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Whyville
Why not? An online community with educational value, for tweens.
Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8


http://www.whyville.net/

	CONTENT: Whyville is a virtual world “which engages young people in constructive educational activities while promoting socially responsible behavior.” Tweens and teens can join (membership is free) to chat, play games, and learn about science and business in a very engaging way.
	SITE DESIGN: The site is well designed, colorful, and engaging for students. Movement through the site is intuitive, with easy to follow buttons.
	REVIEW: Tweens will enjoy the activities and the interaction with other students in the Whyville community. Visitors to the page will want to begin by creating their own persona and joining the community (membership is free). Then they can participate in activities that range from science and math to art, civics, and economics. Examples include earning a salary by participating in educational activities, managing finances and shopping in the bazaar. Destinations within Whyville include the playground, pool party, room decorator, smartcars arena, spinlab, sportplatz, the Whyville Times, and much more. Whyville works with such institutions as NASA, the Getty Museum, the School Nutrition Association, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to bring the educational content to its “citizens.”
	RELATED REVIEWS: Internet: Interactive Web Sites Students: Games & Fun Sites Students: Homework Help Science: General Science Math: General Math Language Arts: Writing

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09/17/2007