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S I T E     R E V I E W
November, 1998


World Kids Network
http://www.worldkids.net/
GRADE LEVEL: K-12

CONTENT:
World Kids Network is an awesome site run mostly by kids for kids. It includes chat rooms, clubs, mailing lists, news, an art gallery, an area for girls, a chat forum, games, puzzles, and a school service. The site also teaches kids about Internet etiquette and safety.

AESTHETICS:
This site is very creatively put together with some great graphics! The pages have lots of variety in color and layout to keep interest high. Many of the story pages have a striking black background, which is a signature of the site.

ORGANIZATION:
World Kids Network (WKN) is big and has a lot of variety so it can get a little confusing. Follow the directions in the Space Kids Handbook, and use the WKN Galaxy Map. It has clickable pictures for each area in WKN. To find this illustrious map just click on the WKN logo at the top of the homepage, or on the pictures of the "tour guides" standing on the suggestion box at the bottom of the other pages. There is also a navigational bar at the bottom of the pages, under the suggestion box, that will take you to the site map, search, and index pages.

REVIEW:
World Kids Network (WKN) is over 80% kid generated! This is a great tribute to what our youngest generation is capable of because this site is outstanding! (WKN is actually another galaxy inhabited by some most unusual beings.) The WKN galaxy is vast and varied and can take a long time to explore. In fact, you may never finish exploring it because it's being added to all the time! From the WKN Galaxy Map there is a stellar assortment of places to go! A good place to begin is at the Internet Safety Pages, where "Robotica" teaches children how to be safe and have a good time on the Internet. She also teaches about Internet and chat room etiquette. You might also want to go and read about The Tour Guides, a most dedicated bunch. Click on any of them at the end of the pages and they will take you back to the WKN Galaxy Map. For those of you who love an adventure, click on the Cosmotown Town Square; inside is a library of stories written by children, a mall to hang out in, the local newspaper, employment opportunities at WKN (for kids and big kids, all volunteer), the First Family's house, a wormhole, the sheriff, and the Wander Inn (a place full of stories where you can stay as long as you want to stay). Pooh lovers should click on the honey pot to go on an An Expotition Through The Hundred Acre Woods. Check out the ART shows and submit your class's work in the Lobby! Like animals? Then don't miss the Critters section, or the Marsupial Museum. You can also find the Endangered Species Club in the WKN Fun Clubs section. There are 14 different clubs in this section that are all created and run by kids for kids. Looking for a little excitement? Click on either Fun and Games or WKN Contests. Need a class project on good citizenship? Click on Care Quest, it's the big purple Q on the Galaxy Map. Inside is a project that invites kids to write letters to other kids in hospitals. Soon Care Quest will also include letters to the elderly in nursing homes. Like we said, WKN is growing all the time and one of the newest additions is the Courtroom where all the problems at WKN will get solved. The courtroom is complete with a judge, lawyers, jurors, and clerks. There are still job openings for jurors if you know any kids with an interest in the legal profession. Another new area growing at WKN is called Rainbow Road. It's still under construction, but will soon feature a section where beginning and pre-readers can go on an Internet adventure without facing tons of intimidating words. It will also be separated from the rest of the site so young users won't wander into the more advanced sections and get lost in the world of words. Most of WKN's growth happens because of user input. On almost every page users will find a suggestion box so they can share their ideas for improving WKN. The suggestion box can also be used to submit stories, report problems, or leave a note for a specific person at WKN. Class projects are encouraged. Check this site out!