MUNCIE, Ind. – In the coming months, millions of students will track sea turtles, learn how planes fly, investigate the presidential election process and tour Africa – all without leaving the classroom.

K-12 students will participate in a series of electronic field trips presented by Insite Distance Learning, a program sponsored by Ball State University. An estimated 10 million students viewed the 1999-2000 series.

The field trips, broadcast on the day of the program via satellite or Web cast, are:

• "The Mystery Migration: Tracking Sea Turtles," is live from Florida on Sept. 26. Broadcasts are 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. for grades K-5 and 11 a.m. (EST) for grades 6-8.
• "Every Four Years" is live from the Newseum on Oct. 24 at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m (EST) for grades 7-12.
• "How Things Fly" is live from The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum on Dec. 5 at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. (EST) for grades 5-9.
• "Voices of Africa - Part I: African Politics: The Struggle for Freedom" is live from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. (EST) for grades 7-12.
• "Voices of Africa - Part II: African History and Culture"is live from various locations in Africa at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. (EST) for grades 7-12.

Access to the electronic field trip series may be purchased for $75 per trip, per school. Purchase of any of the five live broadcasts includes access to Web-based curriculum materials. Videotapes of each electronic field trip also are available for purchase.

For more information or to register, call toll free at 1-800-316-3163 or visit www.bsu.edu/insite on the World Wide Web.

By Marc Ransford, Communications Manager

(NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information, contact Mark Kornmann, director of outreach programs, at (765) 285-6608.)