For Immediate Release
Contact: Nichole Aro
Eiler Communications
734-761-3399
Nichole@EilerPR.com
ANN ARBOR, MI -- MAY 17, 2006 -- Blue Skies Ideas introduces a series of enjoyable educational CDs aimed to motivate and intrigue children using aviation and space. In addition to numerous ideas using aerospace to enrich a complex curriculum, the CDs include a wide variety of supportive information, such as interactive resources, hands on activities, directions and links to additional information, as well as sample lesson plans.
“This fun learning experience captures children’s imagination and helps them understand the importance of an extensive education,” said founder and president Susan Arthurs, longtime pilot and educator. “These CDs can enhance the curriculum and assist teachers in educating the students in school subjects as well as provide activities for adults to do with children.”
The “Activities and Ideas” are organized by grade level and subject areas. Each CD contains more than 100 suggested aerospace activities and ideas that are linked to appropriate pages in corresponding resources. The products are user-friendly, Mac and PC accessible, and can be fully utilized without connection to the Internet. “Activities and Ideas” are available in print and CD format.
“This is an excellent compilation of lessons and activities,” said Claudia Limestall, a special education teacher in St. Louis, Missouri. “The guide is easy to follow and the activities require household or easy to obtain materials. I feel the activities are very motivating. The background material is quite useful.“
Parents and grandparents find the CDs to be beneficial supplements to their children’s education. Pilots enjoy bringing the activities home to explore together as a family while contributing to their interest in flying and space. These are significant aids to home schoolers’ educations to learn in a creative and innovative manner.
The series begins with an educational CD for grades kindergarten to 3, available online at www.BlueSkiesIdeas.com. The series will continue with CDs for grades 4 to 6 and grades 7 to 12 available later in 2006.
“Activities and Ideas: Grades K-3” enrich children’s knowledge about gravity, exploring the challenges of living in space and observe things that fly. “Activities and Ideas: Grades 4-6” contain information on research about the Tuskegee Airmen, laying out a runway to scale in a classroom or living room, launching rockets and more. The last CD, “Activities and Ideas: Grades 7-12,” handles the exploration of Earth from Space, docking with the international space station and making a wind tunnel.
"That is a fantastic resource,” said Captain Jean Harper, United Airlines, author of several books including So You Want to be an Airline Pilot (1982). “It's the most complete listing of such available material I've ever seen, and the suggestions for presenting it all to kids are both age-appropriate and attention-holding. There is much that adults could learn from it too, myself included. The CD is diverse, complete and very thought-provoking.”
Susan Arthurs has been a commercial airline pilot, air traffic controller and Assistant Professor in aviation. In 1978, she was the eighth woman pilot hired by United Airlines and retired in 1990. Arthurs instructed at the Department of Aviation at Central Missouri State University.
About Blue Skies Ideas
Blue Skies Ideas offers aerospace education products that help teachers, pilots, parents and grandparents intrigue and motivate children with the use of aviation and space. The "Aerospace Education - Activities and Ideas" CDs include resources and directions. Ideas are linked to the correct page in the resource. Resources have been downloaded from the NASA web site, Federal Aviation Administration web site, and Civil Air Patrol web site. Copyrighted materials from the Civil Air Patrol web site are used with permission of the Civil Air Patrol. For more information or to order CDs, please visit www.BlueSkiesIdeas.com or call 800.239.8598.
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