TRUMAN’S LETTER Dear Kids,
We have so many exciting things to talk about in this monthʻs issue of Kidsville News! We are exploring the wonderful and amazing human body. Did you know that there are 206 bones and 640 skeletal muscles attached to the bones? If you break a bone while skateboarding or playing a sport, you will have to see a special bone doctor. You can read all about an orthapedist in What Itʻs Like to Be. And, you can read about a really great artist who studied the body — in the morgue! If you celebrate Halloween, remember that a little candy is good — but there can be too much of a good thing!
OCTOBER 2012
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Your Amazing Body! Your body is a pretty special thing! You are unique in your own way, but all bodies are made of cells — almost 100 trillion cells by the time you are an adult! The body is made up of a head, neck, torso, two arms and two legs. But inside that body are amazing systems that all work together. Them Bones, Them Bones! The musculoskeletal system is what gives you the ability to move. The human skeleton is made up of 206 bones. Bones are the framework of the body; they also store calcium and minerals and make blood cells. The skeleton is strong, but also lightweight. Cartilage makes it flexible and covers the ends of bones in joints. It is also the stuff of which your ears and nose are made. Ligaments hold your bones together at the joints. The muscular system is what makes your body move. There are more than 640 skeletal muscles attached to bones. Muscles give your body its shape — and its strength! Muscles are attached to the bones by connective tissue called tendons. Skeletal muscles work like a lever system with the bone as the lever and the joint as a fulcrum. The muscle contracts to provide the effort, and the part of the body to be moved is the load. Muscles only pull, so most movements require many muscles Mr. Bones working together. Some pull in one direction, while others pull in the opposite direction. Don’t Be Nervous! Bones and muscles are important, but the nervous system is really what makes you go! The nervous system controls the body’s activities. It has two main parts. The central nervous system consists of the brain and the spinal cord. The brain is the control center of the body. It tells the other parts of the body what to do. The peripheral nervous system has nerves made up of neurons. These carry signals to and from the brain and other parts of the body.
Let’s Get to the Heart of the Matter! But even with bones, muscles, the brain … you’ve got to have “heart” to live and function. Without the heart, you’d be going nowhere. The cardiovascular system is made up of the heart, blood and blood vessels. The heart pumps blood through the blood vessels, delivering and removing oxygen and nutrients to the cells of the body. It works in a figure-eight pattern. The right side of the heart pumps oxygen-poor blood to the lungs through the pulmonary artery, then returns it to the left side of the heart in the pulmonary vein. Then, the left side of the heart pumps the oxygen-rich blood back out through the aorta to the organs and tissues of the body. Then veins from the organs get to work and pump oxygen-poor blood back to the right side of the heart. Then the whole process starts over again. It’s All Connected! There are several other systems that keep your body working including: the lymphatic system, the endocrine system, the respiratory system, the digestive system, the urinary system and the reproductive system. A really important system is the integumentary system. It holds it all together! The largest organ system of the body is made up of your skin, hair and nails, which protect the body from damage. This system has many, many functions including regulating temperature, protecting from dehydration, excreting waste through sweat, and protecting your body from invading organisms to name just a few. These organ systems of the body all work together to make up your body. And sense organs, like the eyes and ears, top it all off to make the human body really spectacular! Your body really is amazing. Take good care of it! Source: Wall Chart of Human Anatomy, McCracken and Griffiths, National Library of Medicine’s Visible Human Project .
Did you know that your skull has 22 bone s? As a ne wborn baby, the large bone s of the skull are not closed toge ther all the way. The se open space s be t ween the bone s are called fontanelle s, or “sof t spots.” They allow space for the brain to grow and gradually close over 24 months. Do you know what part of the body has the most bone s? The hand! There are 27 bone s in e ach hand, making the hand the most fle xible part of the body.
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OCTOBER 2012
AR O UND THE W O RLD United States
On the second Monday in October, the United States celebrates Columbus Day. This day celebrates October 12, 1492, the day that Columbus’ ships arrived in the New World after traveling across the ocean from Spain. The holiday is also celebrated in most Spanish-speaking countries and is called Dia de la Raza, or Day of the Race.
Kingdom Phylum Subphylum Class Subclass Order Family Genus Species
Animalia Chordata Vertebrata Mammalia Eutheria Carnivora Canidae Canis lupus (gray wolves) rufus (red wolves)
Worldwide
Halloween, or All Hallows’ Eve, is celebrated around the world on October 31. It falls on the eve of, or night before, All Hallows’ Day or All Saints’ Day, a Christian holy day. Some researchers believe that Halloween might have come from the medieval Celtic harvest festival Samhain. In North America, pumpkins are carved to make jack-o’-lanterns, but originally the turnip was used in Ireland and Scotland. Dressing up in disguise for Halloween is known as “guising” in Scotland and Ireland. In America, children dress in disguise and go trick-or-treating for candy.
Germany
October 3, is Tag der Deutschen Einheit or the Day of German Unity. This day celebrates the reunification of East and West Germany on October 3, 1990. The country was divided for 45 years. When the country reunited, the new Germany took the official name of Federal Republic of Germany. Each year on October 3, there’s a big celebration at the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate) in Berlin. There are concerts, speeches and celebrations of German food and culture. Also, the government picks one major German city (a different one each year) to host another celebration, known as Bürgerfest.
Wolves
Wolves are beautiful and mysterious animals. They have been researched more than almost any other animal, but are still intriguing to people. Some people are afraid of them; farmers and ranchers have problems with wolves attacking their animals and livestock. To the American Indians the wolf is a powerful spiritual symbol. It is in many Indian legends. There are two species of wolves in the world, the red and the gray. Red wolves are smaller than the grey wolf, but larger than coyotes. They are brown in color, and their ears, head and legs have a reddish color. The red wolf is an endangered species, except in parts of North Carolina where it has been reintroduced in the Red Wolf Recovery Program. There are five subspecies of grey wolf in North America, including the Mexican Wolf, the Eastern Timber Wolf and the Arctic Wolf. The wolf can be up to 6.5 feet long and 32 inches high at the shoulder. The average weight is 60 to 80 pounds for a female and 70 to 110 pounds for a male (but they only weigh 1 pound at birth!). Wolves can live up to 13 years in the wild or 16 years in captivity. The wolf has 42 teeth and very powerful jaws. They are carnivores (meat eaters), so they use these teeth to kill and eat other animals. They like to eat deer, moose, elk, beaver and even bison. They are skilled hunters and can take down very large animals. The wolf has a keen sense of smell, great hearing and night vision. They can sprint at speeds of up to 38 miles per hour for a short distance. Wolves live in families called packs. The average pack is six to eight wolves and usually includes the mom, dad and their babies, including older brothers and sisters. The pack lives in a den, which can be a hole in the ground or a cave. Baby wolves are called pups. There are four to six pups in a litter. All members of the pack take care of the babies. Pups love to play. They play with each other by stalking and pouncing. This is practice for when they grow larger and become hunters. As they grow, they begin hunting smaller animals, like rabbits. When they are about six months old, they will hunt with the adults and start hunting larger prey. Wolves howl to communicate with each other and to warn neighboring wolves to stay out of their territory. Have you ever wondered why your dog circles around and around on his bed, or digs in the dirt before lying down? Researchers believe that this trait comes from their ancestor, the wolf. In the wild, the wolf will circle to trample down grass and underbrush or dig up the dirt to make a soft bed. The tug-of-war games that dogs like to play is also a trait of the wolf, which fights over food with other pack members and pulls at it to get their share. Sources: International Wolf Center, www.wolf.org
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WHERE IN THE WORLD IS... CZECH REPUBLIC
It’s time to get out your globe! You need to know about the imaginary lines on globes and maps. These lines are called lines of latitude and longitude, and they tell a pilot or ship’s captain exactly where in the world a certain place is located. Basically, latitude lines (also called parallels) are the horizontal lines on your map. Lines of longitude (also called meridians) are the vertical lines that run from the North Pole to the South Pole. This mapping system is written in degrees and uses the symbol °. Get ready to travel the world! On your globe, locate longitude of 15º 30’E and latitude of 49º 45’N, and you’ll find the location of a country that no longer exists, Czechoslovakia. How can that be? And what country is in its place? Well, in 1918, at the end of World War I, Czechs and Slovaks joined together to create Czechoslovakia after declaring their independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Just before World War II, the country was divided into Czech and Slovak sections. And then after World War II, the country was reunited. But in 1989, Czechoslovakia became a democracy again, and on January 1, 1993, the country divided once more, peacefully, into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. So today our location puts us in the Czech Republic, a landlocked central European country about the size of the state of South Carolina. It is bordered by Austria, Germany, Poland and — Slovakia! The Czech Republic consists of two main terrains. The west, or Bohemia, includes rolling plains, hills, plateaus and low mountains. The eastern section, or Moravia, is very hilly. Winters are cold, cloudy and humid, and summers are cool. The capital of the Czech Republic is Prague, with a population of a little more than a million people. Czech is the primary language spoken, though many speak English, and some speak Slovak and German. Natural resources include clay, hard and soft coal, graphite, kaolin and timber. The Czech Republic is well known for its cut glass and lead crystal, porcelain, Bohemian garnet and jewelry. Every October 28, the Czech Republic celebrates Czechoslovak Founding Day — which seems odd since Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia on January 1, 1993! Yet the Czechs consider the day that Czechoslovakia declared independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918 as their independence day. Sources: “The Czech Republic,” The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ez.html; “Traditional Czech Products,” Discover CZ, www.czech.cz/en/Discover-CZ/Facts-about-the-Czech-Republic/Economic-facts/Traditional-Czech-products.
By Jan Buckner Walker
The Original Crossword Puzzle for Kids and Their Favorite Adults
™
The across clues are for kids and the down clues are for grown-ups!
Kids Across
1. Shhhh! Charades is a fun _____ in which you describe things without saying a word 4. The adult in the classroom who helps kids learn 8. A person who might call you on the phone to ask if you can come out and play 9. What voters watch on TV to hear the different opinions of the candidates running for president 11. Any person who is talking (or the part of a computer that spouts sound) 14. What sentences are made of
Let's Talk 15. Not noisy at all 16. To exchange online messages with your buddy 17. A conversation in which a reporter asks a person questions 20. People from London speak with a British one
Parents Down
1. As the top _____, the valedictorian gives a commencement address 2. He's the one with a mic at a social event (abbr.) 3. Convert a communication for one who speaks another language
5. Sends out, as a 11A does a sound 6. Verbal exchange (thought by some to be a lost art) 7. Sore throat sufferer's diagnosis marked by momentary muting 8. A convenient untruth 10. What audiophiles use to enjoy their audio files 12. Conference banquet's main 11A (or the address she gives) 13. God's gift to a recording artist 18. Hip-hop philosopher's music genre 19. Greetings from the rear: Happy puppy's way to wave hello
™
This Week’s Solution
kris@kapd.com
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OCTOBER 2012
COME OUT AND PLAY... GYMNASTICS!
For years people have twisted and bent to try and push their bodies to the limits. The gymnastics we do today was not how it was practiced many years ago, however. The ancient Greeks and Romans even used to use gymnastics for military training because it made their bodies strong and flexible. Their definition of gymnastics was running, jumping, stretching and wrestling. They competed in these gymnastics in the ancient Olympics just as we do today. Today, when people think of gymnastics, they think of tumbling and flipping over bars and off of trampolines. This kind of gymnastics started with the parallel bars in the 1800s. The parallel bars are two bars placed right next to each other at an even height that gymnasts use to hold themselves up and do tricks. This kind of gymnastics was very similar to the kind we have today, but different in one big way: Gymnasts in the early 1900s also used horses as part of their equipment. Back then, one of the most popular forms of gymnastics was mounting and dismounting horses. Other pieces of equipment used nowadays for routines in gymnastics are trampolines that gymnasts use to jump on and flip from and the uneven bars that are very similar to the parallel bars, but at different heights. Watching a gymnast is like watching a dancer. They are flexible, graceful and strong. In fact, many dancers practice gymnastics to improve their dance skills. Gymnastics doesn’t have to be done with fancy equipment or for dance — and you don’t even need a horse. Anyone can do it as long as he or she has a soft place to practice and an adult to ensure safety. Stretching and tumbling are great ways to be active and make your body strong.
Conservation o SOURCE REDUCTION & REUSE r n e r
More than 55 million tons of municipal solid waste were source reduced in the U.S. in 2000, up from a little more than 500,000 tons in 1992. Source reduction, sometimes called waste minimization, is simply creating less waste. It’s shrinking the amount we throw out through changes in the design, manufacture, packaging or use of a product — and using fewer toxics. Source reduction also includes reusing or extending the life of products and packaging. About 28 percent of the material source reduced in 2000 wasbeverage containers and packaging. Through a process called “light weighting,” the amount of raw material used to make these products has shrunk significantly, without having an impact on the products’ performance. On-site composting and grasscycling, or “leave it on the lawn” initiatives, also contribute to waste minimization. These materials represented 45 percent of the total amount source-reduced in 2000. Try waste minimization strategies for your home, office and community. Start now to redouble your reuse efforts.
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CULTURAL CONNECTIONS:SCULPTURE Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci, an Italian-born artist/scientist (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519), was a polymath. That’s a Greek term to describe a person who has great skill in a number of different areas. A more common term to describe that kind of person is a Renaissance man (or woman). The Renaissance was a unique time in our world history. It describes a period in the 15th century when a number of great thinkers excelled in a lot of different fields of the arts and science. Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Galileo Galilei were among the great men to come out of the Italian Renaissance. These men believed that people had an unlimited ability to learn, so they should develop all of their talents — not just one. In the case of da Vinci, his first passion was art. He is known for his great paintings like the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. But he had another great passion, and that was science. As an artist, da Vinci understood that to paint the human body, you had to understand how it worked, how the bones and muscles worked together to create motion. If he didn’t understand motion and form, he couldn’t copy it on canvas — that’s what started his study of the human body. His formal training of the human body began while he was an apprentice under the artist Andrea del Verrocchio, who insisted that all his pupils learn anatomy. Da Vinci made a quick study of the human body and became a master of drawing the anatomy. In order to completely understand the body, he was given permission to dissect (take apart) human corpses at hospitals in Florence, Milan and Rome. Da Vinci made more than 200 drawings of the human body and took countless pages of notes on how it worked. He drew many studies of the human skeleton and its parts, as well as muscles and sinews. He studied the mechanical functions of the skeleton and the muscular forces that are applied to it. He also drew the heart and vascular system. One of his most famous drawings of the body is called “The Vitruvian Man.” This work shows the perfect human body and explains how the body should be formed. According to da Vinci, a palm should be the width of four fingers and a foot is the length of four palms.
Talking About Bullying by Barbara Gilmour
Tanner, Nicole, Rudy, Carmen, Stephen and Truman the Dragon all greeted Ms. Gilmour as they arrived for another “Cool Kind Kid” class. Ms. Gilmour began by asking, “Now that you are all back in school, how are you helping school be cool?” “Boy, that’s not easy. Too many kids don’t see school as a cool place,” said Rudy. Nicole jumped in with, “That’s because too many kids are being bullied, and that’s not cool.” Carmen was waving her hand, “Nicole is right, it’s hard for school to be cool when the bullies rule and are uncool.” Stephen said, “We need to do what we said last time, get the kids to think about The Golden Rule. If kids think about how it would feel to have something mean done to them, maybe they wouldn’t do mean things to others.” Tanner added, “There were some great ideas in the School Rules! song that we can use.” Truman shared, “I asked my teacher if we could make a poster of the song lyrics for our classroom. He said we could do one for the hallway also. That way all the kids can see it. That’s cool!” “Way to go, Truman,” the kids responded. “I see that you are all very eager to help your school be cooler and find ways to let the kids who bully know they aren’t cool at all,” replied Ms. Gilmour. “Now, who remembers what we said the “Cool Kind Kid” Challenge is?” All hands were waving. Tanner said, “Are you TOUGH enough to be KIND?” and “Are you COOL enough to be KIND?” Ms. Gilmour asked, “How can you help kids begin to use the challenge to stop the bullying and make school cooler?” Carmen was first to say, “I want to challenge the kids who don’t do anything when they see or hear someone being picked on, teased or bullied. We can ask them, ‘Are you being kind when you ignore what is going on?’ Being tough and cool enough to be kind means standing up for someone!” The kids all cheered for Carmen. Rudy was anxious to add, “We can be kind to the bullied kids. We can include them, encourage them and be their friends. We can challenge all kids to believe that being cool means being kind.” Everyone high-fived Rudy. Truman stood up to his full height and said, “If I wanted to, I could be a bully just because of my size, and everyone would be afraid of me.” The kids all pretended to shake with fear. “But,” Truman continued, “I want to be kind, caring and respectful, and treat everyone as equals. I believe it really is cool to be kind. I think we should challenge the kids who bully. Are they really tough? Do they really think what they do is cool? Let’s help them learn that tough kids are kind and cool kids are kind.” Nicole added, “And bullying is soooooo uncool.” Everyone cheered, “No uncool bullying in our school!”
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OCTOBER 2012
WHAT’S IT LIKE TO BE... AN ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON
Some doctors wear white coats, and some wear camouf lage! This month, I’m learning about the body and wanted to learn more about being a doctor. Captain Jaime Bellamy is an orthopedic doctor for the U.S. Army. Orthopedists are physicians who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the bones, ligaments, tendons and joints. If you’ve ever broken your arm, you saw an orthopedist. Bellamy joined the U.S. Army in 2004, when she was in medical school, to help pay for school. The military paid for her tuition and books and some living expenses. She was a Reservist during medical school. She later became a Flight Surgeon for the 4th Battalion in the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade in Ft. Hood, TX. During that time, she deployed to Iraq where she took care of the basic health care needs for pilots and crew. In 2010, she entered the Orthopedic Surgery residency at San Antonio Military Medical Center. She is currently doing a rotation at Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg, N.C., home of the U.S. Army Airborne!
sports and art all through school. I believe this helps me with my profession for work ethic, mental toughness and hand-eye coordination. Honestly, I also played a lot of video games, which can also help with hand-eye coordination.
TRUMAN: What does it take to become an orthopedist? BELLAMY: It takes a strong person mentally and physically to be an orthopedic surgeon. For example physically, you have to be able to reset bones that are broken, but some of orthopedics is finesse and takes very little physical strength. Mentally, you have to be able to work for long hours at a time, constantly read to keep up with the field and deal with difficult patient issues. First, you have to get an undergraduate degree. Any major can be picked, but there are many science classes that you have to take to get into medical school, so many people get some kind of science degree. I went to graduate school because I wanted to have research experience, but this is not required. When you go to medical school, you can become either medical or osteopathic doctor. I chose to be an osteopathic doctor because their approach to medicine fits with my belief system. After four years of medical school, you pick your specialty and go into residency. Orthopedic Surgery residency is five years of additional training after medical school, which is basically like on-the-job training.It takes being good with your hands to do a surgical profession. I was involved in
TRUMAN: What do you do every day? BELLAMY: A typical day for our job varies. We split our time between seeing patients in the clinic and doing surgeries. When we see patients in the clinic, they are being seen for the first time to see if they are a candidate for surgery, getting set up for surgery or they are returning after a surgery we did. It typically runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Surgery days start early in the morning and last until you get them done. Sometimes patients don’t go home after surgery and are admitted to the hospital. Every morning, you see them until they go home. Additionally, one time per week, we take call. Basically, this is like a sleepover in the hospital. The emergency department calls your pager when someone has, for example, a broken bone. We are called to come and fix it by resetting it and putting a cast on to hold it in place.
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TRUMAN: When, and why, did you first become interested in this profession? BELLAMY: Believe it or not, I first said I was going to be an orthopedic surgeon when I was a sophomore in high school. At that time, I had my own knee surgery the year before, and I was attracted to it because it involved athletes with injuries. I could see myself helping athletes like me get better, and saying you wanted to be a doctor sounded good! Once I got further along in school, I wanted to pick a job that I couldn’t see myself being without. I wanted a job that I could be awakened by a pager in the middle of the night and gladly come into the hospital to help someone without regret.
TRUMAN: How is being a military doctor different from being a civilian doctor? BELLAMY: Being a military doctor is the best job in the world. I have two professions: one is being a doctor, and the other is being an officer. I take care of the best patients, people who serve our country and fight for what they believe in to protect our
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freedom. For the most part, they are healthy, active people. They either get big injuries in combat or smaller injuries preparing for combat. TRUMAN: What’s the hardest part of your job? BELLAMY: The hardest part of my job is time away from home. We put in a lot of hours in the hospital. You cannot do this job happily if you do not love what you do. TRUMAN: What’s the best part of your job? BELLAMY: Taking care of wounded warriors injured in combat is by far the most rewarding. To see someone who is initially severely injured, treat them for many months and then see them walk or better yet, run, is amazing.
TRUMAN: What is your favorite hobby or thing to do when you are not working? BELLAMY: Our job can be very stressful. When I am not at the hospital, I like to relax. Sometimes that means vegging, watching TV and sometimes that means doing things outdoors like trail biking. TRUMAN: The human body is really fascinating. As a doctor, do you have a favorite part of the body? BELLAMY: The musculoskeletal system is my favorite part of the body — without it, you are just one big blob! TRUMAN: What advice would you give to kids who are interested in this profession? BELLAMY: If you are interested in this profession, always do the best you can in everything. Never quit pursuing your dream. It can be difficult to get into medical school and orthopedics. But if you want to do it and can’t see yourself doing anything else, find a way, no matter what anyone says.
OCTOBER 2012
KIDSVILLE KITCHEN
Where Did Earth Get Its Moon?
Together Time — Ask an adult for help with projects!
Goblin Feet
Your children can probably imagine what actual goblin feet would taste like. (Dirty socks stuffed with cheese? Moldy tapioca pudding?) Luckily, these cookies are infinitely tastier Ingredients • Half package (7 ounces) green meltable candy wafers • Peanut butter cookies, such as Nutter Butter brand • Cashew halves Instructions 1. Follow the instructions on the candy wafer package to melt the wafers in a wide bowl. For each goblin foot, hold the edge of a cookie and dip it in the melted candy. 2. Place the cookie on a sheet of waxed paper and use a spoon to smooth the candy over the spot your fingers covered it. 3 Place three cashew halves on the cookie for claws. (The candy may need to cool a minute or two for it to be stiff enough to hold the nuts in place.) Let the cookies set at room temperature.
By Dr. Marc Rayman Earth’s graceful 24-hour rotation rate is one of the traits that makes our planet so friendly to life. This length of time allows most parts of Earth to stay a nice, comfortable temperature as they are bathed in sunlight during the day and darkness at night. Each planet in the solar system has its own unique rotation rate. Tiny Mercury, sizzling closest to the Sun, takes 59 Earth days to turn around just once. Venus, the second planet, rotates once every 243 Earth days. Why do Earth and the other planets rotate at all? To understand that, it will help to understand how our solar system formed. Almost five billion years ago, our solar system began as a vast cloud of dust and gas. The cloud began to collapse, flattening into a giant disk that rotated faster and faster, just as an ice skater spins faster as she pulls her arms in close to her body. The Sun formed at the center, and the swirling gas and dust in the rest of the spinning disk clumped together to produce the planets, moons, asteroids and comets. The reason so many objects orbit the Sun in nearly the same plane and in the same direction is that they all formed from this same disk. While the planets were forming, clumps of matter of all sizes often collided, and either stuck together or side-swiped each other, knocking off pieces and sending each other spinning. Sometimes the gravity of big objects would capture smaller ones in orbit. This could be one way the planets acquired their moons. Scientists think that a large object, perhaps the size of Mars, collided with our young planet, knocking out a chunk of material that eventually became our Moon. This collision set Earth spinning faster. Scientists estimate that a day in the life of early Earth was only about 6 hours long. The Moon formed much closer to Earth than it is today. As Earth rotates, the Moon’s gravity causes the oceans to seem to rise and fall. (The Sun also does this, but not as much.) There is a little bit of friction between the tides and the turning Earth, causing the rotation to slow down just a little. As Earth slows, it lets the Moon creep away. At the rate it is slowing, though, you won’t notice it during your lifetime. Learn more about the great variety of planets and moons in the solar system by playing the Solar System Explorer game at The Space Place. Visit spaceplace.nasa.gov/solar-system-explorer. This was provided through the courtesy of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
OCTOBER 2012
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PUZZLEVILLE!
Nutrition Word Find
Crossword Puzzle
Hidden Picture Puzzle
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OCTOBER 2012
Name ______________________________
Fall Secret Message Decoder Puzzle Decode and solve the secret fall phrase. Fill in the blanks with the letter that matches each picture from the box at the bottom of the page.
Worksheet courtesy of AllKidsNetwork.com
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OCTOBER 2012
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PUZZLEVILLE! Answers Hidden Picture Puzzle
Nutrition Word Find
Crossword Puzzle Body Fact
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OCTOBER 2012
Exploring Nature! 4IFSJ "NTFM t XXX FYQMPSJOHOBUVSF PSH
Find the Camouflaged Creatures Find the sphinx moth, walking stick, praying mantis, katydid, swallowtail caterpillar and twig caterpillar.
Camouflage Fun Facts! Animals use camouflage or cryptic coloration in many different ways. When an animal’s body color matches its surroundings, it’s called blending camouflage. When an animal has stripes, spots or other markings, these make the outline of their body hard to see and are called pattern camouflage. When an animal hides by looking like the plants it eats (or the plant its prey eats), it’s called disguise camouflage.
Camouflage Matching Once you find all the camouflaged insects, match each to the type of camouflage it uses (some use more than one). sphinx moth
walking stick
blending camouflage (color matching) praying mantis
katydid
pattern camouflage (distracting patterns) disguise camouflage (plant mimics)
Camouflaged Animal! Orchid Mantis
swallowtail caterpillar
Hymenopus coronatus
twig caterpillar
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This well-camouflaged animal is a
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IN THEATERS
Frankenweenie
October 5 Filmmaker Tim Burton brings his creepy and ghoulish style of bold animation to bear in a movie about a scientifically inclined boy and his recently deceased dog. Young Victor Frankenstein (voiced by Charlie Tahan) has a plan to bring his pet dog “Sparky” back to life. The trouble is that Victor’s reanimated version of Sparky isn’t exactly the same pooch he was before he died — he’s more of a monster dog now. Tim Burton’s stop-motion black-and-white animation is designed to remind you of James Whale’s original Frankenstein monster movie. Keep your ears peeled for vocal performances from Martin Landau, Christopher Lee, Martin Short and Winona Ryder. Rated PG for thematic elements, scary images and action. 92 mins. (Walt Disney Pictures)
Chasing Mavericks
October 26 Surfing legend Jay Moriarty is remembered in this dramatic movie about Jay’s path to surfing one of the biggest and most dangerous waves in the world — a wave called “Mavericks.” Half
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Moon Bay, California, is the setting where Jay reunites with Frosty Hesson (played by Gerard Butler), the father figure who saved Jay’s life when he was 8 years old. Against his better instincts, Frosty takes Jay (played by Johnny Weston) under his wing and puts the teenager through a difficult training period to prepare the ambitious boy to ride a wave that some people don’t believe exists. If you like surfing, you’ll probably like watching this movie about a real kid who followed his dream to become a world-class surfer. Rated PG for thematic elements and some perilous action. 90 minutes. (Sony Pictures Animation)
ON DVD
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Anniversary Edition
Available October 9 One of the most beloved and admired children’s adventure sciencefiction movies of all time, Steven Spielberg’s E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1981) is perfect for the family DVD collection. A lost alien creature gets help from a group of kids who help him find his way home. Henry Thomas plays Elliot, a fatherless boy who comes into contact with the cutest alien you’ve ever seen. Elliot and his brother Michael (Robert MacNaughton) and sister Gertie (Drew Barrymore), have their work cut out for them to protect the fragile creature long enough to help get him back to his spaceship when it returns to pick him up. The movie
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was made back in the days before computergenerated images, so the special effects have a handcrafted design. The child actors all give great performances in a movie you will always remember. You’ll laugh, and you might even cry just a little bit. Rated PG. 120 mins. (Universal Studios)
A Cat in Paris
Available October 9 Nominated for an Academy Award, A Cat in Paris is a fun hand-drawn animated mystery thriller about a cat named Dino who lives a double life. Most of the time Dino is a faithful pet to his little girl master Zoe (voiced by Lauren Weintraub). Dino likes to bring Zoe lizards as gifts when he jumps through her window in the mornings. The rest of the time, sneaky little Dino runs around assisting in jewel robberies with a cat burglar named Nico (Steve Blum). Together, Nico and Dino jump across Paris rooftops as if they were running through a park. Zoe’s mom (Marcia Gay Harden) is a cop determined to track down a villain named Victor Costa, the man who shot her husband and deprived Zoe of her father. The French-produced movie features an energetic jazz music score to go along with its unique style of colorful animation. Watch for the famous Notre Dame cathedral of Paris near the end of the story.
OCTOBER 2012
P ARENTOWN’S K ID S MAR T
Protect Your Mobile Devices and Your Identity Mobile devices have become an indispensable tool for many people — and the thought of losing one of those devices, or having it stolen, is disconcerting, to say the least. But it happens every day. It’s estimated that lost or stolen phones alone could cost U.S. users $30 billion in 2012. When a phone or tablet goes missing, so does a lot of personal information. And that can lead to more than just some inconvenience — it can lead to a stolen identity. The Federal Trade Commission estimates that as many as 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year. While identity thieves still resort to old-fashioned methods of information gathering, like going through trash and stealing wallets and purses, they can also get the personal information you store on your mobile device. Here are three things you can do to help protect your mobile devices and your identity: Password protect your device. A recent study by Javelin Strategy and Research found that even though many smartphones are being used to handle sensitive financial information, only 33 percent of smartphone owners password-protect their devices. If your phone falls into the wrong hands, you could make it very easy for someone to access your personal information and steal your identity. Review your social network privacy settings. It’s not just advertisers taking advantage of the personal information you include on your social network sites. As the use of social networking continues to increase, it’s expected that the use of malware will rise, too. Cybercriminals are always looking for ways to steal information and money. So you need to review your privacy settings frequently, be careful of what apps you install, and never “friend” someone you don’t know. Consider getting extra protection. There are a growing number of tools available to help you monitor and protect your identity as well as restore your name and credit, should your identity get stolen. For example, Mobile Rhino is a specialty insurance program that not only insures your device, but also offers an Identity Monitoring Service that alerts you of any changes that could indicate someone else is using your information. You can also store critical information securely with their Credential Vault — so if your wallet or device is lost or stolen, you can easily access information about your bank accounts, credit cards, insurance or serial numbers. If you do become a victim of identity theft, eligible members can get help from a professional Identity Theft Recovery Advocate, who will manage your recovery process and help you restore your name and credit. For more information about these services, as well as insurance protection for all your mobile devices, visit www.rhino-insurance.com. Don’t put off implementing these kinds of safety precautions. Taking some extra time to protect your devices now can help reduce your risk of falling victim to identity theft later.
OCTOBER 2012
Los dispositivos müviles se han convertido en una herramienta indispensable para muchas personas, y la idea de perder uno de esos dispositivos, o que se los roben, es desconcertante. Pero sucede todos los dÌas. Se calcula que los teléfonos perdidos o robados podrÌan costarle a los usuarios de EE. UU. $30.000 millones en 2012. Cuando un teléfono o una tableta desaparecen, también se pierde mucha informaciün personal. Y eso puede llevar a m·s de un inconveniente; puede llevar al robo de identidad. La Comisiün Federal de Comercio calcula que aproximadamente a 9 millones de estadounidenses les roban su identidad cada aøo. Aunque los ladrones de identidad siguen valiéndose de métodos antiguos para recopilar informaciün, como hurgar en la basura y robar billeteras y bolsos, tambiÈn pueden conseguir la informaciün personal que usted almacena en un dispositivo müvil. Estas son tres cosas que puede hacer para proteger sus dispositivos müviles y su identidad: Proteja su dispositivo con una contraseÒa. Un estudio reciente de Javelin Strategy and Research encontrü que aunque varios teléfonos inteligentes se utilizan para manejar informaciün financiera delicada, solo el 33 % de los propietarios de estos telÈfonos protegen sus dispositivos con contraseÒas. Si su teléfono cae en las manos equivocadas, otra persona podrîa acceder a su informaciün personal y robar su identidad. Revise la configuraciün de privacidad de sus redes sociales. No solo los anunciantes se aprovechan de la informaciün personal que incluye en sus sitios de redes sociales. A medida que el uso de las redes sociales aumenta, se espera que el uso de malware tambiÈn crezca. Los criminales cibernéticos siempre est·n buscando formas para robar informaciün y dinero. Por esto, debe revisar su configuraciün de privacidad con frecuencia, ser cuidadoso con las aplicaciones que instala y nunca hacerse “amigo” de un desconocido. Considere obtener protecciün adicional. Cada vez hay m·s herramientas disponibles para ayudarle a controlar y proteger su identidad, y restaurar su nombre y crédito, en caso de que le roben la identidad. Por ejemplo, Mobile Rhino es un programa de seguro especializado que no solo asegura su dispositivo, sino que también ofrece un servicio de supervisiün de identidad que le alerta cualquier cambio que pudiera indicar que alguien m·s est· usando su informaciün. También puede almacenar informaciün crÌtica de forma segura con Credential Vault. De esta manera, si la billetera o el dispositivo se pierden o los roban, puede acceder f·cilmente a la informaciün de sus cuentas bancarias, tarjetas de crédito, seguro o n˙meros de serie. Si es vîctima de robo de identidad, los miembros recibir·n ayuda de un abogado de recuperaciun por robo de identidad profesional, quien se encargar· de su proceso de recuperaciün y le ayudar· a restaurar su nombre y crédito. Si desea m·s informaciün sobre estos servicios, asÌ como protecciün de seguro para todos sus dispositivos müviles, visite www.rhino-insurance.com. No posponga la implementaciün de estos tipos de precauciones de seguridad. Tomarse un tiempo para proteger sus dispositivos puede ayudarle a reducir el riesgo de caer vÌctima de robo de identidad en el futuro.
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P ARENTOWN’S K ID S HAPE
Health & Academics The academic success of America’s youth is strongly linked with their health. Health-related factors such as hunger, physical and emotional abuse and chronic illness can lead to poor school performance. Health-risk behaviors such as early sexual initiation, violence and physical inactivity are consistently linked to poor grades and test scores and lower educational attainment. In turn, academic success is an excellent indicator for the overall well-being of youth and a primary predictor and determinant of adult health outcomes. Leading national education organizations recognize the close relationship between health and education, as well as the need to foster health and well-being within the educational environment for all students. Scientific reviews have documented that school health programs can have positive effects on educational outcomes. Similarly, programs that are primarily designed to improve academic performance are increasingly recognized as important public-health interventions. Schools play a critical role in promoting the health and safety of young people and helping them establish lifelong healthy behaviors. Research also has shown that school health programs can reduce the prevalence of health-risk behaviors among young people and have a positive effect on academic performance. CDC analyzes research findings to develop guidelines and strategies for schools to address health-risk behaviors among students and creates tools to help schools implement these guidelines.
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Coordinated school health programs could be a critical means of improving both education performance and the well-being of our young people and the adults they will become. School health programs typically have four overlapping, interdependent goals. These goals are most effectively and efficiently achieved when all of the goals are addressed simultaneously through a coordinated approach that purposefully integrates the efforts and resources of education, health and social service agencies. • Increase health knowledge, attitudes and skills. School health instruction helps young people improve their health knowledge. For example, students learn nutrition facts and how to read product labels so they can make healthy eating choices. • Increase positive health behaviors and health outcomes. Specific school health interventions have proven effective in significantly reducing these risk behaviors, improving health-promoting behaviors and improving health outcomes. • Improve education outcomes. Students who are healthy are more likely to learn than those who are unhealthy. School health programs can appraise, protect and improve the health of students, thus reducing tardiness and absenteeism and increasing academic achievement. • Improve social outcomes. School health programs can provide access to community programs and services that can help students contribute positively to their family, school and community.
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OCTOBER 2012
OCTOBER 2012
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