The White House Is Our House: A CD-ROM Visit
The White House Historical Association and the American Architectural Foundation.
Through Quick Time Virtual Reality, this CD-ROM gives users the feeling of an actual visit through the White House—its buildings, grounds, and monuments.
There are six tours from which to choose: the Presidents' Tour, the First Ladies' Tour, the Children's Tour, the Arts Tour, and the Architecture Tour. The Children's Tour, for example, features anecdotes about White House children and pets.
Tours are user-friendly for both Macs and PCs, allowing views into rooms and areas that are inaccessible to the general public. Once inside an individual room, users can examine furniture or historical memorabilia. A school version includes interactive activities for students and a Teacher's Resource Guide.
Available from the White House Historical Association, 740 Jackson Place, NW, Washington, DC 20503; 800-555-2451. Cost is $49.95 plus shipping and handling.
River of Words
International Rivers Network and the Library of Congress Center for the Book.
Now in its third year, the River of Words Project sponsors an international, environmental poetry and art contest for children age 5–19. The project is designed to increase understanding of the natural world and its connection to artistic expression and the human spirit. Students are asked to re-create—through words or pictures—their natural landscape.
Last spring, nine winners traveled to Washington, D.C., for an awards ceremony at the Library of Congress. Winners were chosen by a panel of judges headed by former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Hass and Germaine Juneau, director of the International Children's Art Museum.
Deadline for next year's contest is February 15, 1999. For information, contact International Rivers Network, 1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA 94703 (e-mail: row@irn.org) or visit the organization's Web site at http://www.irn.org.
