Help Page
Navigation
I'm lost.
Where is that page I'm looking for?
How do I jump sections?
How do I back up?
Technology
My computer is freaking out.
What's a Javascript error?
Shockwhat?
Realaudio? I don't hear anything.
Content
What's going on?
The page is divided into three sections: Senate Junior, Senate Kids, and Parents and Teachers. Senate Junior is a special section devoted to grades three and below or those not yet proficient in reading. Some activities may require assistance from a parent or teacher. The Senate Kids section is intended for those children more advanced in their reading and problem solving skills. The page targets grades four and up but, of course, people of all ages can have fun learning about the great state of Texas! The Parents and Teachers section can answer all your technical questions, give some lesson plan ideas, provides contacts, as well as additional resources.
What is section (whatever) about?
SENATE KIDS:
Texas Trivia - Discover interesting facts from Texas's state flower to the favorite Texan dish in the Texas Official Facts section. Colorful photos, detailed descriptions, and challenging activities will make you an expert at Texas trivia.
Team Senators - Colorful trading cards tell you all about the players on the Senate team. The 31 members are profiled according to their personal and political backgrounds, districts, and careers. You can shuffle through all of them or search for the senator that represents you.
Glossary - All those big legislative terms can get a little confusing. To help you out, refer to the Senate Kids Glossary for definitions of those tough words. The glossary will also help you better understand legislative actions as well as the government process.
SENATE JUNIOR:
Storytime: "The Legend of Lone Star Bob" - This short story tells you all about how Lone Star Bob, Bluebonnet Betty, and another funny character began their great Texas adventure!
Coloring Book - Show off your artistic talents in the Senate Kids coloring book. You can color cool pictures of the Capitol, the Senate seal, and some of your favorite characters. Crayons are even included!
Parents and Teachers:
SenateKids is a special part of the Texas Senate Home Page that is just for kids. It is organized into three main sections; FOR KIDS, Senate Jr., and Parents and Teachers. At the top of all pages are colored tabs that can help you remember what section you are in. Within each section, there are different activities that you can do on your computer. The name of that activity will be named at the top of each page.
Use the site map below to see how SenateKids is organized. You can click on an icon in the map to jump to that section.
Use the colored tabs at the top of every page to go to a different section of SenateKids. To return to the very beginning of the web site, click on the SenateKids logo in the upper left corner.
At the bottom of every page is a "Back" button that will take you to the previous screen in the hierarchy. Sometimes there are two buttons that will allow you to back up more than one step.
Weird glitches, freezes, and crashes can be rooted in any number of problems. Here is a checklist of issues that may help your visit to SenateKids run more smoothly.
If you get a Javascript error popping up on your screen, that can mean two things. You may have a Javascript capable browser with the Javascript turned off. Newer browsers allow you to turn it on or off in the Preferences menu. Turn it on. If that's not it, then you may have an older version of the browser. Older version do not always support all the features used by SenateKids. You should download the newest one. If that is still not working, try using a different brand of browser. Not all browsers work the same.
Shockwave! It's a plug-in available for free from Macromedia. SenateKids has a lot of games that are in Shockwave format and you will not be able to play them without the Shockwave plug-in. Maybe you already have Shockwave but the games still aren't working for you. Do you have the most current version? The latest version of shockwave is Shockwave 8 (as of June 2000). If you are not sure click here to get the latest version.
If you have clicked on a speaker button to listen to something and nothing happens, then you are missing the Realaudio player. It's free from RealNetworks and it's easy to install. Once it's installed, you will need to tell your web browser where it is in the "Application" screen of your preferences.
The Senate Kids Webpage is a challenging, interactive adventure into the state Senate of Texas! Here, children of all ages can learn about the history, government processes, and legislative figures of Texas through fun and challenging games, colorful pictures, animated characters, and much more. The user can even take an interactive tour of the State Capitol!
Following are descriptions of all lessons and activities found in each section.
The Capitol Tour - Take a trip to Austin with this interactive tour and explore the extensive grounds and magnificent corridors of the Texas State Capitol. Historical explanations, interesting facts, and beautiful photos allow you to experience the splendor of the Senate Chamber, the new Capitol Extension, and much more.
Texas Trivia - This informative section teaches children interesting Texas facts with colorful sketches and brief descriptions.
Parents and Teachers serves as a reference and help section for the Senate Kids Webpage. It provides technical support by answering some of the most commonly asked questions. If your question is not answered under the Technical Q&A section, simply refer your question, comment, or problem to one of the helpful contacts listed. This section also provides some ideas for incorporating Senate Kids activities into the classroom as well as how to download each lesson or activity. Finally, links to additional online resources such as the Citizen's Handbook or the Quick Time Virtual Reality (QTVR) Capitol Tour are provided here.