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The Multimedia Project Quarked!

Can exposure to fundamental ideas about the nature of matter help motivate children in math and science and support the development of their understanding of these ideas later? Physicists, designers, and museum educators at the University of Kansas created the Quarked!(tm) Adventures in the subatomic Universe project to provide an opportunity for youth to explore the subatomic world in a fun and user friendly way. The project components include a website (located at http://www.quarked.org) and hands-on education programs. These are described and assessment results are presented. Questions addressed include the following. Can you engage elementary and middle school aged children with concepts related to particle physics? Can young children make sense of something they can't directly see? Do teachers think the material is relevant to their students?