October 1996

Family PC Recommended Learning Web Sites!

Nye Labs (Home of Bill Nye the Science Guy). Address: http://nyelabs.kcts.org/

Kids of all ages can get hooked on science, and there's no bigger science buff than Bill Nye the Science Guy. His wacky outlook on science is featured on his PBS television show, and at his Web page. You'll find photos, videos and sound clips of Bill, but even better are the investigations into the "U-Nye-Verse"--where you can get an in-depth look at each show's experiments and information.

The StarChild Project. Address: http://guinan.gsfc.nasa.gov/K12/

NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) is trying to bring itself closer to the K-12 classrooms of the U.S. with this page filled with info on the universe as we know it, including a simulation of the Big Bang (in MPEG Video format). This is an easy to read site made especially for beginners; it's perfect for someone with a budding interest in astronomy.

The Virtual Reference Desk. Address: http://thorplus.lib.purdue.edu/reference/index.html

An unbelievable collection of informational links provided by the Libraries of Purdue University, it jumps to page after page of info, everything from dictionaries, maps, and ZIP codes to copies of the U.S. Consitution, 1995 Federal Budget and even a hypertext periodic table of the elements.

Internet Public Library-Youth. Address: http://ipl.sils.umich.edu/youth/

The Internet Public Library's Youth division sports a number of items you might find at the local library--contests, story hour, and a virtual librarian. If you want, you can surf back out to the IPL Main Lobby and check some of their other services like the Reference Center and the Classroom (where you can learn more about the Internet itself).

CIA World Factbook. Address: http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/95fact/index.html

An offshoot of the Central Intelligence Agency's official Website, the CIA World Factbook give a listing of most of the world's countries that includes a map and details on the country such as climate, economy, population, and government. It currently lists information for 1994. Another cool geography resource is How Far is It? a site where your child can enter starting and ending points for a trip (real or make-believe) and get the distance between the two points.

Happily Ever After!. http://www.earthlink.net:80/~heahome/

A collection of comic strips that stand the old fairy tales on end --picture the grown up prince still a frog and a Rapunzel with bad hair and you'll get the idea.

Great Outdoor Recreation Page. http://www.gorp.com/

GORP can be the catalyst for helping you get out of the house and finding some truly great fun in the outdoors. It covers everything it can, from books to food to equipment to locations. If you're a cybernaut who occasionally takes a step outside into adventure, GORP's a necessity.