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Dear Kids, Thanksgiving is right around the corner! It’s a terrific holiday — sweet potato pie, turkey and stuffing — yum, yum! Thinking about turkey made me think about the bird, and I found some interesting facts. There is the domestic turkey, wild turkey and turkey buzzard. Did you know that an interesting way to see birds is by bird watching, which is a popular part of ecotourism? What’s ecotourism? Ecotourism, or nature tourism, is travel that allows one to enjoy nature and has as little negative impact as possible on the environment. It can even help to conserve the environment and help the local people. Costa Rica is a great place to experience nature, and I just came back from a trip there. It is a beautiful country and I made a new friend, a coati that wanted to share my breakfast each morning! Nature tours, jungle tours and canopy tours or ziplines can all be a part of ecotourism. This month, I talked with a man who owns a zipline adventure course. What a great job! In addition to Thanksgiving, we also have Election Day and Veterans Day in November. Always remember that the freedoms that our country enjoys, such as the freedom to vote and elect our leaders, are due to the sacrifices made by the veterans of our country. Have a wonderful and thankful November! Your friend,
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Kidsville News! Gobble Up This Turkey Trivia!
It’s Time for Thanksgiving It’s that time of year when you look forward to spending a day with your family and having a big meal together. Thanksgiving, a truly American holiday, is on Thursday, November 25. What traditions does your family have for Thanksgiving? Do you play backyard football with your family members, watch the parade on television with your brother, help your mother cook or set the table? Think about it, and maybe even start a new tradition this year. You are probably familiar with the story of the first Thanksgiving. But, reading the story again each year helps us realize the hardships that the first settlers of America faced, and how fortunate we are today. This is the whole reason for Thanksgiving, to give thanks, celebrate good harvests and share with friends and neighbors. The Pilgrims arrived in America on the ship the Mayflower in 1620. They had fled England so that they could worship and live free. Many of them were sick from the long trip. The winter was very harsh, and sickness and hunger killed half of them during the first year. But by the fall of 1621, things were much better. They had planted seeds earlier in the year and had a good harvest. They had a peace treaty with the Wampanoag Indians and could hunt in the woods without fear. Two Native Americans, Squanto and Samoset, helped the Pilgrims by teaching them how to fertilize crops and showing them the best places to catch fish and eel. The Pilgrims were eating better and were healthier. To celebrate the plentiful harvest, the Pilgrims held a celebration and, according to legend, invited their Indian neighbors. There were three days of celebrations, including dancing, target shooting and games of skill and chance. After this first Thanksgiving celebration, the custom spread to other colonies, which celebrated on various dates. The first national Thanksgiving Day was proclaimed by President George Washington and was celebrated on Nov. 26, 1789. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln made it an annual holiday and established the date as the last Thursday in November. In 1941, Congress declared it to be celebrated each year on the fourth Thursday of November.
Thanksgiving is this month, and nothing says Thanksgiving like turkey! Roughly 45 million turkeys are sold and cooked for Thanksgiving meals every year in the United States. Here are some interesting facts about turkey: • Benjamin Franklin was one person who argued vehemently on behalf of the turkey being the national symbol of America. However, as most know, the bald eagle won out. • Turkeys are a type of pheasant. They are the only breed of poultry native to the Western Hemisphere. • Wild turkeys are able to fly for short durations and up to 55 mph. However, domesticated turkeys raised on farms for food are bred to be fat and meaty, which prevents their ability to get airborne. • The turkey is no exception to other birds. Sometimes it likes to spend the night in trees. • The first turkeys to be domesticated were from Mexico and Central America. In Mexico, the turkey was a sacrificial bird. • Male turkeys make the commonly known “gobble” sound to attract a mate. Females, however, cluck. • A mature turkey will have about 3,500 feathers! • Minnesota and North Carolina produce the most turkeys for sale annually. • The skin that hangs from a turkey’s neck is known as a wattle. The fleshy growth on the base of the beak is known as the snood. • Every year, 90 percent of Americans enjoy a turkey dinner for Thanksgiving, compared to 50 percent on Christmas. • Even though Thanksgiving is an American holiday, America doesn’t consume the most turkey; Israel does. Source: Metrocreativeconnection.com
Daylight Saving Time ends on November 7 and standard time resumes. This means that you should turn your clock back one hour before you go to bed.
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Area Codes were introduced on Nov. 10, 1951. On this day, the mayor of Englewood, NJ, called the mayor of Alameda, CA, using his area code. Before that, you could only call long distance with help from the operator. By 1960, all telephone customers could dial long distance using the new area codes. Do you know your area code and telephone number?
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Guatemala
On November 1, Guatemala holds the Kite Festival of Santiago Sacatepequez. The children work on the elaborate giant kites for many weeks and fly them in the cemetery each year on November 1. Legend has it that many years ago a magician told the people that they could get rid of evil spirits by flying kites. The spirits are supposed to be afraid of the sound of the wind against the paper kites.
Thailand
Since 1961, the Elephant Roundup has been held on the third Saturday in November in Surin, Thailand. This area is known for its elephants, and the people that live in Surin are skilled at capturing them and training and taming them. Each year, more than 100 elephants participate in the round-up. They play games of soccer, carry logs and play tug-of-war against human teams. They also have a parade of elephants through the city.
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India
In India, Diwali or Deepaavali, the festival of lights, is celebrated in October or November. The date changes every year because it is calculated according to the position of the moon. This year, it is November 5. It is one of the most widely celebrated festivals in the Hindu calendar. It is also one of the most beautiful festivals, as there are small candles and lights everywhere. They also celebrate this holiday with sweets and fireworks! In many parts of India, Diwali celebrates the day when Lord Rama was crowned King of Ayodhya after 14 years of exile. The holiday signifies the renewal of life, and everyone wears new clothes during the festival.
Coati
The coati is a member of the raccoon family. They are also sometimes called Brazilian aardvarks, hog-nosed coons and even snookum bears! Coatis live in Central and South America, and some in south-western North America. Coatis are about the size of a large house cat and look similar to a raccoon, but with a longer snout. Their flexible nose can turn up 60 degrees in any direction. They use it Kingdom: Animalia for smelling for food, pushing objects and Phylum: Chordata rubbing parts of their body. Coatis have very Class: Mammalia sharp claws and teeth. They have long tails, with rings on it, that they hold straight up in Order: Carnivora the air to keep the troops together when they Family: Procyonidae are in tall grass and vegetation. And, they are Genus: Nasua double jointed like raccoons, so they can go down trees head first! Coatis are Coatis can be up to 27 inches long, and usually weigh between 6 pounds and 18 pounds. The males can be twice as large as the females. Some male coatis, after about the age of two, live separate from the females and young because they don’t always get along well with others. However, they are usually pretty friendly and travel in groups of from four to 25. They can be pretty noisy, too! They make chirping, grunting and snorting sounds, depending on what they are trying to communicate. Coatis are omnivores and eat both plants and animals. They like fruit and small animals like lizards and rodents. In many resort areas in their native areas, they are curious about visitors, especially around meal time! They will even eat out of your hand! Coatis are intelligent animals and can even be kept as pets, but they are wild and difficult to control. Photos by Joy G. Crowe.
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Conservation o r n e r Dreaming of a “Green” Christmas?
Instead of dreaming of a “white Christmas,” consider a “green” one instead. The holidays are full of joy and celebration but are also a time of great consumption. You can take some easy steps to reduce the stress on the environment this holiday season. * Keeping lights on constantly certainly uses a lot of electricity. When decorating, use LED holiday lights. LEDs use less power and last longer than traditional bulbs. When possible, consider the use of solar-powered holiday lights. Plus, don’t leave the lights on when no one is home or the household has gone to sleep. * Send recycled cards or e-cards. The amount of cards sold in the United States during the holiday season would fill a football field 10 stories high and requires the harvesting of nearly 300,000 trees. Don’t send so many cards, and choose materials around the house that can be turned into Christmas cards for those that you do send. Also, recycle last year’s cards into tags for gifts. Cut pretty cards into fun shapes for gift tags. * Decorate a live tree. Christmas tree farms are in the business of regularly planting and harvesting evergreen trees. That makes live trees a renewable resource instead of plastic trees made from petroleum. And, after the season Christmas trees can be turned into mulch. * It’s okay to make gifts. Handmade gifts are thoughtful and can be cherished for years. Make a photo album with scrapbooking supplies. Have a grown-up help you in the kitchen and make baked goods to give. Look for more tips on a “green” Christmas in next month’s issue. Sources: Metro Creative Connection.
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A ZIPLINE OWNER? This month I’ve learned a lot about nature. And, I’ve discovered that there are many ways to experience nature. One way that is really fun is by zipline. At a zipline canopy tour, you are up in the tree tops, zipping from one place to another. Along the way, you can see different types of trees and plants, birds and other wildlife. I met with Eason Bryan, the owner/operator of ZipQuest Waterfall and Treetop Adventure (mentioned in USA Today as one of the 10 great ziplines in the USA). He, his two brothers and his father recently created the zipline tour through acres of pristine forest. He told me what it’s like to have a job sharing adventure and nature with others every day!
TRUMAN: What does it take to become the owner of an zipline adventure company? EASON: It takes a lot of energy, determination, attention to detail, and a passion to help create an experience for our guest to remember for a lifetime. My educational background includes a degree in Geology and a Masters in Business Administration. I have always had a love of the outdoors starting with my experience in Boy Scouts. ZipQuest was a family project of which I can only claim but a portion of the results. My brothers, dad, stepmother, uncle and our wives and children and of course STEPS, the builder, all collaborated to make ZipQuest. TRUMAN: When and why did you first become interested in this profession?
EASON: The best part of my job is that we can share an incredible experience with our guests. People come here to have a good time and walk away with some awesome memories. One of our guests was a nice lady in her 80s. She brought her grown children and some grand children with her to share time together. She booked the tour because her husband of 60 years had recently passed away and they wanted to do something fun together, to bond together, to spend time in nature, to smile, to live. There are many stories like hers. We have had people propose marriage here. We have had soldiers return from combat and come here to have family time. TRUMAN: Did you like to do adventurous things when you were a kid? EASON: Sure! I went to Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarrown, NM [It’s the Boy Scouts of America National High Adventure Base in which crews of Scouts and
Above, Eason Bryan on a trail overlooking the waterfall, with a swinging bridge in the background. Right, a guest prepares to zip through the forest!
EASON: This was an opportunity that presented itself in August 2009 when my brothers, Dad and I rode a zip line. We knew our family land in Fayetteville (NC) was special enough to create a wonderful course and an incredible experience for our guests. TRUMAN: So, what do you do each day? What’s a typical day like? EASON: Describing what I do can easily be summarized by saying I wear many hats or I am always problem solving. As an owner-operator I do whatever needs doing and that changes all the time. My roles include book keeping, payroll, operations, some marketing, reservation system, point of sale (cash register) system, inventory, working with our course manager, guest relations, working with our wonderful guides, picking up trash, working on new offerings to our guests such as team building. This for sure is not everything, but I am always looking for work to improve any aspect of the business. TRUMAN: How do zipline tours contribute to ecotourism? Do they help or hurt the environment? EASON: Zipline tours contribute to ecotourism because they preserve the forest within which they are located. They also bring tourists from outside the area and shows people that you do not have to build a shopping center or residential homes on land in order to earn a living. TRUMAN: What is the hardest part of your job? EASON: The most difficult part of my duties is trying to determine the most important work and focusing on that. To start the day, I will write out what I see as the most important tasks to work on and then set a priority to them. Then life happens and I have to juggle and change my priorities.
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TRUMAN: What is the best part of your job?
Venturers take part in backpacking expeditions and other outdoor activities.] TRUMAN: What is the most interesting thing you have done in your life? EASON: I’ve done lots of great things. I have skydived and bungee jumped from a hot air balloon. I have backpacked 50 plus miles with 20 to 30 pounds in elevations ranging from 4,500 to 10,500 in 13 hours; I have climbed the Grand Teton; I have sailed to Bermuda. I have cycled up to 54 miles an hour and I have done a lot of adventure races. I love challenging myself in anything I do and I love to challenge myself outside as much as possible. TRUMAN: What is your favorite hobby or thing to do when you are not working? EASON: Spending time with my family, hiking, traveling, cycling, or going to the park. TRUMAN: What’s your advice for kids who are interested in a profession like yours? EASON: Always make every attempt to find work where you have skills and passion. If you do that then life and your decisions will take you on an incredible path toward fun and fulfillment. TRUMAN: That’s great advice. Thanks for talking with Kidsville News about your amazing job as an adventure tour owner.
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Source: www.metrocreativeconnection.com
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Story Time with Truman The Great Pirate Adventure
Chapter Three — “The Fiercest Pirate of Them All!”
A Quality Serials Story By Mary Maden Last Time: Both Mort and Chee Chee escaped from the pirate ship by jumping overboard. Since the little monkey can’t swim, Mort allowed him to ride on his back. Hours passed with no sign of a ship. Chee Chee began to wonder if he would ever be rescued! Chee Chee asked Mort, “Do you see a ship?” “Nope,” Mort answered. “But, I’m sure one will be by soon!” “Yeh, right,” Chee Chee snapped. Chee Chee was just about to give up on being rescued, when suddenly, not one, but several ships appeared on the horizon. The excited little monkey jumped up. “Here! Over here!” Chee Chee shouted, standing on Mort’s back and waving his arms. The biggest ship veered toward them. “They saw me!” Chee Chee cried. As the ship came closer, Chee Chee and Mort could see a huge man with a bushy black beard and busy black eyebrows standing on the deck. “There be a strange sight,” the man said. “Fetch’em up and let’s take a look.” “Aye, Captain!” A crew member ran to obey the order. Chee Chee and Mort were hauled aboard and dumped at the big man’s feet. “Major! Come look!” the big man roared with laughter. “This sight would amuse even you.” Another man dressed in fine clothes came up and looked down at Chee Chee and Mort. He, too, roared with laugher. “I think it’s rude to laugh at us,” Mort whispered to Chee Chee. “Shiver me timbers!” Chee Chee gasped, his little body trembling in fear. “It’s Blackbeard!” “Who’s he?” Mort asked. “He’s just the fiercest pirate of them all!” Chee Chee croaked. “Put these wretches down below,” Blackbeard ordered. The pirates threw Mort and Chee Chee down into the dark hold. “Ouch!” Chee Chee howled, landing on his head. “I’m scared!” Mort cried in fear. “You should be scared,” said a voice. “Blackbeard’s one mean pirate!” “He’s feared from Jamaica to Philadelphia Town,” said another. “He just took the whole town of Charleston hostage!” said yet another voice.
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“Me thinks we have company,” Chee Chee declared. “Let me put some light on the subject.” Chee Chee struck a match. “Well, blow me down!” All around Chee Chee were sea turtles! They were all turned upside down on their shells just the way Mort was. “How did you get here?” Mort asked the turtles. “Blackbeard captured the ship we were on,” one of the turtles explained. “What happened in Charleston?” Chee Chee asked. “Blackbeard and that other fancy-dressed pirate, Stede Bonnet, along with 300 of their pirate crew, sailed into Charleston. They took the ships in the harbor and some of the people prisoner,” explained another turtle. “Blackbeard told the town that he would kill everyone if he didn’t get a chest of medicine. The whole town was terrified!” “Did he kill the people?” Mort asked fearfully. “No. He let them go,” the first turtle answered. “Blackbeard got his medicine and sailed away.” “But not before he robbed everyone of their valuables,” added another turtle. “Where are we now?” Mort asked. “We are on Blackbeard’s flagship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge,” a turtle answered. “We’re headed to Beaufort, North Carolina.” “We heard Blackbeard and his most trusted men talking,” added another turtle. “He plans to keep all the treasure for himself. He is going to split up the crew and get rid of most of them, including the Gentleman Pirate, Stede Bonnet.” “How is he going to do that?” Mort asked. “By running the Queen Anne’s Revenge aground,” the turtle answered. “He’s going to wreck her?” Chee Chee cried. “We’ve got to get off this ship!” “First we need to get everyone back on their feet!” Mort declared. Chee Chee and Mort began flipping all the turtles back upright. Just as they were helping the last turtle, they heard a loud crack. “What!” Chee Chee yelled. “Whoa!” “Oh, no!” screamed Mort. Suddenly, the big ship leaned on its side. Chee Chee, Mort and the turtles went flying across the floor of the hold. The Queen Anne’s Revenge had run aground! Next Time: Chapter Four: Pirates and More Pirates!
A Teacher’s Guide to accompany this five-chapter story is available on the Kidsville News! website at www.KidsvilleNews. com. Copyright 2010 by Mary Maden. All rights reserved. Mary Maden is an award-winning author. Visit her on the Web at www.marymaden.com.
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Red, White & True Mysteries In the Shadow of a Genius Was a Brilliant Woman
This isn’t the rare story about a man who was overshadowed by his wife. It’s the tragic story of a woman who was overshadowed by her husband. Most people have never heard of her, but everyone knows his name. Her name was Mileva Maric, and she was born in 1875 near Zagreb, in what is now Croatia. She was born with a birth defect that was common in her region, and it caused her to walk with a limp all her life. Mileva was a successful, self-made woman who gave up a promising career to help her husband pursue his career. She was a few years younger than Marie Curie, and the two would meet later in life. She might have been on a par with Curie if she had pursued her own career. Her story remains mostly unknown to this day, even to historians. When Mileva was 20, she began studying medicine at a university in Zurich, one of the few universities at the time that admitted women. This is where she met her future husband, who was three years younger than she. We’ll call him Al until his full name is revealed. Al was a Jewish boy from Munich, Germany. Both Mileva and Al failed their final exams at the university, probably as a result of spending too much time together and not enough time studying. (Parents, feel free to use this column to lecture your kids on what will happen to them if they don’t study.) Al later received a diploma, but Mileva did not. When Al was the only person in his class not to receive a teaching offer, he went to work at the Swiss patent office. It was while working at the patent office that he became a household name, albeit not for patenting any of his inventions. Al’s parents disapproved of the relationship from the beginning. For one reason, Mileva and Al were of different faiths. To make
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matters worse, she became pregnant out of wedlock with his child. Worse yet, her parents disapproved of the relationship, too. After losing their daughter, Lieserl, to an early death, they had two sons, Hans and Eduard. The couple had a breakthrough year in 1905 when Al had three of his scientific papers published. The third paper was titled, “On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies.” Their marriage was turbulent at times, and they divorced in 1918 after 16 years of marriage. Al later married again, this time to his cousin Elsa, only to have that marriage end in divorce, too. Things didn’t turn out any better for Mileva. In 1920, she moved back home to help her ill parents, but she also had to care for her sister who was suffering from psychological problems. Her sister once burned a large sum of cash, literally, that was hidden in an empty stove. (Again, parents, feel free to use this column to lecture your kids on what can happen if they hide their cash in the stove.) As for Al’s “On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies” paper mentioned earlier, you probably know it by its other name — “Einstein’s Theory of Relativity.” Albert went on to win the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921. You knew all along that it was Albert Einstein, didn’t you? Mileva spent the last years of her life caring for their son, Eduard, who was suffering from schizophrenia. While Albert was not a very good husband, he was an even worse father. He emigrated to America in 1933 and never saw Eduard nor Mileva again, even though Eduard lived another 32 years. When Mileva died in 1948, her obituary made no mention of Albert. A hidden collection of love letters that Albert and Mileva had written to each other in their early years together was made public in 1990, finally revealing the extent to which Mileva contributed to Albert Einstein’s success. © 2010 Paul Niemann. This story is part of the Red, White & True Mysteries series by author Paul Niemann. For more information, please visit www.InventionMysteries.com.
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AT THE MOVIES Megamind (In Theaters: November 5) Two wacky babies from another galaxy take very different paths on Earth in this animated fantasy comedy. Brad Pitt is voice to Metro City’s much beloved super-hero, Metro Man, who must face off against his clever super-villain brother, MegaMind (Will Ferrell), and MegaMind’s space-fish assistant (David Cross). MegaMind has an enormous blue head and wears a big black cape with a giant collar. Things get tricky when a new bad guy called Titan (Jonah Hill) shows up in Metro City to challenge Megamind. Tina Fey voices the feisty television reporter Roxanne Ritchi who gets kidnapped by MegaMind when she isn’t being romantically taunted by her camera man. Megamind is a science-fiction fantasy movie filled with gags, jokes and action sequences. Rated PG for action and some language. 96 mins. (DreamWorks Animation) Tangled (In Theaters: November 24) Mandy Moore voices Rapunzel, the lonely girl with 70 feet of magic golden hair, in this attractive animated reworking of the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale. Zachary Levi plays Flynn Ryder, a lucky bandit who rescues Rapunzel from the not-so-shabby tower where she has spent every day of her life. Rapunzel has been permanently grounded in her remote tower home by Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy), who is not Rapunzel’s mother but really a horrible witch. Mother Gothel likes to visit Rapunzel often. Rock ‘n’ roll drumbeats underscore the adventure that Flynn takes Rapunzel on to discover the secret of her royal heritage. Tangled represents a combination of Disney’s hand-drawn style of animation with a modern sense of humor, action and young romance. Little girls won’t want to cut their hair after seeing this lighthearted animated fantasy. Rated PG. 85 mins. (Walt Disney Pictures)
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The Nutcracker in 3D (In Theaters: November 24) The famous Russian ballet gets a revved-up movie adaptation of the Christmastime classic. The story follows a little girl named Mary (Elle Fanning) who lives in ‘20s-era Vienna. Mary gets a magical Christmas gift from her Uncle Albert (Nathan Lane) in the form of an enchanted nutcracker named N.C. who comes to life and takes her on a fantastic journey to reclaim his life as a prince. The pair will have to escape the evil Rat King (John Turturro) and his cruel mother, the Rat Queen, if they are to remove the curse that prevents N.C. from returning to his human form. Only if the curse is removed can the nutcracker turn back into the prince he truly is. Oscar-winning lyricist Sir Tim Rice (The Lion King) writes eight songs for the film. Not Rated. 110 minutes. (Freestyle Releasing) MOVIES ON DVD Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (Available November 2010) Children two through eight will enjoy this collection of three stories by Mo Willems. “Don’t Let the Pigeon” is about an insistent pigeon who relentlessly demands of the audience that they let him drive the bus while the driver is away. Not even a temper tantrum can turn things around for the little blue pigeon, who only wants to drive a big vehicle. In “Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale,” baby Trixi helps her dad wash clothes at their neighborhood laundromat. On the way home Trixi is very upset about the loss of her stuffed toy, Knuffle Bunny. Mom and dad must come to the rescue. “Leonardo, the Terrible Monster” is about a little monster who can’t manage to scare anyone. Leonardo studies up to discover that young Sam might be the perfect person to frighten with scary faces, strange noises and lots of jumping around. As it turns out, Sam is better suited to being a friend. Not Rated. 49 mins. (Scholastic Storybook Treasures) Cole Smithey, also known as “the smartest film critic in the world,” has been a film critic for 11 years and writes for over 50 publications, in print and on-line. Truman loves to watch movies and has the highest appreciation for great popcorn.
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Asteroid Tales Millions of asteroids tumble in a belt around the Sun. They live between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. They are mostly odd-shaped rocks way too small to be planets. Asteroids are the dinosaur bones of the solar system — the fossils left after all the planets and moons were formed. And they haven’t changed much since this beginning. The largest asteroid is Ceres, 592 miles (952 kilometers) across. The smallest are less than about a half mile (about 1 kilometer) across. All of them put together wouldn’t make a rock pile big enough to build our Moon. There are good reasons Asteroid Lutetia, as Rosetta saw it on July 10 from to care about 1965 miles (3162 kilometers) away. Lutetia is a leftover asteroids. Just from the formation of the solar system 4.6 billion years as fossils help ago. Credit: ESA 2010 MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/ us figure out UPD/LAM/IAA/RSSD/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA. the history of Earth, asteroids give us clues about how the solar system formed 4.6 billion years ago. Scientists want to study them up close whenever possible. So even a spacecraft headed to another destination may take a little side trip to check out a nearby asteroid. Rosetta is a good example. This spacecraft’s main mission is to meet up with Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014. But on July 10, 2010, it flew close to an asteroid named Lutetia. Rosetta took detailed pictures from about 1965 miles (3162 kilometers) away. The pictures show that Lutetia is more or less potato-shaped, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) long. It has many craters and a big bowl-shaped dent on one side. It looks as though it’s been beaten and battered by smaller objects for billions of years. Scientists are studying the images and other data to see what else they can learn. Now Rosetta will continue to its final destination, the comet. Rosetta will orbit the comet nucleus for two years as it travels toward the Sun. Rosetta will also drop a small lander on the nucleus. Rosetta is an international mission lead by the European Space Agency (ESA). NASA provides support and several important science instruments. Find out more about asteroids and the solar system. Play the Solar System Game, and help Rosetta e on its mission. Visit The Space Place, http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/solar-system. This article was written by Diane K. Fisher and provided by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
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What’s the Difference? 1. chef hat is bigger, 2. spoon is missing, 3. smoke over food is missing, 4. snood is on other side of beak.
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P ARENTOWN’S K ID S MART The Gift of Volunteerism Donating is a popular way to show appreciation during the holiday season, but not every household has the funds to donate this year. In lieu of making a financial donation, a gift of time and service is just as valuable. Research indicates that 50 percent of charitable donations are made between Thanksgiving and Christmas. During the season of hospitality and togetherness, making charitable donations is ever-present in many people’s minds. However, financial insecurity due to the sluggish job market and economy will likely result in more people hoping to volunteer their time instead of their finances this holiday season. Volunteering one’s time is a way to give back without expending funds. Just as charities and other organizations are in need of money to operate their causes, they also need manpower to put plans in action. Busy people may think they don’t have the time to volunteer, but this is not the case. According to Charity Guide, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting flexible volunteerism by inspiring and facilitating acts of kindness, volunteer work can take as little as 15 minutes per week and be based on a flexible schedule. When considering volunteerism, individuals can pick a cause that is dear to their hearts. Organizations that raise awareness about medical conditions to animal rights groups are all charities that can use assistance. Here are some ways the average person can volunteer service. * Business owners who provide a particular product or service can donate such items to the charity. For example, a printing company can offer to print letterhead or envelopes for an organization. A baker can offer food for luncheons or fundraisers. Donation of time doesn’t necessarily have to mean manning the phones. * Schools are often understaffed and can use the help of parents and other community members. Volunteering beyond the typical call of duty can help school programs flourish. Volunteering time as a coach or as a librarian can ensure children have the resources and programs for a well-rounded education. * Consider spending time with the elderly at a nearby assistedliving facility or as part of a home-visitor program. Individuals who don’t have family nearby may appreciate a visit from someone, even if it’s just to sit and chat. This is something the entire family can do, even children. * Something as simple as carpooling or offering to shop for busy people is another form of volunteer work that doesn’t require being part of a particular organization. Why not babysit for a person who has to catch up on some holiday shopping? There are plenty of ways to contribute without writing a check. The holiday season is the perfect time of year to think in a giving way. Image and text source: Metrocreativeconnection.com.
NOVEMBER 2010
El Regalo de Ser Voluntarios Durante los Días de Fiestas. La donación es una manera popular de mostrar apreciación durante los días de fiestas, pero no todos tienen los fondos económicos para donar este año. En lugar de hacer una donación financiera, el regalo del ser voluntario y ofrecer sus servicios es igual de valioso. Las investigaciones indican que el 50 porciento de donaciones caritativas se hacen entre el Día de Gracias y la Navidad. Durante la época de hospitalidad y unidad, hacer donaciones caritativas está muy presente en la mente de la gente. Sin embargo, la inseguridad financiera debido a la inactividad del mercado del trabajo y la economía es muy probable que resulte en que mucha gente prefiera donar su tiempo en lugar de dinero en las épocas navideñas. Ofrecer su tiempo voluntariamente es una manera de dar sin la dilatación de sus fondos. Así como las caridades y otras organizaciones necesitan de dinero para operar, también necesitan de poder humano para poner los planes en acción. Las personas que están ocupados piensan que no tienen tiempo para ser voluntarios, pero este no es el caso. Según la guía de caridades, una organización sin fines de lucros que se dedica a promover la flexibilidad de aportación voluntaria, inspirando y facilitando los actos de amabilidad. El trabajo voluntario puede llevarse tan poco como 15 minutos a la semana y puede basarse en un horario flexible. Cuando considere ser voluntario, el individuo puede elegir una causa que estime mucho. Organizaciones que promuevan desde el conocimiento de alguna enfermedad medica hasta los derechos de los animales, todas son caridades que necesitan asistencia. Aquí hay algunas maneras que una persona puede ofrecerse como voluntarios: *Dueños de negocios que proveen algún producto o servicio pueden donar esos productos a la caridad que quieran. Por ejemplo, una compañía de impresión puede ofrecer imprimir papel con membrete o sobres para la organización. Un panadero puede ofrecer donar comida para los almuerzos o eventos para recaudar fondos. Donar tu tiempo no significa necesariamente contestar teléfonos. *A veces en las escuelas les hace falta personal y necesitan de la ayuda de padres u otros miembros de la comunidad. La aportación voluntaria más allá de la típica llamada de deber puede ayudar a que los programas escolares florezcan. Donar tu tiempo como entrenador o bibliotecario puede asegurar que los niños tengan los recursos y los programas para recibir una buena educación. *Considerar pasar tiempo con la gente mayor en asilo, participando en los programas de visitantes. Los individuos que no tiene familia cerca pueden apreciar la visita de alguien, aunque solo vallan a charlar con ellos. Esto es algo que toda la familia puede hacer hasta los niños. *Algo tan simple como compartir el carro para ir al trabajo u ofrecerse para ir de compras por alguien mas es otra manera de trabajo voluntario que no requiere ser parte de alguna organización en particular. ¿Porque no cuidar los niños de alguien que tiene que terminar sus compras navideñas? Hay muchas maneras de contribuir sin tener que escribir un cheque. La época navideña es el tiempo perfecto del año para pensar en dar.
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P ARENTOWN’S K ID S HAPE Making Family Time a Priority With soccer practice, piano lessons, friends, homework, tests and more, there are countless activities that compete for time on the family calendar. With thoughtful planning, you can be sure that fun family time gets penciled in, too. Karen Deerwester, family expert and author of The Entitlement-Free Child: Raising Confident and Responsible Kids in a “Me, Mine, Now!” Culture, highlights the importance of scheduling family time. “Unite the family in the art of fun by planning weekly activities together!” Deerwester says. “When you do, you give your family the most precious gift of all – time together to laugh, enjoy one another and stay connected.” Family time can serve as an escape from the demands and deadlines of life. It is an opportunity to make memories together based on fun and laughter. Depending on schedules and ages, there are many ways to get your family started. Whether eating takeout or making a home-cooked dinner, bring your family together at mealtime. Sit at the table together and talk about the events of the day, the last vacation you shared or a favorite home video. Making meals an event at home creates an occasion for families to bond over everyday responsibilities.
When in the car with your children, don’t be drowned out by the radio or headphones. Keep the dial turned off and initiate conversations about school, friends, recent accomplishments or daily challenges. Your child will feel comfortable talking to you and will look forward to this special travel time together. Board games and puzzles are another way to bring together family members of all ages for moments of fun. The effort to spend merely 30 minutes playing games will be richly rewarded, as playing board games together strengthens family relationships, sparks conversations and brings everyone together in silliness and laughter. “Family Game Night builds powerful family connections and creates a family identity based on fun, laughter, shared interests and individual strengths,” Deerwester says. “This is the time to tell the kids that you really want to spend time with them to simply have fun!” Make sure building a relationship as a family doesn’t take the backseat this school year and schedule time for your family. Your children will thank you for it. For more family time tips, visit familygamenight.com. Or, keep updated via Twitter @familygamenight and on Facebook.com/familygamenight. Information and image courtesy of Family Features.
Art Gallery Charles Demuth and Precisionism more in the 1920s, he would remain based in Lancaster for the rest of his life. Charles Demuth was an American watercolor painter In 1914, Charles had his first solo art exhibit in New York City. His early who developed the style of painting we call Precisionism. watercolor works featured lovely flowers, fruit and vegetables painted in This style focuses on urban machinery and architecture in traditional watercolor technique. However, he soon started experimenting with sharp, geometric shapes, often using things like factories as subjects for a painting. brighter colors, more expressive drawings and different kinds of landscapes. In the 1920s, he switched Charles Demuth was born on November from watercolor to oils and began creating “poster 8, 1883, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. As a young child, he suffered from problems with art,” large portraits inspired by city life and by his artist friends. In 1927, he painted a series of seven his hip that left him unable to walk properly panel portraits focusing on factories in his hometown without a cane and almost entirely dependent on his mother for support. Partially of Lancaster. The paintings gave rise to a new style, because of this, he was shy and introverted Precisionism. Charles finished his seventh factory and lived in Lancaster for almost his entire portrait in 1933. Two years later, on October 23, 1935, he passed away. Ill for much of his life, his death life. For Charles, his imagination was his greatest escape. Charles began taking art was attributed to complications due to diabetes. Throughout his career, Charles produced over classes as a teenager. After graduating from 1,000 drawings and paintings and participated in high school in 1903, he studied art at the Drexel Institute of Art in Philadelphia for numerous exhibits, both solo and with other artists. There have been several retrospective shows of his several years before completing his studies at work in recent decades, and his childhood home in the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, also in Philadelphia. In 1907, Charles left Pennsylvania for the first time Lancaster is now the Demuth Museum, an art Demuth’s most famous painting, museum dedicated to Charles’ own work. to visit Paris, France, for a brief period. There he became a part of the Written by Tamar Burris, a former elementary school avante garde art scene, a collection of young artists who were looking The Figure Five in Gold, 1928. to create art in new and different ways. Charles returned to Europe teacher who now works as a freelance writer and curriculum developer for PBS, the Discovery Channel and other education-related again in 1912, after having fully completed his coursework at the Academy of companies. Sources: American Icon: Charles Demuth, Fine Arts. This time he spent several months in both Paris and Berlin, working with other American artists and taking drawing classes, returning to Lancaster http://www.areaofdesign.com/americanicons/demuth.htm, Charles Demuth on when his father died at the end of the year. Other than a short trip to Europe once Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Demuth
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KIDSVILLE KITCHEN
Together Time — Ask an adult for help with projects!
Wake Up Dinner
Breakfast for dinner can be a lively change for the whole family. These tips and recipes will add ease, taste and fun to the table in a fast and budgetfriendly way. Simple Supper Solution: Spoon scrambled eggs or egg whites onto a warmed whole wheat flour tortilla. Add cooked, crumbled bacon or diced turkey sausage, cheese and picante sauce. Fold the tortilla around the filling, and you’ve got a fast and hearty dinner. Hard-boiled Eggs Made Easy: To hard-cook eggs, place eggs in a saucepan (do not crowd) and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, and then remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Drain, cover with cold water and let stand 5 minutes before peeling. This process causes the egg to shrink away from the shell, making peeling a snap. Morning Fun at Dinnertime: Invite the family to dress for dinner — in PJs, of course. Add fruit as a garnish to different foods. Use strawberries and bananas to make a friendly face next to crêpes. Cookie cutters aren’t just for cookies — use them to cut an omelet or break-
TOMATO-FETA FRITATTA WHAT YOU NEED: • 7 eggs • 1/2 cup water • 1 cup cooked regular long-grain white rice • 3 ounces crumbled feta cheese (about 3/4 cup) • 2 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (about 1/2 cup) • 1/2 cup picante sauce • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed • 3 Italian plum tomatoes, sliced HOW TO MAKE IT: 1. Heat oven to 400°F. Heat greased, oven-safe 10-inch skillet in oven for 5 minutes. 2. Beat eggs and water in large bowl with a fork or whisk. Stir in rice, feta cheese, cheddar cheese, picante sauce, cilantro and oregano. Pour egg mixture into skillet. Arrange tomato slices on egg mixture. 3. Bake for 40 minutes or until eggs are set. Cut frittata into 6 wedges. Tip: You can use any type of cooked rice for this recipe. It’s a great way to use up leftover rice from your take-out Chinese dinner. Makes six servings (one wedge each). Prep time 20 minutes; bake 40 minutes. Recipe courtesy of Pace and Family Features. Find other recipes at www.PaceRecipes.com.
NOVEMBER 2010
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