Article by Diana McCaffrey
Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs
September 22, 2006
Have you ever wondered how rainbows are formed? What kind of rock burns? What plant is stronger than steel? Would you survive for a day in the freezing temperatures of the Antarctic without special clothes? These questions and more are raised and answered in articles written by kids for kids posted at http://www.greenscreen.org/.
This website is home to a unique By Kids, For Kids science-writing program, featuring two Newsletters—Greentimes and Greentimes, JR. The Newsletters contain articles on a wide range of subjects written by elementary- to high school-age kids on such topics as weather, the solar system, plants, energy, animals, water, earthquakes and volcanoes, as well as local environment, climate and habitats.
Photo: Student Writers pose with a banner for Greentimes newsletter. Photo courtesy of Heather Freeman, Urban Ecology Institute.
You can join the program by picking a science or environmental subject and asking some interesting questions. Did you ever wonder how the moon was formed? How are fossils made? What special properties does mercury have? What geological forces formed your local landscape? Research the answer, write a short article on the subject, and submit your finished articles to http://www.greenscreen.org/ for possible posting to the website. Graphic: E.Q. Ant, the mascot of the Greentimes newsletter.
For teachers, the site includes teacher guides containing information on developing student skills in subject areas such as science, math, language arts, art and music. The materials give step-by-step, how-to instructions on carrying out student projects and scientific experiments in the classroom. Your teacher may be interested in the projects, which can be carried out with easily available materials.
Several years ago, parents in Massachusetts started what is now called the "By Kids, For Kids" science-writing program. They wanted their kids to have more science and environmental education in school. In 1997, the Boston-based Urban Ecology Institute (formerly the Global Habitat Project) created the website at http://www.greenscreen.org/. The Department of State gave the institute money to add French and Arabic versions of the site, and it now provides a way for students in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East to discuss science and environmental topics with U.S. students. U.S. embassies around the world highlight the site, and especially the availability of pages in Arabic. Educational, environmental and youth-oriented websites in a number of countries overseas have added a link to their own websites. The Arabic and French pages now are among the most popular pages on http://www.greenscreen.org/. With the new French and Arabic buttons, the site is expanding its reach to such places as Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Kuwait, France, and the United Kingdom. Photo: Student Writers participate in a planning session for the Greentimes newsletter. Photo courtesy of Heather Freeman, Urban Ecology Institute.
