Sci4kids, ARS's educational website for students,
has been updated and redesigned to offer a fun and functional look at
agricultural research. Click the image to go to new site.
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ARS Launches Redesigned Kids Site
By Jan Suszkiw
June 7, 2010 Sci4Kids, an educational website
operated by the Agricultural
Research Service (ARS) at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/kids,
now has a new look and "feel."
The redesign builds on Sci4Kids' past success in educating kids about the
importance of agriculture and science in their daily lives with easier site
navigation, vibrant graphics, interactive content, videos and animation, among
other improvements.
Since its debut in September 1998, Sci4Kids has posted more than 126 stories
about what ARS scientists do and the discoveries they've made. The website,
which is primarily geared to youngsters aged 8-13, offers a "Teachers'
Desk" loaded with classroom resources and activities designed to stimulate
kids' learning about agricultural research. The site also includes science fair
project ideas.
New features include:
-- "Science Spotlight," where-with a single mouse click-kids,
parents or educators can tap into the latest news from the frontlines of ARS
research.
-- Interactive games such as "Color a Pepper Plant," which
demonstrates in a fun way how plant breeders can change the features of popular
crops to suit consumer preferences.
-- "Images of Ag Research," a captioned slideshow depicting
science in action, from a dive-bombing fly that's forcing fire ants to take
cover, to parasitic tapeworms "pickled" in a jar.
-- "Sci4Kids Files," an archive page with links to past stories
and other content.
Produced by the ARS Information Staff in Beltsville, Md., Sci4Kids operates
with the recognition that today's children are tomorrow's farmers, scientists,
policy makers and consumers. With this latest iteration, the website reaffirms
its commitment to making sure kids have access to information about
agricultural research in a way that's fun, timely and significant.
Check back for fun Sci4Kids contests throughout the summer.
ARS is the principal intramural scientific research agency of the
U.S. Department of
Agriculture.