Reach Across the Stars
AR allows unique perspective on work from women scientists.
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Reach Across the Stars
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this app.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Reach Across the Stars uses augmented reality to help introduce kids to the work and history of a variety of women scientists. The featured scientists span the ages from Hypatia of ancient Greece to modern day contemporary astronauts and astrophysicists. To use the AR features, kids need to allow access to the devices camera and will need to move freely, and safely, around their environment. Some of the explanations use sophisticated language and assume a basic level of scientific knowledge. Kids may need support to fully understand what they're looking at. At the time of this review, some stories had technical problems including long load times and mismatched captions. Read the developer's privacy policy for details on how your (or your kids') information is collected, used, and shared and any choices you may have in the matter, and note that privacy policies and terms of service frequently change.
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What’s It About?
In REACH ACROSS THE STARS, grant access to your device's camera to enable the AR functions. Then move the device around to pan the night sky and center on a "constellation," or a portrait of one of the featured women scientists. Tap the "learn" icon to read a short bio. Some scientists also have a chat and/or an explore AR icon. Tap on the chat to scroll through interview questions and listen a recording of the scientist's answers. The explore icon launches an AR exploration of what the scientist worked on. For example, explore the surface of Mars with NASA's Christina Hernandez. Or get a close up look at the Chandra X-Ray Observatory with astronaut Cady Coleman. Kids can also access all the scientists and extra features via a simple list.
Is It Any Good?
Kids who love space and scientific exploration will get the most out of this multi-media reference collection. Reach Across the Stars has some really neat features, such as being able to explore an international space station or listen to radio pulsars. But this app isn't geared towards kids who don't already know a bit about the scientific topics. Text explanations are somewhat limited, and audio interviews often jump right into the complexities of the scientists' work without much of an introduction. Much of the language is sophisticated enough that kids who don't already know a bit will likely find it hard to understand.
On the other hand, the short bios are a great way to learn about a range of women throughout history -- and their important contributions to science. But the information is brief, so kids who want to really learn about these women scientists will need to look up more information from other sources. Also, there were a few glitches during the review period. Overall, Reach Across the Stars can be a cool resource for inspiring young scientists.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the scientists featured in Reach Across the Stars. Which scientist's work was most interesting to you? Why? Help your kids learn more about the work that sparks their curiosity.
Talk about women in science. How many of these women had you heard of already? Do you think women scientists are featured in history books and science classes as much as men scientists? What about women of color? Why might it be important to have resources that specifically highlight the contributions women have made?
Discuss features like AR. How does the augmented reality feature impact your experience with the app? Does it make it more fun? More exciting? Easier to learn something? Is it distracting?
What kinds of questions would you have for these scientists if you were given the opportunity to interview them?
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android
- Subjects: Science: astronomy, physics, Social Studies: historical figures
- Skills: Self-Direction: personal growth
- Pricing structure: Free
- Release date: January 27, 2021
- Category: Education
- Topics: STEM, Great Girl Role Models, Space and Aliens
- Publisher: Smithsonian Institution
- Version: 3.0
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 11.0 or later; Android varies
- Last updated: April 12, 2021
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