Nasa takes children to space

Nasa's Kids' Club website is entertaining and educational

BY A CORRESPONDENT
April 8, 2006

NASA's new Kids' Club Web site features animated, colorful, entertaining and educational activities for children in kindergarten through fourth grade.

Interactive games on the site teach children about exploring space, building and launching rockets, keeping airplanes on schedule and how a comet travels through the solar system. The site is located on the Web at: www.nasa.gov/kidsclub

The site serves a dual purpose. Children can play games at home for entertainment, and educators can use it as a fun way to reach students in the classroom, the library, during after-school programs or anywhere children and computers are together.


"Our goal with the Kids' Club is to provide a medium that encourages children's interest in exploring the subjects important to developing early skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics," said Angela Phillips Diaz, NASA's acting assistant administrator for education. "The Kids' Club combines entertainment with NASA's unique mission content and educational resources."

NASA's Educational Technology Services team at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., developed and maintains Kids' Club. The site was designed in accordance with the 2004 National Education Technology Plan "Toward a New Golden Age in American Education." Through the interactive site, content is aligned with educational standards that are customized to student's individual needs and interests.

"We've developed games, engaging multimedia visuals and educational activities at five different skill levels on the site," said Jeff Ehmen, education programs specialist at Marshall. "We want students to explore and learn more about science, technology, engineering and mathematics. These materials support various national education standards in these subjects at each skill level."

The Kids' Club Web site was designed for easy student accessibility. The site is compatible with screen readers and other assistive technology, allowing use by disabled students. In addition to Flash-based games, the site features versions of content accessible in locations with slower Internet connections and computer equipment.

NASA's education programs motivate and engage students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics by supporting activities in the nation's schools, and distributing information through instructional and outreach products.