ASSOCIATES (vol. 5, no. 3, March 1999) - associates.ucr.edu

        A friend asked me to check the Internet for information on a rather delicate personal subject. Standard keyword searching produced the customary ton of hits--mostly unwanted or irrelevant. While attempting to narrow my search parameters, I came across a link to the Yuckiest Site on the Internet.

        Due to the delicate nature of the request and the type of sites I was getting hits on, this one in particular piqued my curiosity. So I took the chance, clicked on the link and was pleasantly surprised.

        The site, though geared for kids, but has useful information for those of us who are kids at heart. I certainly learned a few things I did not know.

        Whatever kids (and some adults) call yucky can be found at: http://www.yucky.com. Everything from bugs and worms to body parts and bodily functions is discussed. There is no "beating around the bush." There are no confusing explanations that will leave the reader with more questions than they started with.

        Kids viewing this site might think: "So that’s what mom and dad were trying to say." Or they may think: "Hey, my teacher did this in class the other day." Parents might think: "Wow! I didn’t know that."

        The official host of the web site is Wendell the Worm. Ask Wendell allows kids to ask any questions they have about topics in science, and Wendell will answer them. Ask Wendell will answer the questions of "kids of all ages."

        If you are new to the Web, just click on over to Web 101 to learn how to use the Web and get some safety tips--especially for the kids. The Kids Safety Guide has some excellent tidbits for kids so they can protect themselves while on the Internet. Safety Resources provides a list of links parents and their children can visit to learn more about Web safety.

        For anyone interested in exploring the site with his or her children, there is also a Parent’s Guide. Questions and suggestions can be emailed to the site authors, and free newsletters for parents and teachers are available by email.

        The Teacher Center is a great place for teachers and library staff who work with kids to visit. They will find many of the offerings to their liking. A Yucky Teachers Forum lists all kinds of links, information, and cool stuff useful to school teachers. A Message Board provides teachers with the opportunity to exchange information and ideas with each other. This would be an excellent way for anyone working with children and young adults to get ideas and tips to enhance the learning experience.

        The Yuckiest Site on the Internet is a pretty cool place where kids, parents, and teachers can go to learn things and have some fun doing it.

First Serial Rights Only.
Copyright *1999 by Michael D. Brooks

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