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Buffalo is for Snow-Lovers

If you like snow, then Buffalo is for you. Last winter, this upstate city in New York received more than 100 inches of snow! Over 5 feet of this snow arrived during one storm in November. The storm led to hundreds of major roof collapses and structural failures, thousands of stranded motorists and scattered food and gas shortages due to impassable roads. Numerous trees also gave way due to the weight of the snow, causing isolated power outages. A second storm arrived a couple days later, dropping another 1 to 4 feet of snow. Storm totals from the two storms peaked at nearly 7 feet, with homes submerged in dense snowpack. While Buffalo was swamped in what residents called “a wall of snow,” a few miles inland the snow only amounted to a couple of inches. How come? The reason is the city’s location on the shore of Lake Erie. When really cold air from the north comes down over Lake Erie, the warm lake below acts as a source of energy, producing lake effect snow. The cold air sucks up warmth and moisture from the lake through evaporation. How long the air spends over the lake is called residence time, and how far it travels over the lake is called fetch. Residence time and fetch are very important because if the air doesn’t spend enough time over the lake, it doesn’t get enough energy or moisture to make lake effect snow. The wind must be coming from the right direction over the lake to produce record amounts of snow. When the air reaches the shore, it dumps all of that moisture in snow form. These snow storms form in narrow bands that don’t really move, so five miles away it could be sunny, but in the storm you could get feet of snow. That’s the power of lake effect snow. So, if you like snow, Buffalo is for you!

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Letter From Truman

February 2016 – Letter from Truman

Hi, Kids! We know that ecosystems are interconnected systems where organisms interact and rely on each other. The Galapagos Islands have an especially interesting ecosystem. The plants and animals there are so unique that the government and other organizations are working hard to protect and preserve it. Read more about it in the “Connections” section. Washington Tapia is an Ecuadorian biologist, born in the Galapagos Islands. He works for the Galapagos Conservancy protecting tortoises on the island. Read more about his work in the “What’s It Like to Be…” section. The “Cultural Connections” section takes a look at the work of Charles Darwin. A trip to the Galapagos Islands in 1831 changed the way he thought about the world. His research from that trip also had a big impact on the scientific world.

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Space Place

Black Holes and dark matter, working together

By Katie McKissick National Aeronautics and Space Administration Dark matter is very mysterious. It makes up 27 percent of our whole universe, but we know very little about it. We can’t measure it directly. It doesn’t give off light or absorb it. We do know it has gravity, though, because we can see its pull on things like stars and galaxies. Black holes are also very mysterious. A black hole is an area of such immense gravity that nothing — not even light — can escape from it. Black holes can form at the end of some stars’ lives. The gravity holding the star together overwhelms the pressure of the hot gas, and it collapses in on itself producing a magnificent explosion. Some of the material from the star escapes in the explosion, while the rest, many times the mass of our sun, falls into an infinitely small point but keeps the same amount of gravity. Scientists want to know more about dark matter and black holes, but they’re very hard to study. But in a strange twist, the best way to learn about dark matter and black holes may be watching both of them at the same time. Scientists think that dark matter is probably made of tiny things called weakly interacting massive particles, which some call WIMPS for short. They hardly ever run into each other in wide-open outer space. But things get crowded around the gravitational pull of a black hole. There, it’s much more likely that WIMPS could smash into each other. This is called annihilation. When it happens, WIMPS can release a burst of energy in the form of gamma rays. These are extremely high-energy rays, a thousand times more powerful than X-rays. Some of those gamma rays could escape the area around the black hole. They could make it all the way to us, and we could see them with our telescopes. Right now, this is an idea based on computer simulations and lots of math. But if it turns out we can watch black holes and dark matter interact, we could learn a lot about both of these mysterious astronomical oddities. Who would have ever thought that combining two mysteries could lead to new answers?This image shows the gamma-ray signal from the computer simulation of annihilations of dark matter particles. Lighter colors show higher energies. The highest-energy gamma rays come from the center of the crescent shape on the left, closest to the black hole’s equator and event horizon. The gamma rays with the greatest chances of escape are on the side of the black hole that spins toward us. Such lopsided emission is typical for a rotating black hole. Credit: NASA Goddard/Jeremy Schnittman

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Movie Reviews for Kids by Kids

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a wonderful film that many people will love. Today’s technology really makes the fantasy of Star Wars seem like reality. The scenery is great from the beginning to the end. The beautiful stars, planets and, even the spaceships, are amazingly real looking. The storyline tells what happens after peace was established in the galaxy at the end of Episode 6, but now it’s more than 30 years later and there is no longer peace. The actors lured me into believing everything was really happening. Daisy Ridley as Rey shows emotion and strength. John Boyega portrays Finn as a man who starts out being afraid but must overcome his fears. And Adam Driver is excellent playing Kylo Ren, the new bad guy who tries to live up to the evil of Darth Vader and does many foolish things in the process. Each character enlivens the new story. Also, Star Wars fans of all ages will love reconnecting with characters from the original films. The costumes are great and fit the characters in many ways. Rey’s costume, a rugged suit for the desert planet Jakku, shows that she is resourceful and can take care of herself. The unusual and cool costumes fit in well with the previous films in the series. Many strange creatures add the element of being on other worlds. I really enjoyed seeing all the extra characters in each scene like pirates, gangs and a variety of aliens. A fun new sidekick is BB-8, a feisty round astromech droid that belongs to the rebellion. The buildings look real and at the same time like they belong in Star Wars. The props, such as blasters and space ships, are also realistic. They are grungy and look like they have seen some use. The only things I didn’t like were the Stormtroopers’ blasters and armor, which looked plastic and fake. The special effects are wonderful from lightsabers to explosions and lasers from the guns. They are a huge part in the film and bring the movie to life. This film is best for ages 7 to 18 because of the intensity of the action. I give this movie 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. It will definitely awaken the Star Wars fan in everyone. Reviewed by Nathaniel B. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 9.

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Kids

Get Schooled: Creative Lunch Ideas

Bento-box style lunches reign on campus. Bento boxes provide not only the space for healthy and nutritious food choices but also creativity. Isn’t it time for lunch to be more fun? Studies indicate healthy eating can influence the cognitive ability and intelligence levels of students, and balanced midday meals of fruits, proteins, carbohydrates and healthy fats are best. For a well-rounded lunch, parents can fill bento boxes with fresh pasta alongside sliced carrots and grapes, taco fixings with an apple or a fun and creative meal-on-a-stick to keep school-aged children satisfied throughout the day. Preparing healthy, filling lunches shouldn’t be difficult, and with bento-box style meals your kids will never be bored. With a little preparation and recipe inspiration, crafting lunches will be a breeze. For additional recipes and information, visit LilSnappers.com and look for them at your local grocery store. Apple-Tuna Treasure Chest Servings: 2 2 Stemilt Lil Snappers Kid Size Apples 1 can (6-ounces) white albacore tuna, packed in water, drained 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 1/2 teaspoon honey mustard 1/2 carrot, finely diced salt and pepper, to taste Slice off top one-third of each apple; set aside. Using small teaspoon or grapefruit spoon, core-out center of each apple base (working outward from centermost part of fruit), leaving 1/4-inch outer edge; set aside. In small bowl, mix tuna, mayonnaise, mustard and carrot. Season to taste. Spoon 1/4 cup of tuna salad into each apple, top with top one-third of apples, tilted slightly to resemble a chest being opened. Use playful, pirate-themed cupcake holders and flagged toothpicks to make for fun presentation and easy clean-up. Source: Lil Snappers

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Cultural Connections

Charles Darwin

A five-year voyage on the HMS Beagle changed Charles Darwin’s life. His findings on that expedition helped shape scientific theory that is still relevant today. Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, England, on Feb. 12, 1809, to a wealthy family. He was the fifth of six children. As a youngster, he loved exploring nature. His dad was a medical doctor and his grandfather was a famous botanist. Darwin’s mom died when he was 8. Darwin’s father wanted him to become a medical doctor, but he couldn’t stand the sight of blood. His father suggested he become a parson and work in the church. Darwin agreed, thinking that this would give him more time to study nature. When he finished school in 1831, instead of going to work for the church, he was hired as a naturalist and went to work aboard the HMS Beagle. It was a dream come true for him. The ship traveled the world and Darwin collected samples and specimens of things like plants, birds and fossils. He took notes, made drawings and studied everything he could find about the places he visited. Darwin was especially intrigued by South America and the Galapagos Islands. During his travels, Darwin noticed that there were many species across the world that were similar but had significant variations that were unique to their location. For example, he found finches in many places, but the ones that ate bugs had beaks that were shaped one way and the finches that ate mostly seeds had beaks that were shaped another way. Darwin studied his findings and did his best to come up with a reason for what he found. When he returned to England in 1836, Darwin chronicled his findings in a piece called “Journal of Researches.” It was published as part of Captain FitzRoy’s larger narrative about the trip. Later, it was edited into the Zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle. Darwin continued to study natural science and in 1859 he published On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. It is his best known work. It introduced the theory of evolution to the world.

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Cool Kind Kid

I Want To Be…

When the kids came into class they saw a big poster that Ms. Gilmour had on the wall. As she greeted each, she asked, “Do you want to be a Cool Kind Kid?” Everyone replied, “Yes!” Then all the kids high-fived each other and jokingly asked, “Do you? Do you? Do you?” to everyone. They all laughed as the class started. Ms. Gilmour asked, “What are some things that you think make a Cool Kind Kid?” Tanner had his hand up first, “Be kind to everyone.” Rudy added, “And be cool!” She laughed, and then asked, “What else?” Nicole said, “I think a Cool Kind Kid must be caring, like comforting a friend when they are sad.” Carmen added, “Cool Kind Kids seem to know when a friend is hurting. They try to help wherever they can.” Stephen was waving his hand, “They not only help when someone is sad, they help at home, at school and other places.” Ms. Gilmour told them they had thought of really good things about how to be Cool Kind Kids. Truman the Dragon stood up and shouted, “Cool Kind Kids like and accept everyone, even big dragons.” The kids all gave Truman a thumbs up! Ms. Gilmour then asked, “How do you think the Cool Kind Kid Challenge we have been talking about for quite a while can help more kids to say, ‘I’m a Cool Kind Kid?’” Carmen said, “We have to get kids to see that being kind is the cool way to be by asking them, ‘Are you COOL enough to be KIND?’ We could show them how to tell someone their dress is pretty, instead of saying they look weird.” Nicole got excited about this and added, “We could help them see that when they are kind they will have more friends. Kids who have a lot of friends are always the cool kids.” Everyone nodded in agreement. Tanner was jumping in his chair to share, “I know too many kids who pick on others about how they play a game. We could ask them, ‘Are you TOUGH enough to be KIND?’And then show them how to support and encourage kids, rather than being mean.” Rudy added, “Some kids think that being kind means they’re wimpy, but we know that being kind shows you are tough, confident and cool with who you are.” Truman the Dragon was agreeing with the boys as they spoke. He shared, “I want to be a Cool Kind Kid, or dragon, just because I think it is right. Being a Cool Kind Kid means I watch what I say, so I don’t hurt someone. Being a Cool Kind Kid means that what I do is important, so I don’t do anything rude or harmful. It means being aware of others, their feelings, being caring and sharing. It means helping where I can, and showing love and respect to everyone. Everyone stood and cheered for Truman. (C) Cool Kind Kid

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Conservation Corner

Ahhhhhh, Fresh Air!

Whether it is the weather keeping you indoors or a busy schedule, fresh air is important to staying healthy. Plants do a great job of scrubbing the air and keeping the indoors fresh. Did you know… • When you breathe, you take in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide. Plants take in carbon dioxide and expel oxygen. • Plants act as natural humidifiers, which helps prevent respiratory problems. The Agricultural University of Norway conducted studies that found that having plants indoors decreases chances of dry skin, colds, sore throats and dry coughs. • Plants clean the air. According to NASA, plants remove up to 87 percent of volatile organic compounds from the air. Things like cigarette smoke, chemicals found in grocery bags, carpets and printed papers give off chemicals; plants filter the chemicals out of the air. • Plants help sick people get better. Researchers at Kansas State University found that in hospitals, patients with plants in their rooms request less pain medication, have lower hearts rates, lower blood pressure and experience less anxiety than those without plants. • Plants help people stay focused, according to The Royal College of Agriculture in Circencester, England. Students were 70 percent more attentive when there were plants in the class room. In the same study, attendance was also higher for lectures with plants in the class room.

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Kidsville Connections

Ecosystem

Noun ECOLOGY noun: ecosystem; plural noun: ecosystems: A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment. (in general use) a complex network or interconnected system. Have you ever heard of the Galapagos Islands? If not, don’t worry, a lot of people haven’t. The Galapagos Islands are volcanic islands that are located about 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador. There are many things that make the Galapagos Islands unique, but perhaps the two most important things are its plants and animals. They cannot be found anywhere else. For that reason, in 1998, the government of Ecuador passed laws to protect the unique ecosystem that is found on the islands, creating the Galapagos Marine Reserve, which is a protected area that allows the plants and animals to flourish. In short, an ecosystem is the way all living things interact with their environment. In the Galapagos, there is an incredible collection of animals that can’t be found anywhere else. The same can be said of the plants found there. The plants meet the unique needs of the animals. If you were to visit the islands, it would not be unusual to find hundreds of marine iguanas taking the sun on the beach or hundreds of birds on the beach at one time. But, if people continue to visit the islands and leave behind their waste or if the fishermen continue to overfish, the island’s ecosystem will be damaged beyond repair. Humans and their habits have messed up the natural processes within the islands. Unless that changes, many of the native plants and animals will be lost. This is where the Galapagos Conservancy’s Ecosystem Restoration Project becomes important. This is a way to “rebuild healthy, balanced plant and animal communities to the way they were before humans disturbed them.” One of the most important parts of this effort is to identify the parts of the ecosystem and look at historical, current or other things that can hurt the delicate balance of the ecosystem and then figure out how to reverse them or control them. One of their biggest projects is Project Pinta, which is protecting and rebuilding the population of the special tortoises that call the islands home.

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Kids

Come Out and Play – Trompo

Trompo or Trompos is a traditional game popular in much of Latin America, including Ecuador. Children of all ages can play this game. The Trompo is a special top. They were originally made of wood, but they can also be made of plastic or metal. The tops are pear-shaped amd fat on the top and thin near the end. At the very end is a thin metal tip to help the tops spin faster. String is then wound around the top beginning at the metal tip and winding upwards. This game is played in many different nations, each culture playing a little differently. However, the game is basically the same and beloved by everyone. Here’s how to play: • The game is played with two opponents. • Each player should have a Trompo. • Draw a circle on a flat surface. This is where the tops should play. • The strings should be wound tightly on the top. • The top should be thrown (like a yo-yo) and the string pulled. The top should spin within the circle. • The goal is to knock the other player’s top down or out of the ring. The last top standing is the winner. • The string tied around the tip of the top can be used to control the top. • The faster it spins the more likely it is to be the winner. • Another way to play is to see who can knock the Trompo the farthest out of the ring. In Ecuador, Trompo is a very popular game, one of the national games of Ecuador. Children and adults play the game. It is treated like a holiday. The traffic is stopped and they compete in the streets, even in large cities. It can be played in teams and there are often large tournaments. Crowds gather to watch the throwing top tournaments for hours. It is a fun game that involves the entire community.

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