It's My Life
Kid-driven site on important kids' issues from PBS -- a winner!
Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8
http://www.pbskids.org/itsmylife
CONTENT: This interactive health site, funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, focuses on mental health and relationship issues that children face in their everyday lives.
AESTHETICS: Lots of color, cute graphics, and easily read text make this site appealing. RealVideo plug-in is needed to view the video clips.
ORGANIZATION: The content is organized into five main topics, which are accessible from the navigation buttons on the left side of the page. Each area has a top navigation bar for movement within the area and a drop-down menu of subtopics as well as a left-side menu for access to the other areas.
REVIEW: Each of the five main topics, Family, Friends, School, Body, and Emotions, deals with the issues and problems youngsters face in their daily lives. Each of the main topics is divided into subtopics that cover such issues as depression, eating disorders, embarrassing moments, divorce, staying home alone, bullies, and much more. "It's My Life," according to the site's own description, "is for kids, about kids, and most importantly, by kids." This is true in that kids can share their own stories, learn how other kids have dealt with their problems through video clips, get advice from the experts or mentors, suggest survey questions, and play games and activities that teach different solutions to situations. Included are celebrity interviews, "about stuff they had to go through when they were kids," and printable activities to do offline. The teachers/parents area includes lesson plans, worksheets, discussion guides, and related resources for each of the main topics. A high quality site from a superb source!
