal
Doris O’Connor
Creative Services
Educational Content
Jeff Patrick
Social Studies Teacher
Willow Glen High School
San Jose, CA
Director of Creative Development
Drayson Nowlan
QA Engineers—Fremont
Wilfred Albovias
Carlos Molina
Andrew Viloria
Sr. Design Services Manager
Sally Mark
Package Design
Mez Design
Operations
Operations Manager
Carole Kochan
Operations Specialist
Patricia Aparicio
Public Relations
Desktop Publisher
Scott Peeler
User’s Guide Writer
Ric Getter
Media Manager
Evelyn Dubocq
Public Relations Manager
Debbie Galdin
Administrative
Editor
Fedora Chen
Contract Administrator
Frannie La Day
Engineering
Executive Assistant
Sarah Zentner
Production Engineers
Lyn Bernabe
Gregory Kitamura
Contract & IP Administrator
Arlette Labat
•
29
Executive Team
Voice Talent and Recording
Executive Vice President, GM
Eric Stone
James Hiller
Sarah Phillips
Moses
Ben Franklin
Henri
James Armistead
Continental Soldier/
Sexton Newman
Baroness von Riedesel
Paul Revere
John Adams
Baron von Steuben/British Sentry
Abigail Adams/Milliner
Colonist Wife/
Mary Katherine Goddard
Mrs. Radcliffe
Lord Cornwallis/Loyalist
Farmer/Thomas Jefferson
Continental Soldier/
Marquis de Lafayette
Loyalist Man
Hessian
Samuel Adams
Horatio Gates
Benedict Arnold
Phillis Wheatley
John Honeyman
Polly Cooper
Iroquois Scout
George Washington/
John Dickinson
John Hancock
Controller
Lisa Thomas
Vice President, Engineering
Hugo Paz
Vice President, Operations
Gail Anton
Vice President, Marketing
Mark Hittie
Vice President, R&D
Derek Miyahara
Vice President,
Associate General Counsel
Dan Guggenheim
Special Thanks
All the kids who helped us test
our product!
30
•
Chris Lundquist
Rio Jones
D. Kevin Williams
Terry McGovern
Monica Murray
Adam Harrington
Andrew Chaikin
Barbara Lynn
Brian Vouglas
Bruce Robertson
Charles Martinet
Christen Karle
Christiane Crawford
Christie Ward
David Rosenthal
Derek Sorrentino
Doug Boyd
Gary Martinez
Henry Dardenne
Geoff Arnold
Jeff Kramer
Kathleen Antonia
Kevin Blackton
Laura LeBleu
Michael Goodson
Michael Santo
Sean O’Kane
Liberty’s Kids
Voice Casting
Pam Carter Productions—
Omaha, NE
Webtone Productions—
Los Gatos, CA
Dialogue Director
Pam Carter
David Nowlin
Character Voices Recorded At:
Riverdeep –
The Learning Company, CA
WareHouse Productions, NE
L & R Productions, CT
Glenn Sound, WA
Recording Engineers
David Nowlin (Riverdeep –
The Learning Company)
Tom Ware (WareHouse)
Marty Fegy (L & R)
Eriz Oz (Glenn Sound)
Dialogue Editing
Jamie Hert
Additional Dialogue Editing
Webtone Productions
ImageBuilder Software, Inc.
Senior Producer
Andrew Shafe
Creative Director
Shannon Keegan
Writer
Karen Beall
Software Engineering
Lead Engineer
Stephen Lamb
Media Coordinators
Doug Harvey
Margaret Yovan
Quality Assurance
QA Lead
Jim Clarke
Audio
Sound Engineer
Andre Temkin
Art
Music
Brian Jones
Lead Artist
Steven Louie
Special Thanks
Lead Animator
Suzanne Smits
Dwain Fagerberg
Todd Macy
Dwayne Towell
Eric Gibbs
Animator
Karen Morgan
Lead Media Coordinator
Dan Eddy
DIC Entertainment
Creator and Co-Executive
Producer for Liberty’s Kids
Kevin O’Donnell
Sr. Director of Consumer
Products
Cindy Davis
Licensing Manager
Martin Corcoran
Sr. VP Production
Stacey Gallishaw
Director of Post Production
Shannon Nettleton
Creative Director
Mindy Barsky
Liberty’s Kids
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31