I had the opportunity to attend a part of hte IBM conference here in Christchurch last week, and was introduced to some of the education projects that IBM has been supporting. One of these is TryScience.org which I’ve had the chance to play with now and can recommend.

I’d guess it’s best use would be for senior primary and junior secondary students. The publicity states that “TryScience is the collective knowledge of thousands of science expertis in subjects ranging from archeology to zoology, and it’s presented in a way that ignites the imagination of children”

In the “Fieldtrips” area I tried the “catch a cultprit” activity! A crime has been committed, and you are required to use your skills of observation and science knowledge to find the perpetrator. Completing the exercise called “Suspect Sketcher” requires intuitive deducation and attention to detail – the basis for scientific discovery!

within the TryScience environment there are five distinct areas to exlpore:

• Adventure – interactive experience.
• Experients – hands-on scientific activity
• Field Trips – visit science centres throughout the world
• Curious – investigate scientific topics in the news
• Live Cams – offer a real-time look at some of the world’s most interesting science and technology exhibits.

There are plenty of other activities to explore and engage with – I’ve only started to scratch the surface, but I’ll be sharing this with my son for sure, and observing just what takes his interest.