Viewing space is an exciting part of learning for a child.
Children may not understand how small the Earth is in comparison to the Universe, but with a virtual tour they can appreciate the wonders of space. A virtual space tour is a program designed by people in the astronomy and physics professions. The tour teaches children about space using interactive tools and fascinating photos.
ThinkQuest
The ThinkQuest virtual tour provides a look into the vast universe, including galaxies, planets and nebulas. Children can view detailed images of an eclipse while reading about what actually occurs during one. There are also informative pages on black holes, Jupiter's red spot and why Mars appears red to viewers on Earth. In addition, the site features space games and short movies for additional entertainment. The tour requires Flash Player to run; however, the web page offers a link for downloading Flash if it is not already installed on the computer.
NASA: JPL Virtual Field Trip
The NASA JPL Virtual Field Trip tour is viewed from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory website. Children can interact with eye-pleasing, cartoon-like pages that offer a robotics station, a simulation of the moon landing and a view of mission control. They can visit the museum section of the tour and the sun zone page that provides fun facts about the large and extremely hot star. The NASA JPL Virtual Field Trip does not currently require a specific player or platform to visit; therefore, children can access it easily.
NASA: Space Shuttle Virtual Tour
Riding along with NASA, children can view what the astronauts of today see while traveling in the shuttle: the way Earth looks as the shuttle leaves the ground and even more as the shuttle leaves the atmosphere. Children can see the gauges and various instruments in front of them and can learn how some of them work. The Space Shuttle Virtual Tour requires Java to run, though Java is a free service available from Java.com.
Tags: Field Trip, NASA Virtual, NASA Virtual Field, Virtual Field, Virtual Field Trip