DR. ART'S GUIDE TO PLANET EARTH

PROJECT DATES: May - August 1999

[ www.planetguide.org ]

Dr. Art's Guide to Planet Earth is the companion web site to the book by the same name. The book and accompanying web site were developed for middle school earth systems science students as part of K-12 curriculum requirements assessed by WestEd (a nonprofit educational research, development, and service agency). The web site features earth systems science content, interactive Shockwave animations (that illustrate scientific principles), an interactive calendar of upcoming Dr. Art's Planet Earth Show events, and lesson plans for classroom experimentation.

As lead designer and developer for the web site, I created the user interface and visual direction, site architecture, and Shockwave animations. By working collaboratively, the author (Dr. Art Sussman) and I were able to maximize the two medium's potentials - the book drove the narrative and structure of the content (which was reproduced on the web site), and the web site drove the interactive animations, lesson plans and supplemental information (which were then referenced in the book). The combined work provided students with an immersive and exciting environment for learning about planet earth.

Dr. Art's Guide to Planet Earth: The Water Cycle

Dr. Art's Guide to Planet Earth: Plate Tectonics