Some might call it a birdbrain idea, but a new educational resource is teaching children the concepts of Earth
science with the help of an avian navigator: a New York City pigeon.

"The Adventures of Amelia the Pigeon" project is an interactive Web site with supporting lesson plans and hands-on
activities to illustrate science concepts to children in grades K-4. The animated adventure, developed by NASA, engages
children in a story-based scenario that emphasizes concepts of remote sensing. Children are taught how NASA scientists
use satellite imagery to better understand the Earth's environmental changes.

"The use of satellite imagery is an essential tool in NASA's studies in Earth science," says Ginger Butcher, education
specialist for the Laboratory for Terrestrial Physics at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and creator of the Amelia the
Pigeon project. "NASA imagery will inspire our next generation of scientists at these early grades, when children form their
opinions about science."

The site introduces students to Earth science concepts, beginning with classifying objects by shape, color and texture,
building a foundation for interpretation and understanding of remote sensing. The Pigeon Adventure encourages the
development of a child's inquiry skills via online explorations, sequential storytelling and hands-on investigations.

The Pigeon Adventure is based in New York City, chosen for its size, diversity and the visibility of prominent features in
satellite imagery. There are also supplemental classroom materials linked to geography and National Science standards,
which enable educators to introduce concepts through hands-on activities in the classroom.

Amelia the Pigeon is the second installment of the IMAGERS (Interactive Multimedia Adventures for Grade-school
Education using Remote Sensing) program. It follows the success of Echo the Bat, a Web site designed to teach the
understanding of light and the electromagnetic spectrum as a foundation for remote sensing. To learn more about the
IMAGERS program, visit the Web site at http://imagers.gsfc.nasa.gov.