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January 2018 • Phoenix Edition • www.bearessentialnews.com
WIN aE! DRON
See page 11 for details.
In This Picture: a birthday hat, a goldfish, a slice of cake, a musical note, a birthday card, an apple, a noisemaker, a bowl of ice cream, a glass of fruit punch and 2018.
FEATURE
NEWS
Those A mazin g Drones! Key Cardinals R etire Enter to win a drone of your own. Pages 10 & 11
Spotlight on Yeti mystery News Highlights page 3
NEWS
A Field Trip Maze Boy Gets a Drone Get there the easy way Valley Metro page 7
& more news kids can use Scoops pages 5, 6, 12 & 16
YR Workshop Get signed up! Page 2
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BEAR 35 YEARS
www.bearessentialnews.com
• January 2018
PHOENIX: YOUNG REPORTERS WORKSHOP Saturday, January 27, 2018 • 10:30 a.m.- 2:30 p.m. at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication 555 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85004
Former NYTimes Bureau Chief, Author to teach Reporting Workshop
P U N SIG Y A D O T ! E E R F It’s
Fernanda Santos spent 12 years at The New York Times, including five as its Phoenix Bureau chief. Her first book, “The Fire Line: The Story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots,” received the Western Writers of America 2017 Spur Award for Best First Nonfiction Book. Santos got her start in journalism in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, her home country. She speaks four languages – English, Portuguese, Spanish and French – and has reported in three of them in Latin America and the United States. Her coverage of demographic changes in New England’s first majority-minority
city won a Sigma Delta Chi Award in Public Service by the Society of Professional Journalists.
Santos is a recipient of the Kiplinger, International Reporting Project and Casey Children and Family fellowships, and a
co-author of “Latinos in the United States,” a reference guide by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, published In 2002. She is a board member of the Arizona Latino Media Association and a volunteer at the News Literacy Project, a nonpartisan national education nonprofit that teaches middle- and high-school students how to sort fact from fiction in the digital age. Santos is now a Southwest Borderlands Initiative professor of practice at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, teaching shortform and long-form narrative journalism.
Cronkite School Associate Dean Mark Lodato to Give Keynote Address Mark Lodato is associate dean of the Cronkite School and associate general manager of Arizona PBS at ASU. As associate dean, Lodato leads undergraduate recruitment and retention efforts and supervises the Cronkite School’s broadcast and sports curriculum. Dean Lodato will give the welcome and keynote address at the Young Reporters Workshop!
Kids, have your parent or teacher call 1-866-639-7543 to sign up. Space is limited. Teachers may bring up to 20 students. Teachers, advisers and parents may also sign up to tour the Cronkite School! The Young Reporters Program
Young
gives students in grades 3 through 8 the opportunity to become true reporters. We ask reporters to submit an article bi-monthly. Young Reporters write news stories that are published in Bear Essential News. Teachers can attend and serve as YR Advisers for their school. BEAR ESSENTIAL EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
Reporters
The Workshop Will Get You Started!
At the workshop, kids will meet with professional journalists and will receive their Young Reporters Notepad, Bear Stylebook and Press Pass.
For more information, visit www.BearEssentialNews.com/content/young-reporters
January 2018 •
e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com
B
News Highlights
Winter Olympics Ban Russia from Games The Russians have been caught cheating according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and as a result the Russian Olympic team will not compete at the upcoming Winter Games! Russia has been banned from participating in the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, for what the IOC has found to be a widespread, organized doping program. In a statement on Dec. 5, IOC President Thomas Bach called the Russian scheme “an unprecedented attack on the integrity of the Olympic Games and sport.” Doping is when athletes use performance enhancing drugs or other medical procedures to give themselves an advantage over their competitors. As punishment for what was reportedly a state-sponsored doping program, the Russian Olympic committee was fined $15 million, some Russian sports officials were suspended or banned, and medals were stripped from Russian competitors who won at the 2014 Games. Based on reports and testimony given to the IOC, 25 Russian athletes were implicated for doping for the 2014 Games in Sochi. The athletes were disqualified from the Sochi Games and 11 medals were stripped. In a bold scheme, Russian sports ministry officials ordered workers to tamper with drug-testing samples at the laboratory in Sochi to hide evidence of steroid use. Russian Olympic committee and IOC committee
member Alexander Zhukov was suspended. Vitaly Mutko, the Russian sports minister in 2014, and his 2018 Winter deputy, Yuri Nagornykh, Olympic mascot were banned from the Soohorang Olympics for life. Russian athletes who have a history of passing their doping tests and those accepted by a special panel may still compete in PyeongChang, but will do so under a neutral flag. The Russian flag will not appear in the opening ceremonies and the anthem will not be played during these Olympics. If an “Olympic Athlete from Russia,” as they will be designated, ends up on the medal podium, the Olympic Anthem will play for them. The Winter Games will take place Feb. 9–25. The ban is set to lift after the 2018 Games, allowing Russia to compete as a team at the Summer Games in Tokyo in 2020.
Cardinals Coach Retires With Winning Records
After a big 26-24 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Arians. Arizona was his first permanent head coaching New Year’s Eve to close out the season, Arizona position in the NFL. Cardinals Head Coach Bruce Arians broke some even In the summer of 2015, Arians welcomed Jen Welbigger news to his players in the locker room—he was ter as an assistant coaching intern for training camp retiring. and the preseason, making her the first woman to “I can’t thank you enough,” the coach in the NFL! 65-year-old said as his players A day after Arians announced listened INTENTLY. “It’s been his retirement to the media, Carmy…pleasure to be your coach. I dinals fans got more disappointwas going to wait till tomorrow— ing news when Palmer released that’s my last game. I love all of his retirement letter. you, every single one. And, man, The elite quarterback turned I’m gonna miss... you. Thank you 38 this year. “I’ve had teammates guys!” Arians took a few steps who decided to hang it up and I away from the players and took would ask them how they knew off his glasses to dry the tears when it was time to walk away. photo courtesy of Arizona Cardinals from his eyes. The answer was almost always This was the team’s 49th win in just five seasons the same: You just know,” Palmer wrote. “For me, the under Coach Arians. He leaves as the winningest time is now. …I just know.” Cardinals coach in franchise history. But this season Injured for two of his five seasons as the Cardinals was marred by injuries, which knocked out quarterback starting quarterback, he finishes with 16,782 passing Carson Palmer and star running back David Johnson yards for the team and 106 touchdowns and an equal for the rest of the season. Still, the Cardinals scrapped number of interceptions. In his 15 years as an NFL and improvised to end with an even 8-8 record. quarterback, Palmer threw for an amazing 46,247 Amazingly, this ends 40 seasons of coaching for yards—that’s 26.28 miles!
BEAR 35 YEARS
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DNA Test—Not Yeti! What do a bear and a yeti have in common? Nope, that’s not the start of a bad joke. According to a new DNA study, the answer is that yetis are actually bears! According to legend, the yeti is a large, ape-like creature that lives among some of the world’s highest mountains—the Himalayas. The yeti started as folklore among locals in the area. When Western mountaineers began traveling to the mountains, the Yeti legend grew and spread. People have long debated whether yetis are real, imagined, or some kind of EXAGGERATION. Charlotte Lindqvist, a geneticist who studies bears at the University at Buffalo, led a research project for a film company
Fact Box: · The Himalayas include Mount Everest. · Himalayan creatures include snow leopards, yaks and and pandas. · The yeti is also known as the abominable snowman. · The search for the yeti dates as far back as 326 BC with Alexander the Great.
making a documentary for Animal Planet. Lindqvist spent a year and a half researching the yeti DNA question, and her findings were recently published in a biological sciences journal. Lindqvist analyzed the DNA of nine samples that were supposedly from yetis. The samples included a thigh bone found in a cave by a spiritual healer and hair from a mummified animal found in a monastery. The testing showed that five of those samples were actually from Tibetan brown bears, two were from Himalayan brown bears, one was from an Asian black bear, and the last sample was actually from a dog! The research also showed some surprising results about the bears living around the Himalayas. Lindqvist found that the Tibetan brown bear and Himalayan brown bear are genetically distinct. This is likely because of the harsh landscape of the Himalayan region— the bear subspecies have been kept apart by the land for hundreds of thousands of years. Lindqvist is hoping her research will draw attention to the Tibetan and Himalayan brown bears because both subspecies are critically endangered. The brown bear population has been reduced by half during the last century. The reasons for this include a loss of habitat, poaching and hunting by humans.
BEAR 35 YEARS
www.bearessentialnews.com
• January 2018
Teachers! Plan Your 2018 Spring Field Trips NOW!
Make Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & SafariPark part of your classroom experience! Admission includes access to scheduled lory parrot feeding, wildlife encounters shows, children’s play area and petting zoo. Teachers receive special discount pricing for your class and adult chaperones. Check out www.wildlifeworld.com or call 623-935-9453 for rates, info and to schedule your visit. School Onsite Outreach Program also available.
Aquarium
•
Zoo
•
Safari Park
•
Dragon World
•
Adventure Land
•
Mining Experience
Complete the puzzles to find these animals and hundreds more at the Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium! Word Unscramble: African Animals
1. lamec _____________________________
START
2. noobab ____________________________ 3. anehy _____________________________ 4. zrbea ______________________________ 5. gfrafei _____________________________ 6. hehetac ____________________________ 7. cstriho _____________________________ 8. crolodice ___________________________
Adventure Land
NOW OPEN!
9. ohinr ______________________________ 10. niol _______________________________ Answers: 1. camel, 2. baboon, 3. hyena, 4. zebra, 5. giraffe. 6. cheetah, 7. ostrich, 8. crocodile, 9. rhino, 10. lion
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For more information: 623-935-WILD (9453) or visit us on facebook, Instagram or Twitter @zoowildlife, and wildlifeworld.com
nd Adventure La
Now Open!
! Tons of Rides
Safari Train Ride, Australian Boat Ride, Kids Carousel, Zip-Line, Skyride PLUS Shows!
Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park is located at 16501 W. Northern Ave., Litchfield Park, AZ (SE corner of State Route 303 and Northern Ave.) We’re open seven days a week, 365 days a year, including all holidays. Zoo exhibits are open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (last zoo admission is at 4:30 p.m.) Aquarium exhibits are open from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Daytime admission includes access to the zoo, aquarium and safari park.
e l i m S
Wild
January 2018 •
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News Stories Written by Kids— for Kids
Money Management Gives Reporter a Real Lift by Reporter Dallas Mailer, Homeschool It took me a year to do it, and it was hard work, but I managed to save enough money to purchase a drone. My family in Minnesota and Arizona had given me some money for Christmas and my birthday. At the time I didn’t know what I was saving my money for, but I was saving up my money and it was really hard to not buy anything. I did different things to earn money. I helped my grandfather clean out his house and he gave me money. Before long, I had saved up $88. There were many times I was tempted to spend my savings, but I would talk myself out of spending it. We recently took a family vacation to the Grand Canyon and I almost purchased a hat and another souvenir there, but I decided I wanted a drone more than souvenirs so I held onto my money. My determination to save money paid off for me! I was looking at Black Friday sales and there was a Promark drone just waiting for me to buy it. The
original price was $150, but the Black Friday price was only $100. I ended up getting the last drone in stock. I was proud of myself for saving the money and was so excited to try out my new drone. The next day I started calibrating my drone so I could fly it. I got the controller and pressed the auto take off. The engines started and it took off. It almost hit the roof but I grabbed the landing gear and shut down the engines. It’s been a couple weeks since I bought it and I don’t regret my decision to purchase it.
Waters Light Up at Lake Havasu
by Reporter Joaquin Aquino, Arizona Desert Elementary held every year in Lake Havasu City. Leatherman says, “The London Bridge Yacht Club has been organizing the Christmas Boat Parade of Lights for 35 years.” According to Leatherman, there was an estimated 52 boats in the Boat Parade of Lights. Lights were reflected off the water. Visitors walked along the Bridgewater Channel from the London Bridge to Rotary Park where there is playground equipment and the largest sports park in Arizona for BMX, scooters and skateboards. Leatherman says people can also decorate and enter a paddleboard, kayak or boat into the Parade of Lights. Leatherman says the Resort also hosted outdoor ice skating, boat rides and rides in the desert that are fun for the whole family. Fun also includes an arcade, Imagine a boat parade, baseball tournament and an indoor aquatic center, bike rentals, a cool rock shop an English village decorated with lights all at one time. and a ton of hiking trails. That is just part of what goes on in Lake Havasu. For more information about events at Lake Havasu Jackie Leatherman, director of event marketing for City, go to www.GoLakeHavasu.com the Lake Havasu City Convention Center and Visitors
Adviser: Karen Golden
Bureau since 2016, supports an estimated 400 events
‘Hunger Games’ Is a Good Read for Teens by Reporter Alyssa Gutierrez, Apache Elementary “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins invites us to explore the wonders of the great Hunger Games. The story focuses on two teens, a girl named Katniss Everdeen and a boy named Peeta Mellark, both from district 12. I love how this book lets you realize that things can’t control you. In the book, the Capitol and game makers control everything. There were 13 districts, but district 13 was destroyed. Each district provides certain products, district 12 specializes in mining. Twenty-four youths fight to the death until only one remains. It’s very interesting how they fight and survive.
All of the kids are very well trained and are used to surviving hunger, so that helps a lot with the game. The book is told in the first person from Katniss’ point of view. We can see her thoughts and how she questions and feels. For example she is continually wondering what Peeta has planned. I give this book a 5 out of 5, because I’m able to enjoy it, but still wonder what lies ahead. The book is more for teen readers because it’s a bit violent and too scary for younger kids.
See this month’s feature on pages 10 & 11 for more drone news!
MORE SCOOPS, page 6 ➧
REPORT FOR BEAR!
Learn how at the Young Reporters Workshop See details on page 2 Call toll free:
1-866-NEWS KID sponsors
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www.bearessentialnews.com
• January 2018
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Get the Scoop!
Continued from page 5
Rats Wreak Havoc in Story by Reporter Christian Contreras, Apache Elementary Did you know rats can take over a whole lighthouse by themselves? The short story “Three Skeleton Key” by George Toudouze is a horror story about three men trapped on an isolated island who are suddenly attacked by a ravenous hoard of rats. The narrator, Le Gleo, and Ichoua are lighthouse keepers off the coast of the French Guiana. Hunger drives these formidable rats. These rats were vicious—leaving three men to fight for their lives. They even left a mark on one of the men that could affect him for the rest of his life if he survives. Will this island, Three Skeleton Key, get a new name…Six Skeleton Key? These rats weren’t any normal rats, but savages, trying to attack the humans and kill them. These rats were a huge threat to all three men in the lighthouse, and they had to keep an eye out for them constantly while working the lighthouse. The three men had to fight for their lives against these rats who they knew had killed and eaten the wrecked ship’s crew. This showed how these men were scared, but, also determined to save their own lives. “Three Skeleton Key” was a story written to entertain and fill you with suspense. The story feels very real as it is told in first person point of view by the narrator.
Contest Project Yellow to Show Perils of Distracted Driving by Reporter Japhet Nduwimana, Arizona Desert Elementary Have you seen the commercials about texting and driving on television? Project Yellow Light is a video contest for college and high school students to create a PSA video warning fellow teens about the dangers of distracted driving. Lia Tenaya Senser, a high school senior, chose to become involved with Project Yellow Light because she thought it was a great cause, and the scholarship money for college was a good incentive. “The competition is designed to bring about change…to motivate and encourage teens to embrace safe habits. Specifically, to not drive distracted… to not text while driving,” says Senser. Senser feels it is important to get the word out about distracted driving because distracted driving is extremely dangerous. About 5,000 people are killed each year from distracted driving. Some of the distractions people have while driving are talking or texting on our phone, eating, drinking, applying makeup, messing with the stereo in our cars, and having a conversation with friends in the car. Senser says that the most harmful of these distractions is texting while driving because “sending or reading a text takes our eyes off the road for five seconds. Going 55 miles per hour, that’s like driving the length of a football field with our eyes closed!” The competition was created to honor Hunter Garner, beloved son of Lowell and Julie Garner, He died in a car crash on June 10, 2007. You, too, can get involved in Project Yellow Light by going to www.projectyellowlight.com. Adviser: Karen Golden
January 2018 •
e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com
BEAR 35 YEARS
Let’s Go... VALLEY METRO! Places to Go on Valley Metro! Valley Metro connects people to great places in our city! Plan your trip on transit and avoid traffic jams and having to find parking places. Save money using your transit system to help pay for all those new adventures. Take Valley Metro as a safe ride to your favorite restaurant, to the awesome museums in town, to the many wonderful libraries or to the Phoenix Zoo. The list goes on. You pick the destination and we will get you there! Valley Metro School Outreach Program Can Get You There!
Teachers — Plan Your Field Trips Now!
Give us a call or email and we will help you plan your field trip. Your group may be eligible for a free ride on Valley Metro bus and light rail. valleymetro.org/transit_education
Take Valley Metro to Some Fantastic Field Trip Locations! This is going to be so fun!
Park
START
Movies
Zoo Science Center
Library For more information • 602.253.5000 • valleymetro.org
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• January 2018
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January 2018 •
BEAR 35 YEARS
Jump Into 2018 With Bear Wherever You Go! by Boomer Bear Bear Essential News
ARIZONA — Did you know Bear Essential News has a great website? Check us out on BearEssentialNews.com!!! Bear’s Young Reporters have recently FIELD TRIPS: ARIZONA SCITECH FESTIVAL 2018 interviewed race car driver Danica Patrick, blockbuster stunt coordinator Joel Kramer, CNN film producer (and former Young Reporter) Alex Rosen, Southwest artist Diana Madaras, the CEO of Girl Scouts, an upcoming clothing designer at Phoenix Fashion Week and more! Do you have what it takes? Be a Young Reporter today! Parents, teachers: Check out our Field Trips, Summer Camp and Academic guides for events, festivals and opportunities all over the state! Enjoy this month’s focus on science and technology advancements. Our Young Reporters program encourages an interest in journalism, reading Watch for the ASU Walton Sustainand writing. Do you have what it takes? Be sure to follow us on Social Media for ability Solutions Initiative Activity photos, contests, coupons, movie passes and more! Book in Bear's February issue.
Send us your feedback! info@bearessentialnews.com Follow Us: Facebook.com/BearNews Instragram: @BearNewsAZ Watch us on YouTube! Google+: +BearEssentialNews
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BEAR 35 YEARS
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January 2018
Now’s the Time!
Those Amazing
Drones! Y
es, you can fly through the air with the greatest of ease! Soar to new heights (as long as it’s under 400 feet), take vids and pics that’ll impress your friends and family, and learn what it takes to be an awesome drone pilot!
Even that micro quadcopter that fits in the palm of your hand is an impressive mix of technologies working together to make your flying experience sensational. From six-axis stabilization to help ensure smooth, crash-free flights, GPS navigation to tell you where it’s at, how fast and how high it’s flying, to a quality wide-angle camera that can be
January 2018
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paired with a smart phone so you can fly FPV (first-person view) as if you are aboard your drone—these are little engineering marvels that you’re piloting! Drones are also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, meaning they are either piloted remotely by a person or by an onboard computer. A drone can be an unmanned airplane, helicopter or other aircraft and ranges in size from a full-size plane down to a nano or micro quadcopter. Quadcopters, or “quads,” are drones that use four propellers to fly, and they’re being sold pretty much everywhere! Relatives are hexacopters and octocopters.
Drones Do Many Jobs!
Although most people will use them recreationally, it’ll help if you don’t think of drones as toys. In fact, drones are incredibly VERSATILE and can be configured to do all sorts of jobs. The military uses drones in all shapes and sizes for surveillance and reconnaissance, and some medium sized ones are even armed. Their ability to stay flying for
up to 17 hours before refueling or recharging make them a very useful eye in the sky. Some military drones can even be flown remotely from oceans away! Drones are being used to fly over remote or even hazardous areas. They can be used by the Forest Service to ASSESS wildfire conditions, terrain and even to dump water where it’s needed. They can fly to inspect dangerous high tension electrical towers, to help manage large areas of land like our National Parks and Monuments, to deliver important supplies, to assist in search and rescue, to survey construction sites, to help farmers grow their crops more efficiently, and to help restore communications after a natural disaster strikes. Drones are even being raced, where pilots wear FPV goggles to race through difficult courses at over 100 mph.
Technology has really made flying remote control (RC) aircraft a lot simpler and more fun, and drones are leading the way! Most come with their own DEDICATED controller with either joysticks or buttons, and some have downloadable apps so you can use a smart phone to fly FPV or as a controller. Some drones use your phone’s gyroscope and accelerometers so you can hold your phone flat and tilt it in the direction you want to fly your drone! Mark Berry is with Catalina Remote Control Modelers, a club which has a Marana airfield where you can visit on the weekend and fly any RC airplane or drone you have. Plus there are lots of knowledgeable hobbyists around to help beginners. “I’ve been flying about five years. I started with helicopters,” Berry says. “(RC) helicopters are much more difficult to fly. They don’t have stabilization like the quads do, so I crashed a lot of them. I got frustrated and gave up on helicopters and went to (RC) planes. Then just last year, I got my first drone!”
“The technology is far beyond what it was 10 years ago,” he points out. The controllers are either 2.4Ghz or 5.8Ghz, and to get started, you bind (pair) the transmitter of the controller with the receiver inside your drone. That way, you can fly right next to other RC pilots without getting your signals crossed. Berry flies a Phantom IV by DJI, one of the top makers of drones. “It has all the bells and whistles, including an incredible camera. I have a set of (FPV) goggles. It’s just like being in a helicopter or a quad yourself because you’re flying by looking out the camera. Just watching the trees going by, and the ground, and seeing all the different things in front of you, and being able to swoop around and look at stuff—it is just a great feeling! The really cool thing about it is you can fly it by actually looking out the camera that’s on the bottom of the quad (FPV), or you can look up and see what it’s doing,” he explains. Phantoms are high-end drones, with cameras mounted on a vibration-reducing mount called a gimbal. Paired with its stabilization, you get picture-perfect, steady videos!
Know Where & How to Fly As with any flying, it’s always safety first. “We’re an AMA-sanctioned club—that’s the Academy of Model Aeronautics, a group that sets guidelines and rules for the model aircraft industry, including drones, RC helicopters and planes,” explains Marty Bristow with the Catalina Remote Control Modelers. “There are rules and guidelines for drones that the AMA has, along with the FAA (the Federal Aviation Administration). “The drones where you just fly them and look at them are fairly safe. The biggest thing is you want to keep them away from people with their high-spinning blades—they will cause damage if you hit someone,” he warns. “But these new drones are so well computercontrolled, they’re easy to fly, especially for kids!” The FAA requires that you always keep the drone that you’re flying in your line of sight. “You don’t want to go behind a tree or a building where (your drone) could get in trouble,” Bristow explains. There are many places where you aren’t allowed to fly a drone. City and county parks often do not allow drones! National Parks and military bases do not allow drones. So check online to find out if drones are permitted where you want to fly. And to avoid drones running into planes with people on board, the FAA doesn’t want drones flying within 5 miles of an airport. And it also expects drones to stay below an altitude of 400 feet above ground level. Drones that weigh a little over half a pound (.55 lbs.) or more need to be registered with the FAA by someone 13 years old or older: https://registermyuas.faa.gov/ Registration costs $5 and they’ll issue a number you need to put on your drone. Also, never fly over people or near emergency response efforts. That’s what makes flying at a designated RC airfield so nice! “We don’t have a huge club here (at Catalina). We let everybody fly whatever they want as long as you’re careful and courteous of the other flyers,” Berry points out. The FAA offers the downloadable app “B4UFLY” for your smartphone to help you figure out where you can safely fly your drone! HAPPY FLYING!!!
A Few Drones to Consider! Ages 5+: Hasakee H1, Air Hogs Millennium Falcon, Helix Ion, Holy Stone HS170, JJRC H36 and Syma X11C Ages 9+: UDI U818Plus, Altair AA108, UDI U818A, Holy Stone F181W and Syma X5C-1 Ages 16+: DJI Phantom 3, Parrot Bebop 2 and MJX Bugs 2W
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But to get started, Berry says to do your research. “The kids are so much faster at picking up this technology than us older people,” he says. “It really depends on what you want. There are so many varieties.” Micro quads can be flown indoors and some come with cameras. And a lot of micros (or nanos) are pretty affordable, with some starting at $25. “You just want something that’s stabilized and that has a few features you like, like a decent camera,” Berry suggests. Once you master your first quadcopter, you can look into fancier, more capable ones that can handle breezes outdoors.
KIDS!
Win a Mega Drone
Panther Spy Drone UFO
with Video/Picture Camera!
Answer This Question and Mail It in for Your Chance to Win:
With drones becoming more and more useful, what do you think they’ll be able to do next?
Drone Entry Form Name: ________________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________ __________________________________ ZIP: ________________ Parents’s Email: _________________________________________ Phone #: (_________) __________________________________ Mail your answer and your completed form to Bear Essential News Drone Contest 2525 E. Broadway Blvd., Suite 102 • Tucson, AZ 85716
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• January 2018
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Continued from page 6
Roblox Puts Imagination Online by Reporter C.W. Morrison, Satori School Roblox is a free online game where you create an avatar, play games and make some of your own! There is some security, too. If you chat, and your chat comes up in hashtags, that means Roblox admin is monitoring your chat, and thinks it should not be seen by others. Roblox High School or RHS, is a roleplay game where you go to high school! You can save up money by playing or you can buy things to play RHS with. If you have enough Robux, you can buy a game pass if you want. Game passes are when you get things to use in the game. One of my favorites is Enforcer powers, where you can use them to send people to detention, suspend them, even expel them! You also can send game wide announcements. In another game you can work at a pizza place and make pizza! You start out as cashier, where you take orders. You take orders by clicking on a question mark, and saying the most polite thing. Then the person will say what they want. There are buttons in front of you, and you click the one that the person ordered. Then you can become the cook. That is where you make the pizza. There is dough on a counter to drag over to the table. There are ingredients on the side. Every pizza needs tomato sauce. Drag that over onto the dough,
add cheese and the ingredients that were ordered. After you do that, look to the right of your screen. There is an oven. Put your pizza in it. Now you can be a pizza boxer. That’s when you drag pizzas over to boxes, and you click on the boxes. Then you put them on the conveyer belt to be delivered. Now you can be deliverer. You pick up a pizza by clicking on it and walk outside. There are cars outside. Jump into one. Use the arrow keys to move the car. Small arrows will show you where to go. Drive to the house that the arrows show you to. Walk up the stairs. If you are holding your pizza, the door will open and the person will take the pizza. At the end of the day, you get a check for Moneyz. There is one more job, and that’s manager. If there is no manager, walk into the office and sit in the black chair. Then you will be the manager. In Roblox games, you can send friend requests to other players, and they can send requests to you. If you get a friend request from someone, and you accept it, you can chat with them. You can also join their game if you want. If this sounds like a game you would like, ask your parents if you can visit www.roblox.com.
January 2018 •
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Scout Has a Green Solution to Helping the Homeless—Recycling Soap A local Girl Scout is working to help the homeless in her community. Eden Sapien has spent several months collecting shampoo bottles and soaps to put together hygiene bags for the homeless. The idea was sparked by a story that her mom shared with her. “While researching ideas for my Silver Award, my mom read a story about a charity that recycles soap for people in other countries,” says Eden. “I liked that idea but I wanted to help people in my own community. Plus making soap is fun.” The Silver Award is the highest award a Girl Scout
can earn while she is at the Cadette level. Eden was awarded a grant through Youth Service America. The organization encourages young people to better their communities through service projects and by educating and mobilizing peers. Eden was one of 270 youngsters awarded a $500 Disney Summer of Service grant. She applied for the grant in August, and has been working on her project ever since. Eden sent out about 30 letters to local hotels to request used bars of soap and used shampoo bottles, according to her mom, Nadine. Eden Sapien ra ised the (soap) bar to help the ho meless.
“(Eden) learned a lot about persistence,” Nadine reports, as most of her letters went unanswered. But Eden kept at it, and eventually a couple of hotels became providers of used bars of soap and shampoo bottles. The grant money bought shampoo to refill bottles, soap making supplies (including molds) and bags to package the toiletries. The hygiene bags will be donated to Phoenix Rescue Mission. The family kitchen became a soap making laboratory, with lessons learned—the stovetop is not the place to melt down soap, according to Nadine, but the oven or a crockpot work well she reports. She is proud of her daughter’s hard work, but is probably happy to wash her hands of this project soon and get her kitchen and garage back! Eden has recruited around 20 scouts, including her brother and other Boy Scouts, to help her finish up the hygiene bags this month and wrap up the project. It’s the end to a project that Eden started planning back in July. Now 12, Eden started her scouting adventure back when she was 5 as a Daisy. Eden enjoys going to Girl Scout camp every summer. “She has really enjoyed her experience,” according to her mom, and has “taken part in everything Girl Scouts has to offer.”
Join Girl Scouts today! Visit www.girlscoutsaz.org, email join@girlscoutsaz.org or call 602-452-7000. Find an event near you! Visit the website above, click on “About” then “Join” then “Attend an Information Event.”
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BEAR 35 YEARS
www.bearessentialnews.com
• January 2018
Watch for Bear’s Annual Summer Camp Guide in our March ’18 Edition!!!
2018
SUMMER
CAMP GUIDE
Find out what’s hot in summer camps.
Summer Camps! Do you have a summer camp you’d like to promote? Reach Bear’s unparalleled distribution through over 350 schools in the Greater Phoenix area. Call today to reserve your space or request information. 480-752-2327
BearEssential News.com
B Letters to Boomer Write to Boomer Bear at
Bear Essential News • 2525 E. Broadway Blvd., #102 • Tucson, AZ 85716 or e-mail your letters to boomer@bearessentialnews.com
Happy New Year, Boomer Bear!
Dear Boomer,
Dear Boomer,
My New Year’s resolution is to get better grades and to learn more about reporting.
For the rest of the school year, I’m going to be prepared and willing to learn.
I like my class to take a trip to the Humane Society so kids can think about adopting animals.
yours truly, S.C.
yours truly, A.L.
from A.W.
Happy New Year to you too, S.C.!
Dear A.W.,
A lot of kids need to work on doing better at school, so you’re in good company. The question is, how do you plan on making better grades? Are you going to be more attentive during class? Study harder and with less distractions at home? Get help from your teacher or ask for a tutor for tough subjects? The reporting side I can really help you with! This month, Bear Essential is working with ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism to put on our annual Young Reporters Workshop! Hurry and sign up— we’d like a few more kids in grades 2–8 to become Young Reporters by attending this awesome workshop. It’s Saturday, Jan. 27 from 10:30 till 2:30 at the downtown location of the School of Journalism, 555 N. Central Ave. At the workshop, professionals and ASU journalism students will teach you the basics of reporting. Plus, there’s pizza and drinks for lunch, and you’ll get a Young Reporters Kit and your Bear press pass. Then you can start working on your first news story. Be sure to bring in a completed Young Reporter Bio/Release form printed from my website: BearEssentialNews.com for a chance to win a fabulous prize! The workshop is free, but you must call soon to reserve your spot: 1-866-NEWS KID.
That sounds like a great plan for a field trip! The Humane Society does such important work when it comes to finding awesome, sometimes abandoned pets their forever homes. I also like the fact that to adopt a puppy or kitten, dog or cat from there, it has to be spayed or neutered first. That really helps in keeping down the numbers of unwanted or abandoned puppies and kittens in our community.
Make it a great year, Boomer Bear
Have a great New Year, Boomer Bear Hi, Boomer! My New Year’s resolution is to write more. Your friend, C.M. Boomer Bear, My New Year’s resolution is to be a better writer.
Boomer Bear, To make the rest of the school year a success, I’m going to study hard! your friend, O.M. Welcome to 2018, A.L. & O.M.! What great attitudes to have as you head back to school. I had a fabulous winter break—my aunt and uncle and a couple of my cousins came down from up north, I got some great new books and organized the stuff I needed for school. I can’t wait to see my friends again, and I feel like I can accomplish anything. Best of luck, Boomer Bear
Happy New Year, A.L. Dear Boomer, My New Year’s resolution as a Young Reporter is to write news stories! yours truly, C.M. Dear C.M., A.L. & C.M., Writing is like sports—the more you work at it, the better it gets. Have fun and take chances with your words so you can grow as young writers. I hope you call to sign up for my big Young Reporters Workshop that’s Saturday, Jan. 27. Happy New Year! Boomer Bear
January 2018 •
e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com
BEAR 35 YEARS
15
Field Trips Spark the Imagination! What could be better than seeing kids interested, engaged and actively learning inside a classroom? Not much! But how about the chance for those same kids to learn outside of the classroom? Field trips offer all kinds of learning opportunities—from seeing real-world solutions being played out, to meeting scientists, artists, educators and other professionals out in the community, to experiencing wildlife, natural surroundings and native environments up close. History, agriculture, the arts, science and technology, literature and more await you at exciting educational destinations around the Valley. A study by the U.S. Travel Association shows the learning and life upsides to field trips. Kids who got to go on field trips tended to do better in school, benefit from higher graduation rates from high school and college, and earn more in the workforce!
FREE Field Trip Transportation Available to Any School! The State of Arizona has given you an opportunity to decide exactly where your tax dollars will be spent. ARS §43-1089-01 allows taxpayers a tax credit if they contribute to extracurricular activities in public schools. Your class wants to go on a field trip but a bus is not in the budget? Parents and friends can donate the money and take exactly the amount of their donation off their state taxes.
Up to $200 for an individual Up to $400 for a married couple Contact your district Business Manager to make arrangements. The power is in your hands. Complete information can be found on the AZ Dept. of Revenue website.
http://www.azdor.gov/TaxCredits/ SchoolTaxCreditsforIndividuals.aspx
As an article by the National Education Association about these findings notes, “educational trips had a positive, lasting impact on (students’) education and career because the trips made them more engaged, intellectually curious and interested in and out of school.” In other words, field trips matter! It’s not too late to schedule a field trip this school year. Whether it is an experience that complements a curriculum block, or a respite and reward after testing, there are a lot of field trip options available. If you are looking for the right field trip for your class, a good place to get started is by browsing Bear’s online Field Trip Guide.
Read All About ‘Em!
Bear’s handy Field Trip Guide is online at BearEssentialNews.com Complete listings for the Greater Phoenix and Tucson areas.
Biosphere 1 Comes Alive
at Biosphere 2!
See our planet through the eyes of a scientist!
Experience a Field Trip: • Student-driven Scientific Inquiry • Hands-on, Minds-on Activities • Climate, Environment, Earth systems • Ecosystem Services & Engineering • Marine Science & Sustainability • Behind-the-Scenes Access • Overnight opportunities available! Biosphere2.org/education/field-trip-planner Bio2-group@email.arizona.edu
520-621-3960
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BEAR 35 YEARS
www.bearessentialnews.com
• January 2018
B
Get the Scoop!
Continued from page 7
Class Wins a Trip to See ‘Wonder’ by Reporter Rori Divijak, Quail Run Elementary My class won a field trip to go see the movie “Wonder” on Thursday, Oct. 26 at Harkins Theater. We went because my teacher entered the Certified Kind Classroom Challenge and won. There were 300–400 screenings given away out of thousands of classrooms that entered the contest across the country. We were very excited to win this trip. It was very fun! “Wonder” is about a boy named Auggie Pullman who had a facial difference which caused everyone to stare at him. Auggie is in fifth grade and is starting school for the first time. He faces many challenges as he tries to make new friends. One of Auggie’s teachers, Mr. Brown, teaches students about precepts to live by and that helps students to choose kindness.
After this field trip my classmates and I worked on creating our own precept to live by. The most important precept in
the movie is: when given the choice between being right and being kind, choose kind. I recommend for everyone to go see the movie “Wonder.” Adviser: Kari Sjursen
Sustainability Family Day at the Arizona Science Center
Monday–Feb. 19• 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Featuring sustainable hands-on activities, displays and presentations that lead to sustainable solutions!
Volume 39 • Issue 5
Editor & Publisher
Sales Director & Publisher
Stephen B Gin
Nancy Holmes
City Editor
YR Coordinator
Copy Editor
Art Director
Mike Loghry
Gary Shepard
Social Media
Online Marketing
Renee Griffith
Julie Madden
John de Dios
Anabelle Baggs ®
Bear Essential News for Kids
is published monthly by Kids’ View Communications Corp. to educate, enrich and entertain children and their families. Content of this newspaper is designed to promote reading and writing skills as well as creativity. Classroom educators are welcome to reproduce any portion of this newspaper for their students. Call or fax Kids’ View Communications for any additional information on stories. Please Call (480)
752-2327 for any editorial or advertising inquiries.
©2017 Kids’ View Communications Corp.—all rights reserved • 2525 E. Broadway #102 • Tucson, AZ 85716 Fax# (480) 792-2580 • Bear Essential News is distributed free each month. Printed with recycled newsprint.
www.bearessentialnews.com
ENDORSED BY THE
Arizona Education Association
January 2018 •
e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com
Scien-Tastic! It’s the “Name the Cat” Contest!
Professional. Reliable. Indispensible. Call now to schedule your family meeting.
BEAR 35 YEARS
Gilbert • Chandler • Ahwatukee 480.237.2333 • collegesitters.com
© 2016 College Nannies + Sitters + Tutors. Offer good for new customers only. Some exclusions apply. Void where prohibited.
Come Dance with Us!
Reserve Your Party NOW! You pick the theme: Sports, Hip-hop, Dance, Yoga, Cheer, Princess Tea Parties and more!
Offering dance and cheer classes for all ages: Tap, Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Mommy & Me, Tumbling
For three years now the little Scien-Tastic bobcat has wandered the halls of U of A’s College of Science— nameless. He has built a moon garden, discovered that tree cookies are not delicious, solved the Gordian Knot, and chased big-horned sheep across Tiburón Island. He has worked hard to explain science to our readers and we thought it was time he had a name, so we asked Bear Essential News supporters to offer up suggestions, which they have done. Beginning January 15, please go to our web site—BearEssentialNews.com— and vote for the name that you think most fits the Scien-Tastic kitty so folks will stop calling him “Hey You.” The contest will appear on our home page and you may vote as many times as you want. The company offering the winning name will receive a special prize and you will have participated in a piece of University of Arizona history.
! e t o v o t t e g r o f Don’t
Serious Fun.
Classes for All Ages! Register NOW! 4 months to 12 years.
Call or schedule your free class online
Paradise Valley • 602-996-1380 tlgparadisevalleyaz.com
Black Mountain BMX
Races Every Friday & Saturday Night Sign ups–6:30—7:30 pm Races starts at 8:00 pm
Winter Nationals
Wed. Night Practice
Feb. 16, 17 & 18
6:30—8:30 pm
Beginner Clinic!
Every Monday, 6:30–8:30 pm • Call for details Race once without a membership. Must wear long sleeved shirt, long pants, helmet and tennis shoes.
Bigger Questions, Better Answers, Bear Down
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18
BEAR 35 YEARS
www.bearessentialnews.com
• January 2018
Check Us Out Online!
BearEssentialNews.com
the Fun for m entire fa ily!
Sensory Learning and Interactive Metronome produced exciting results for our son. He has reduced anxiety, improved eye contact, concentration, balance and coordination, and the ability to make corrections in the middle of a task. Even . his hand writing has improved We have seen improvements in space issues and in peer interactions. We are also going through the cognitive and focus training and are seeing attention improvements from these as well! *Age 10 – Asperger’s Syndrome
• Autism • ADHD/ADD • Birth Trauma • Behavioral Problems • Developmental Delays • Acquired Brain Injury • Learning Disabilities • Sensory Processing Disorder
For more information call
480.777.7075
www.SIRRIAZ.com
SIRRI offers the Sensory Learning Progam, an innovative, drug-free, multisensory approach to developmental learning that works to improve perception, understanding and the ability to learn.
4515 S. McClintock Drive, Suite 208 Tempe, AZ 85282
PEAK PERFORMANCE
FREE INFORMATION SESSION
Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018 • 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. • Limited Seating • Call to Reserve
e-mail: boomer@bearessentialnews.com
January 2018 •
BEAR 35 YEARS
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BEAR 35 YEARS
www.bearessentialnews.com
• January 2018
The Tucson Gem and Mineral Society Proudly Presents: 64th Annual Tucson Gem & Mineral Show ®
February
8th –11th 2018
Tucson Convention Center 260 South Church Avenue • Tucson
Thursday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. • Friday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Saturday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. • Sunday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tickets available at all TCC Ticket outlets.
Admission is $13 ($12 plus $1 TCC ticket tax) per adult.
Children 14 and under are FREE with a paying adult.
Friday, Feb. 9: Active Military & Senior Citizens Day (62 and older)
receive $2 OFF the regularly priced ticket (cannot be used with any other discount).
2-day tickets available for
$22
(cannot be used with any other discount).
Welcome to the largest, oldest and most prestigious gem and mineral Show of its kind in the world! Our Show exhibits provide a rare window into private and museum collections of the mineral world’s stars. It is with great pride that the 2018 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show ® showcases dazzling “Crystals and Crystal Forms.” To the right is a faceted rubellite stone and behind that are rubellite crystals. It is the most prized member of the tourmaline family. Above on the left side is native gold on quartz. And up and to the right are wulfenite crystals. Wulfenite is a lead-based mineral.
For more info go to
www.tgms.org or call the TCC for ticket info
(520) 791-4101
ts Tickesale go on day, Thurs th ! Jan. 11
The Tucson Gem and Mineral Show ® offers two events especially for young people. Each year, about 3,000 elementary students get to attend the Show. They are afforded a special opportunity to view the exhibits and shop with the dealers. An adventure also awaits you at the Junior Education area! This cooperative effort between the Tucson Gem & Mineral Society and the UofA’s Society of Earth Science Students provides a fun and educational experience for young people, and will help you really “dig” science!
! s d i K Check out the
Junior Education Area Open: Friday, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.