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Letter From Truman

April 2015 – Letter from Truman

Hi, Kids! I love that the world is such a diverse place! Where we live affects so much about our life. People who live in the desert deal with things that people near the ocean don’t even think about, just like people who live in the Arctic deal with things that people who live in wetlands wouldn’t understand. In this issue, we take a look at the environment — the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal or plant lives or operates. Check out the “Connections” section to learn more. The environment affects animals, too. This month I spoke with conservation biologist Aimee Tomcho. She works with the Audubon Society to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity. You can read about her in the “What’s It Like to Be …” section. I wonder what part of the world has the most birds. What do you think? Maybe Aimee Tomcho knows!

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Space Place

A Two-for-One Space First

Alex H. Kasprak National Aeronautics and Space Administration A NASA spacecraft named “Dawn” is making space exploration history. It is the first spacecraft to orbit two different solar system targets. Plenty of spacecraft have flown by two or more planets or moons during their missions. But orbiting something is a lot harder. The spacecraft has to put itself into “reverse” using its thrusters and lots of fuel in order to be captured by the gravity of a planet and go into orbit. Otherwise, it would just fly right on by. And to leave orbit, it would have to pull itself out of the gravitational field using even more fuel, like hauling itself up out of a deep hole. You can’t really put that much rocket fuel on a spacecraft. It would be too heavy and expensive to launch. But Dawn works very differently. Dawn uses electricity to propel itself. Its ion propulsion technology shoots charged atoms, called ions, out of a small engine at super-high speed. The electrical energy comes from solar panels, and the atoms are from a gas called xenon. This technology has allowed Dawn to make its historic journey to the asteroid belt, first orbiting and studying the asteroid Vesta, then leaving that orbit, traveling another 900 million miles and going into orbit around dwarf planet Ceres. Dawn is also the first spacecraft to visit a dwarf planet. The ion engine has enabled Dawn to spiral into the “gravity well” of one body, spiral back out and have enough fuel left to go and do it all over again (although Dawn will not be leaving Ceres’s orbit). Ion propulsion uses much less fuel than other means of space travel humans have tried. Therefore, the spacecraft is light enough to launch, but still has the power to make big changes to its course. The only real drawback is that it can’t accelerate very fast. In fact, it would take four whole days for Dawn to go from 0 to 60 miles per hour! But once it gets going, it really gets going! By keeping these ion-powered engines thrusting for a long time, Dawn can do things no other craft has done! Visit NASA’s Space Place to learn more about ion thrusters at http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/ion-balloons. Learn more about the Dawn mission at http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/

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Movie Reviews for Kids by Kids

ALEXANDER and the Terrible, Horrible, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY!

This movie is an amazing, laugh-filled experience for the whole family. This Disney movie is based on the book written by Judith Viorst, directed by Miguel Arteta and stars Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner and Ed Oxenbould as Alexander. Alexander is a boy who has endless bad days. After a particularly bad day, he is feeling like the rest of his family never has any bad days, so he makes a birthday wish that they will all have a no good, very bad day. He wants them to feel what he feels, so that they might understand him. My favorite scene is when Alexander’s sister, who is starring as Peter Pan in her school play, wakes up with a cold and then drinks way too much cough syrup. The result of this over-medication happens on stage and is hilarious. Parents should know that there is some rude humor, with a bit of bad language and reckless behavior. But, this film is brought to you by Disney, so you can be pretty certain that is appropriate for the whole family. I loved ‘Alexander’s Very-Good Bonus Content,’ which is available on the Blu-Ray version of the film. It includes the very funny blooper reel and outtakes as well as a behind-the-scenes adventure filmed by Alexander, himself. I recommend this film for ages 5 to 18, as well as parents. I give this film 5 out of 5 stars for brilliant acting and a hilarious story. Be sure to check out this great, fun family film on Blu-Ray and DVD. It is available in stores and available for digital downloads now. This is Katie G. reporting for KIDS FIRST!

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Kidsville Kitchen

Get Creative with After-School Snacks

For teens and tweens, after-school snacks can pose a bit of a problem. Many options are geared toward younger (and smaller) bellies, while others may pack too big a punch, affecting appetites for dinner. One deliciously satisfying solution? Snacks they can make themselves. DIY after-school snacks let kids push their creative limits. One way to get creative is using favorite breakfast cereals in familiar types of recipes for a whole new taste. For example, a lightly sweetened corn and oat cereal such as Honeycomb has a one-of-a-kind playful shape that makes it an instantly recognizable and flavorful addition to treats. You can go simple with a snack mix such as this Monkey Munch, or even give muffins a playful and unique twist, as with these Cereal Muffins. Monkey Munch 1/2 cup peanut butter 4 squares semi-sweet chocolate 8 cups Post Honeycomb Cereal 2 tablespoons powdered sugar Microwave peanut butter and chocolate in large microwaveable bowl on high 1½ minutes. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended. Pour over cereal in large bowl; toss to evenly coat. Place two large sheets of aluminum foil on counter, with long sides of foil slightly overlapping. Spread cereal mixture onto foil. Let stand 2 hours or until chocolate coating is set. Place powdered sugar in fine mesh strainer. Shake strainer over cereal mixture to evenly coat cereal mixture with sugar. Store in tightly covered container at room temperature. Tips: Cooled cereal can be placed in a large brown paper bag instead of on foil. Add powdered sugar to cereal mixture in bag; fold down top of bag to close and shake to coat cereal mixture evenly. Cereal Muffins 1 cup flour 2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup cold butter or margarine 3 1/3 cups Post Honeycomb Cereal, divided 1 cup milk 1 egg 1 teaspoon sugar 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease 12-cup muffin tin. Mix flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl; cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix 3 cups cereal and milk in medium bowl; let stand 3 minutes. Stir in egg. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moistened (batter will be lumpy). Spoon evenly into muffin tin, filling each cup 2/3 full. Mix remaining 1/3 cup cereal, 1 teaspoon sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over muffins. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool.

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Kids

Kidsmart – April 2015

Holding on to Your Car Tips for a safe, long-lasting vehicle While driving a new vehicle off the lot may sound tempting, the financial commitment it brings is not an option for most families. Instead, hanging on to your old set of wheels is the smarter choice for a number of reasons. Taking good care of your car not only improves safety and dependability, but also can have a positive impact on your wallet. “Hanging on to your current vehicle allows you to redirect money you would spend on a new car to pay off credit card debt, college loans and other bills; beef up savings or even take a road trip vacation,” said Rich White, executive director with the Car Care Council. “By simply budgeting the equivalent of just one new car payment, consumers could cover an entire year’s worth of basic maintenance.” Even the cost of fixing a serious engine issue is a more sensible economic decision, added White. For the cost of an average down payment on a new car or truck, a vehicle can be repowered with a remanufactured or rebuilt engine and gain years of reliable service. “The bottom line is that a properly maintained vehicle is safer, more dependable, more fuel efficient, less polluting and more valuable,” White added. The experts at the Car Care Council offer these 10 general tips for those looking to maintain the life of their vehicle: 1. Check all fluids, including engine oil, power steering, brake and transmission, as well as windshield washer solvent and antifreeze or coolant. 2. Check hoses and belts to make sure they are not cracked, brittle, frayed, loose or showing signs of wear. 3. Check the battery and replace if necessary. 4. Check the brake system annually and have the brake linings, rotors and drums inspected at each oil change. 5. Inspect the exhaust system for leaks, damage and broken supports or hangers if there is an unusual noise. 6. Check engine performance to make sure it is delivering the best balance of power and fuel economy and producing the lowest level of emissions. 7. Check the heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system as proper heating and cooling performance is critical for interior comfort and safety. 8. Inspect the steering and suspension system annually, including shock absorbers, struts and chassis parts, such as ball joints, tie rod ends and other related components. 9. Check the tires, including tire pressure and tread. Uneven wear indicates a need for wheel alignment. Tires should also be checked for bulges and bald spots. 10. Check the wipers and lighting so that you can see and be seen. Check that all interior and exterior lighting is working properly and replace worn wiper blades so you can see clearly when driving during precipitation. The next time you consider purchasing a new car, think about investing in the vehicle you already own for significant savings, as well as enhanced reliability and safety. For more tips to extend the life of your car, visit www.carcare.org. Si bien conducir un vehículo nuevo podría sonar tentador, el compromiso financiero no es una opción para la mayoría de las familias. En cambio, cuidar su auto anterior es la elección más inteligente por diversos motivos. Si cuida bien su auto, no solo mejora la seguridad y confiabilidad, sino que afecta positivamente su bolsillo. “Si mantiene su vehículo actual, redirigirá el dinero que gastaría en un auto nuevo para cancelar la deuda de su tarjeta de crédito, préstamos universitarios y otras cuentas, acumular ahorros u organizar el viaje por ruta de sus vacaciones”, afirmó Rich White, Director Ejecutivo del Consejo del Cuidado del Automóvil. “Con un pago de su nuevo auto, los consumidores podrán cubrir un año entero de mantenimiento básico”. “Incluso el costo de reparar un problema grave del motor es una decisión económica más sensata”, agregó White. Por el costo del anticipo promedio de un nuevo auto o camioneta, podrá restaurar su vehículo con un motor reparado o reconstruido y ganar años de servicio confiable. “Como resultado, podemos agregar que un vehículo bien mantenido es más seguro, más confiable, ahorra más combustible, contamina menos y es más valioso”, agregó White. Los expertos del Consejo del Cuidado del Automóvil ofrecen estos 10 consejos generales para quienes intentan mantener la vida útil de su vehículo: 1. Verifique todos los fluidos, incluso el aceite del motor, la dirección, los frenos y la transmisión, además del solvente limpiador de parabrisas y anticongelante o refrigerante. 2. Verifique mangueras y cinturones para asegurarse de que no estén dañados, desgastados, deshilachados, sueltos o con signos de demasiado uso. 3. Verifique la batería y cámbiela si fuera necesario. 4. Verifique el sistema de frenos todos los años y haga revisar los discos, los rotores y las pastillas de frenos con cada cambio de aceite. 5. Inspeccione el sistema de escape para detectar fugas, daños y soportes o sujetadores quebrados, en caso de escuchar un ruido inusual. 6. Verifique el rendimiento del motor para asegurarse de que ofrece el mejor equilibrio de potencia y economía de combustible y que produce el nivel más bajo de emisiones. 7. Verifique el sistema de calefacción, ventilación y aire acondicionado (HVAC), dado que el adecuado rendimiento de la calefacción y refrigeración son de vital importancia para la comodidad y seguridad. 8. Inspeccione el sistema de dirección y suspensión todos los años, incluidos los amortiguadores, montantes y piezas del chasis, tales como juntas de rótulas, barras de acoplamiento y otros componentes relacionados. 9. Verifique los neumáticos, incluida la presión y el dibujo. Si observa que el desgaste es desparejo, deberá alinear las ruedas. También debe revisar los neumáticos para detectar bultos o áreas lisas. 10. Verifique los limpiaparabrisas y las luces para poder ver y ser visto. Verifique que las luces interiores y exteriores funcionen correctamente, y cambie las escobillas desgastadas para ver con claridad cuando conduce con lluvia. La próxima vez que evalúe comprar un nuevo auto, piense en invertir en el vehículo que ya tiene para…

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Cultural Connections

Ingrid Bergman

Ingrid Bergman was born in 1915 in Stockholm, Sweden. She was an actress who became famous in the 1930s and ‘40s. She worked mostly in the film industry, but did some stage acting, too, including a role in the Broadway plays Joan of Lorraine and Liliom. Bergman is known for her work in films that include Casablanca, Spellbound and Anastasia. She was nominated for seven Academy Awards and received Academy Awards for her work in Gaslight, Anastasia and Murder on the Orient Express. Bergman was famous all over the world for her beauty and talent. She worked with many of the legends of her time, including Humphrey Bogart, Gary Cooper, Gregory Peck, Cary Grant and Alfred Hitchcock. Many of the movies she starred in are now considered classics. Bergman had a long career that spanned from the 1930s until her death in 1982.     Here are some more interesting facts about Ingrid Bergman: • Bergman was famous for her beauty. • Her mother died when Bergman was a toddler. • Her father ran a photography shop. • Her dad was very supportive of her creative endeavors. • She attended the Royal Dramatic Theater in Stockholm but left after a year to start her career. • Her first film was Monkbrogreven. It debuted in Sweden in 1935. • Her first academy award was for her work in the movie Gaslight. • She played a spy in the movie Notorious. It is considered one of her greatest performances. • Bergman was diagnosed with breast cancer in the late 1970s but continued to work. • In her lifetime, Bergman performed in more than 50 movies. • She was 67 when she died in London on Aug. 29, 1982.  

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Cool Kind Kid

Be a Bully “Upstander”

Ms. Gilmour, the teacher, greeted each of the kids as they came into class. Tanner, Nicole, Stephen, Carmen, Rudy and Truman the Dragon all greeted her in return. She began by asking, “Do any of you remember what we talked about last time?” Some had their hands up, and others had blank looks on their faces. Tanner said, “We’ve been talking a lot about bullying.” Carmen added, “We talked about kids who bully, and kids who are bullied.” Then Rudy jumped in and said, “But last time we talked about kids who see bullying happening, but don’t do anything about it.” Ms. Gilmour then said, “And what did we call kids who do that?” Truman the Dragon sadly said, “They are bully bystanders.” She then added, “Truman is right; they are called bully bystanders. They don’t do anything when they see someone being hurt or picked on. How would you feel if you were the one being hurt?” Everyone said that wouldn’t be kind or cool. She then went on, “If bully bystanders ‘stand by’ and don’t do anything, what might we call someone who sees bullying happen and does do something about it?” The kids weren’t sure about that question. Ms. Gilmour then said, “I went on Google and found that The Bully Project, STOMP Out Bullying and Bully Bust are some of the organizations that support being a “BULLY UPSTANDER.” Ms. Gilmour continued, “Now let’s see what we can do to be Bully Upstanders.” Truman was waving his hand. “Don’t we have to know what bullying is first?” Ms. Gilmour agreed that was right. So she said, “Then the first thing to do is to learn which things are bullying, why kids bully, where it takes place and how it affects kids.” Rudy added, “When we see someone being bullied, we should report it.” Everyone agreed that was a good thing to do. Nicole said, “We need to get our friends involved, just like we have been with the Cool Kind Kid Challenge.” Ms. Gilmour added, “So let’s make this a challenge; get more kids to be bully upstanders.” Stephen said, “I know lots of kids who are spreading nasty, hurtful rumors on the Internet. Maybe we need to stop doing that and get our friends to stop doing that, too.” Tanner added, “I see kids who are alone in school and who are getting picked on. We should be friends to them. We could eat lunch with them. I think a Cool Kind Kid is the one who shows kindness to someone and doesn’t have to hang out with the ‘cool’ kids.” There were lots of high fives for that. Ms. Gilmour ended the class by asking the kids to Google BULLY UPSTANDERS and see what else they could find out. “When you come back, we’ll continue talking about Bully Upstanders and how they can help prevent bullying from happening.” The kids all gave that a thumbs up as they walked out of class.

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Conservation Corner

Happy Earth Day!

Earth Day was first celebrated in 1970 as a way to celebrate the Earth and all the things that live on Earth and to make people more aware of the need to take care of the planet. More than 20 million Americans across the country gathered in the streets, at parks and other places to rally for a healthy, sustainable environment. Even though the first Earth Day was more than 45 years ago, there is still plenty of work to do and many reasons to celebrate the Earth, its ecosystems and its resources. See what is going on in your community to celebrate Earth Day. Many places hold festivals, citywide cleanups and other opportunities to learn about the planet and make a difference. Here are just a few things you can do every day that make a difference: • Reduce, reuse, recycle. • Turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth. • Turn off the lights when leaving a room. • Unplug electronics and chargers when you are not using them. • Compost vegetables and other kitchen waste. • Volunteer. • Plant a tree.

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Kidsville Connections

Environment

en·vi·ron·ment in vīrənmənt/ noun 1.the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal or plant lives or operates. Environment Whether you think about it or not, the environment affects the way you live on a daily basis. If it’s cold outside, what do you? You put on a jacket. Do you put on a jacket when you are going to the beach? No, because it is hot outside. The environment just affected the way you dress. If you live in a big city, you probably will not see a lot of farms. Instead, when your parents get ready for work, they are probably heading off to an office, a factory or some other job, not outside to plant the crops. The environment affected the way your family makes a living. If you live in Idaho, you probably do not worry too much about hurricanes. But if you live on the Texas coast, hurricanes are a major concern throughout the summer. The same can be said for snow. If you live in Pennsylvania, snow can be a major problem throughout the winter; that isn’t the case in most of California. The country of Sweden is divided into three regions: Norrland, Svealand and Gotaland. Norrland, the north of the country, is known for its vast mountains and forests. Norrland is the largest region — covering about 3/5 of the country, but has the smallest population because of its environment, most of which is in the Arctic. The Arctic Circle marks the latitude above which the sun does not set on the summer solstice and does not rise on the winter solstice. At the North Pole, the sun rises once each year and sets once each year; there are six months of continuous daylight and six months of continuous night. At lower latitudes, but north of the Arctic Circle, the duration of continuous day and night is shorter. This area is part of Norrland. The northern most part of Norrland is an area known as Lapland. Lapland is a mountainous region that is defined by coasts, river valleys and forests. Located in the Arctic Circle, it is also extremely cold. The harsh climate makes it difficult for people to live there on an ongoing basis. In Sweden, the average number of people per square mile is 188. In Lapland, it is two. Lapland is home to the Sami People, or Laplanders, who live in a protected area in the Arctic known as the Sampi. Because of the harsh environment where they live, the Sami people have pursued a variety of ways to make a living, including fishing, fur trapping and sheep herding. Traditionally, the biggest way they make their living is through reindeer herding. They are the only people in the Nordic countries that are allowed to raise and herd reindeer, which they use for meat, fur and transportation. Did You Know… • Lapland makes up about 25 percent of Sweden’s total area. • In Lapland, the sun is visible around the clock for 73 days in the summer. • There are no polar bears in Lapland. • Ninety percent of the Arctic has almost no snow and ice during the summer. Many kinds of shrubs and plants grow there. • Lands along the Arctic include Alaska, Canada, Greenland/Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia.

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Kids

Come out and Play – Kubbs

No one is entirely sure about the origin of the game kubbs. There are many competing theories, but what everyone can agree on is that the game is incredibly old, more than 1,000 years old, and from Scandinavia. Some popular theories are that the game originated from Vikings spending their evenings playing with the leftover bits of wood after chopping firewood. This theory is one of the most widely accepted because kubb means block of wood in Swedish. Another theory is that Gustav Viksrom III, the King of Sweden in 1613, invented the game as an alternative to fighting. If tribes or clans had a problem, the leaders of each group would play instead of fighting. Today it is just a fun game played all over the world as a way to enjoy friends and the outdoors. Here is how you play: First you need 1 king, 10 kubbs, 6 throwing sticks, 4 or 6 corner pins and a hammer. A king is the largest wooden piece, 30 cm tall. Often they have a crown on the top. Kubbs are smaller rectangular wooden blocks 15cm tall. The throwing sticks or batons are skinny cylindrical sticks about 30 cm long and relatively thick. The corner pins are also long skinny cylindrical sticks that have pointed ends. The corner stakes should be used to mark the corners and the center of the field. The field should be a rectangle 7 to 15 feet wide and 15 to 30 feet long. The king is placed upright at the center of the field. Five kubbs are placed upright on each team’s base line. Each team then tries to knock over all of the opposing team’s kubbs with the throwing sticks, and then the king. Teams can be as small as one player or as large as six players. Throwing sticks should be distributed evenly among the team members. Sticks must be tossed underhand. A kubb should be removed after it is knocked over. The sticks must be thrown from behind the base line. The king should be knocked over last. If you topple the king before all of the kubbs, the game is automatically lost.

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