Keystone Weekly
volume 4, issue 23        March 31, 2003

This week's Key Points: *Web Pick of the Week* and *Space Day 2003*
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The homepage of the site above is a colorful clickable scene indicating that science is everywhere you look. In constrast to a more typical science-for-kids website, this site does not walk visitors through the basics of a given science content area. Rather, it specializes in telling short science stories based on the what the scientists do at the USDA's Agricultural Research Service. Sci4Kids seeks to show that science can be fun as well as informative.

For example, clicking on the test tubes brings you to a page the offers a story about scientists that are collecting mouse urine to learn more about genetic engineering and growth hormones, and then asks the reader some questions throughout the story that allows the student to interact with the tale. Or click on the sunflower to find out about strawberries, pollen, or why flowers are the colors they are. Spend some time on this site; it's hard not to learn a thing or two. All of stories are very short, engaging, and are well-suited to kids ages 8 to 13 years old.

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Space Day is a free event for all ages, combining sophisticated exhibits related to Penn State research with presentations and hands-on activities.

Astronaut Jim Pawelczyk will deliver the keynote presentation, and there will be a special presentation by NASA JPL Solar System Ambassador Ann Schmiedekamp. In addition to these featured events, Space Day showcases Penn State research and activities related to Earth and its planetary neighbors; extra-solar planets; stars, black holes, galaxies and gamma ray bursts; life in extreme environments; deep sea science along the Mid-Ocean Ridge; and much more.

If you're interested in attending, you might also want to register for the Mission to Mars and Beyond Educator Workshop for K-6 educators. The Educator Workshop explores the latest missions to Mars and other areas of our Solar System while finding out about living and working in space. The workshop also addresses the NASA Stardust mission and the Mars Pathfinder, and the Odyssey and Exploration Rovers.

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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 9819641.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

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© 2003. All rights reserved.