Highlights for Children articles from March 2007

Highlights for Children archives from March 2007

Where in the United States are the hoodoos?
March 1, 2007... These weird rock formations can be found in an area that became the world's first national park in March 1872. Other strange features in this park include * steaming geysers * a boiling river * hissing fumaroles * bubbling...

Baura.(Fun This Month)
March 1, 2007... Unscramble the word below to discover which country celebrates Flag Day on March 18. Hint: It's an island nation in the Caribbean Sea. Unscramble--Aruba

Jump-rope jumble.(Fun This Month)
March 1, 2007... Molly, Max, Mitzi, and Marco have tangled their jump ropes. Use your finger to trace the ropes and find out which kids are jump-rope partners. Jump-Rope Jumble--The jump-rope partners are Molly and Marco, Max and Mitzi.

National Pig Day?(Fun This Month)
March 1, 2007... Yes! There's a special day for everyone's favorite oinkers. National Pig Day happens each year on March I. Visit a pig at a petting zoo or farm and share this joke. If the pig snorts, you made its day! What is a pig's favorite celebrity? A...

Six ways to have a green spring.(Fun This Month)
March 1, 2007... 1. Plant an egg-carton herb garden. 2. Read a book with "green" in the title. 3. Search for tadpoles and frogs. 4. Open your window and listen to insect music. 5. Eat at least one green vegetable each day. 6. Draw a green...

My school story.(Editorial)
March 1, 2007... Dear Readers, Your school stories in this month's issue helped me remember my own favorite school days. I have a good memory of working on a school newspaper when I was in grade school. Our school was named after Rose E. Krug, who had...

I Wouldn't.(Poem)
March 1, 2007... I Wouldn't There's a mouse house In the hall wall With a small door By the hall floor Where the fat cat Sits all day, Sits that way All day Every day Just to say, "Come out and play" ...

Keeping secrets.(friendship)
March 1, 2007... Dear Arizona, The other day when I was in my friend's room, I asked her about this box on her shelf. She said that the stuff inside was private. Don't you think it was rude of her not to show me? --Curious in Connecticut Dear...

Goofus and Gallant[R].(Cartoon)
March 1, 2007... "Ooh! I want to go next!" says Goofus. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Gallant knows that everyone will get a turn. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Goofus leaves the lights on, wasting electricity. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Gallant turns...

Sock sack.
March 1, 2007... How can five people divide a bag of ten socks equally, each get a pair of socks, and still have one pair of socks left in the bag? Each person gets a pair of socks, but one person's pair is still in the bag.

Rhyming words.
March 1, 2007... Think of a pair of rhyming words that match each definition. Example: A large swine--big pig. 1. A lengthy tune 2. An intelligent painting 3. Fine lumber 4. A large feline 1. Long song. 2. Smart art. 3. Good wood. 4....

Puddle play.(Short story)
March 1, 2007... Jacob wants to play in the puddles. He puts on his raincoat and looks in the mirror. "Oops, I forgot my rain hat," he says. Jacob puts on his rain hat and looks in the mirror. "Oops, I forgot my umbrella," he says. Jacob opens his umbrella and...

Do you speak prairie dog? They may be barking your name.
March 1, 2007... Have you ever wondered if animals can talk? Scientist Con Slobodchikoff thinks about it a lot. He knows how hard it is to understand a completely different language. He spoke only Russian when he moved to the United States as a child. ...

The timbertoes[R].(Comic)(Cartoon)
March 1, 2007... Spot wanted to go out. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ma let him out. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Splinter wanted to go out. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mabel let her out. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Spot wanted to come in. ...

Fly on the windshield.(Short story)
March 1, 2007... He's sitting on the outside of the windshield when I get into the minivan. Just another housefly. A pest. I slam my door, a little harder than usual. He doesn't move. Hmmm. As Mom buckles herself into the driver's seat, she...

Ready for the pitch.(Hidden Pictures [R])
March 1, 2007... In this big picture, find the cotton candy, pencil, heart, croquet mallet, crescent moon, open book, pennant, wishbone, comb, flat, banana, ice-cream bar, toothbrush, bell, needle, and musical note. [ILLUSTRATI ONOMITED]

Jokes.
March 1, 2007... Waiter: "Would you like some more turkey?" Teddy bear: "No, thanks. I'm stuffed." Jahyro O'Malley, Alaska "Knock, knock." "Who's there?" "Cargo." "Cargo who?" "Cargo beep, beep!" Victoria Perlak, New York...

No Nap!(Poem)
March 1, 2007... No Nap! I tried to take a nap today but couldn't fall asleep. It seems I'm having too much fun counting all those sheep. I count by ones, by twos, by fives, and ten by ten by ten. When I get to a million...

How to shoot a basketball: get your form right, then practice, practice, practice.
March 1, 2007... To be good at shooting a basketball, you have to practice. That's how Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat and Becky Hammon of the New York Liberty became great shooters, and that's how you can, too. When you practice a skill, your brain becomes...

How do fingernails grow?(Science Letters)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The building blocks of all living things are called cells. They are too small for us to see without a microscope. When any living tissue grows, its cells are growing and dividing to create new cells. Fingernail cells are made of a tough protein...

Why do astronauts wear white space suits?(National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
March 1, 2007... According to NASA, there are two reasons why astronauts wear white. First, white helps keep astronauts cool. Dark colors absorb a lot of light, which changes from light energy to heat energy. White avoids a lot of that heat by reflecting away...

What is in erasers that makes them erase thing?
March 1, 2007... When you use a pencil to write, you leave some of the black carbon from the pencil on the paper's surface. Pure rubber makes a good eraser because it picks up carbon particles easily. In fact, rubber got its name from its ability to rub...

The statue of Liberty has many visitors.(Thinking)
March 1, 2007... * Why is the statue so tall? * What feeling do you think the artist wanted the statue to express? What makes you think so? * How could you learn more about the Statue of Liberty? * Which national monuments would you like to visit?

Baby-chick chase.(Your School Stories)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... Last year, my second-grade class hatched chicks. Their names were Butterball, Fluffy, and Speedy. Well, Speedy was fast. One day, we were playing with the chicks, and Speedy got loose! Speedy ran out of the classroom and down the hallway....

Wacky clothes day.(Your School Stories)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... When I was in third grade, we had Wacky Week. One day during the week, we dressed up for school in our wackiest clothes. I had on a pink striped shirt, mint green pants, orange and blue socks, and an orange scarf. Even our teachers dressed up...

Emergency.(Your School Stories)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... One day when recess was over, we were running back to class. When I was running, I accidentally bumped my head on someone else's. First, my head started to bleed. Second, Ms. Fiz, my P.E. teacher, took me to the principal, Mrs. Peterson. Third,...

Teacher of the Year.(Your School Stories)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... In sixth grade, my friend Danielle and I entered our math teacher in a Teacher of the Year contest. We didn't think he'd have a chance because it was a nationwide contest. But toward the end of the year, a teacher announced that Mr. Kelley had...

How I met Nick.(Your School Stories)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... When I was in first grade, I saw a boy on the playground equipment. I went up the ladder, and the bell rang. On the way inside, I asked him what his name was. He said, "Nick." My name is Scott. Scott Stever, Age 7 Michigan

Difficult good-bye.(Your School Stories)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, my school hosted Vonya and his sister, two people from New Orleans. Before they went back home, we had a good-bye party, and a lot of kids cried. We gave them a lot of Wisconsin things to remember us by....

A special show-and-tell.(Your School Stories)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... I do not ever want to forget a day in grade one. My granny came all the way from Scotland to talk at my school about her place. She said what it was like when she was a little girl. She was my show-and-tell. It was a great day because my...

Feathered friend.(Your School Stories)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... One day I walked into my class and noticed everyone staring at something. A bird was up on a beam! It flew around a bunch then slept in the corner for a bit. The people from the main office chased it out the window. We couldn't stop talking...

Baseball Day.(Your School Stories)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... One day at school we had Baseball Day. It was so much fun! We had a game. We did not count points. We had popcorn, peanuts, and Cracker Jack for a snack. We had hot dogs and fries for lunch. I had lots of fun. Emmanuel Decaudin Age 7...

Home run for dad.(Your School Stories)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... I'm not the best, but I'm not the worst on my kickball team at recess time. Sometimes my dad comes to watch, but it's very uncommon. One time he was there, and I thought, "I'm going to make a home run just for him." And do you know what? I did!...

Author at school.(Your School Stories)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... In fourth grade, an author visited my school. I thought it would be a bore until she told us some stuff about herself. She told us that her favorite color is red (so is mine) and her favorite animal is the bottlenose dolphin (mine, too!). She's...

Visit from Thunderfoot.(Your School Stories)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... My unforgettable day at school was when former pro football player Herman Weaver came to my school. He played for the Detroit Lions and the Seattle Seahawks. He was one of the best punters the NFL ever had. His nickname was Thunderfoot. He...

Countdown.(Your School Stories)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... I remember the day at school when we had a countdown. The principal counted down from 60 to 1. At number 1, everyone ran out the doors. It was the last day of school. It was fun. Leah Nerneberg, Age 7 New York

Upside-down wear.(Your School Stories)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... My embarrassing moment was at school. I was talking to my friends, and they said my jacket was on upside down. (My jacket did feel weird that morning.) I will never forget that. Alyssa Albert, Age 10 South Carolina

Farm trip.(Your School Stories)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... Last year my class went on a field trip to a farm. I was really excited to go. At the farm, we got to see the animals, pet the horses, and hold piglets. We also took a hay ride and picked out a Christmas tree. Zach's mom read us a book while we...

Old fashions.(Your School Stories)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... Every year at school we have a day called Old-Fashioned Day. We dress up as old-time people. Last year I dressed up as a cowboy. I wore a bandanna, a black cowboy hat, blue jeans, and a Western shirt. I won the prize for the most...

The principal in pajamas.(Your School Stories)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... My sisters and I are homeschooled, so our mother is our teacher and our father is our principal. One day, Daddy woke up late. When he came out, we had just started getting ready for school. So the principal came to school in his pajamas! ...

Goose, says good-bye.(Short story)
March 1, 2007... "It's almost time," said Goose. She gazed up at the clear blue sky. She felt the warm spring sun on her back. A gentle breeze ruffled her feathers. She hoped the breeze would blow toward the North tomorrow. That was when she would begin her...

The tallest kid in the lunch line.(George Otieno )
March 1, 2007... You probably started preschool when you were two or three. Imagine if you began nine years later. You'd be the tallest in the lunch line and the fastest on the playground. But what would it be like to sit in a class with kids who are still...

Sammy the Sea Horse.(Your Own Pages)
March 1, 2007... Sammy the Sea Horse Jacob Bastian, Age 9 Michigan

Stars.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
March 1, 2007... Stars Looking down through the water in the coral reef's midst, I see them. Looking up through the night sky's black cloak, I see them. Falling down from the sky through the white air of snow, I see...

Do It.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
March 1, 2007... Do It If you don't have anything to do, Paint a picture; paint one or two. Walk your dog; make it a jog. Sweep the tile: put laundry into piles. "There's nothing fun" is what you say. There's a small, small price...

The Cold.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
March 1, 2007... The Cold Being left out is like being left out in the cold. It is bitter cold and utterly alone. But there are certain people who pull you inside and give strength and hope for a better day. So...

My Dog, BoBo.(Your Own Pages)
March 1, 2007... My Dog, BoBo Brett Willard, Age 6 Oklahoma

My Papa Bear.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
March 1, 2007... My Papa Bear Bang! Bang! The hammer goes. I never ever mean to boast, but my grandfather is the best builder in town, working on wood light brown. Zing! Zing! The saw goes. Sweat on his...

Bubble Gum.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
March 1, 2007... Bubble gum, bubble gum, Good to eat. Bubble gum, bubble gum, It tastes so sweet. But a bubble is trouble When it pops in your face, And then it loses All its taste. Elaina Stamas, Age 6 ...

Friends Under a Beach Umbrella.(Your Own Pages)
March 1, 2007... Friends Under a Beach Umbrella Kellan Wandtke, Age 4 Wisconsin

The Peacemaker.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
March 1, 2007... The Peacekeeper My job in my life is to create harmony. I am the keys and the player; the singers and the conductor. I am the peacemaker. I am myself. Libby Burnette, Age 9 California

When I Walked My Dog.(Your Own Pages)
March 1, 2007... When I Walked My Dog Tiffany Breeden, Age 5 Alabama

Landscape.(Your Own Pages)
March 1, 2007... Landscape Mackenzie Summers, Age 8 South Carolina

Hard-Boiled Eggs.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
March 1, 2007... Hard-Boiled Eggs When the steam rises There are crackling noises. It sounds like bubbles popping In the sky. They bob like boats On the darkest blue sea. It steams Like fire, Then Freezing, icy...

My Grandpa's Tractor.(Your Own Pages)
March 1, 2007... My Grandpa's Tractor Vaughn Penner, Age 10 Ghana

I am a little puddle in a quiet, quiet park.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
March 1, 2007... I am a little puddle in a quiet, quiet park. Someone steps in me. Now I am a little wave. A little wave I am. I am calm again. Someone looks in me and sees himself. Now I am a little mirror. A little mirror I...

Pitchers.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
March 1, 2007... Pitchers When a pitcher winds up to pitch, it looks like a windmill spinning on a breeze. As the pitcher throws a fastball, it's like a fiery comet traveling through space. "Strike one!" the...

Animals of the Jungle.(Your Own Pages)
March 1, 2007... Animals of the Jungle Naomi Gold, Age 10 Colorado

How Many Sparrows? A brainteaser from Iran.
March 1, 2007... Two trees stood on a hill. A sparrow in the first tree called to the sparrows in the other: "If two of you were to come over here, this tree would have triple the number of sparrows that your tree would have." "Yes," answered a sparrow in...

Draw it!
March 1, 2007... This curved design is made entirely out of straight lines. It may take some practice before yours looks like the one at left. Here's how to do it: [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The Bear Family.(Comic)(Cartoon)
March 1, 2007... Mom: Bad day at school, Woozy? Woozy: I saw Zibby cheat on a test today. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Piddy: That's not honest! You should tell the teacher. Woozy: If I tell on her, she'll be mad at me. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Carry a ladybug pouch.(handicraft)
March 1, 2007... 1. Stack two pieces of red felt. On the top piece, draw the outline of a ladybug body with the head attached. (The head should be at least 3 1/2 inches wide.) Cut around the outline through both layers for two ladybug shapes. 2. For...

Hang up your trinkets.(Crafts)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... 1. Use a hole punch to punch four evenly spaced holes around the rims of two plastic cups. 2. Cover the cups with strips of contact paper. 3. Cut four 18-inch lengths of ribbon. Knot one end of each ribbon. Thread each ribbon through a...

Start growing plants in a mini greenhouse.
March 1, 2007... 1. For the greenhouse, ask an adult to cut the bottom from a 2-liter soda bottle. 2. To make the mini watering can, soak a film canister in very warm water for a minute, then dry it off. Pinch the rim to make a spout. 3. For mini...

Make a parachute.(Crafts)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... 1. Trace a large pot lid onto a plastic bag, and cut out the circle. Fold the circle into quarters. Use a pushpin to poke a hole through all four layers of plastic. Unfold the circle, and stick a paper reinforcement ring around each of the four...

Play a game of name that...!(Crafts)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... 1. For dice, cover two empty square tissue boxes with colored paper. 2. Label the sides of one die with cut-paper dots representing numbers 1 to 6. 3. Write down a list of categories (for example, colors, musical instruments, states,...

Keep "buzzy" with a bees play set.(Crafts)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... 1. From cardboard, cut a beehive shape that is 11 inches at the base. Trace the shape onto yellow felt. Cut out the felt shape, and glue it on top of the cardboard. For beds, glue three clean, empty plastic snack cups along the bottom of the...

Digger and Dander: they had a perfect plan to earn money.(Short story)
March 1, 2007... Digger and Dander were good friends. They did everything together. They played together. They went places together. Their favorite place to go was to the lake. But it was a long walk. One day Digger had an idea. "Let's buy...

Dino days.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... How did some dinosaurs like T. rex walk on just two feet but lean Forward a little? Raven Jones, Age 10 Alabama These dinosaurs leaned so far forward that they held their bodies in a horizontal position, even though they walked on...

The reversing arrow.(Science Corner)
March 1, 2007... Draw an arrow on an index card and lean the card against a wall as shown. Put an empty clear drinking glass 3 to 12 inches in front of it and fill the glass with water. When you look through the glass, the arrow will appear to be pointing to...

Who built it?(Science Corner)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... What kind of animal made this big mound? Who Built It?--Termites. This is a termite mound in southern Africa. In the United States, most termites live in wood or underground. They can damage buildings because they eat wood. In southern...

I wonder ... why lions have manes.(Science Corner)
March 1, 2007... Only male lions have long hair on their heads. Strong, healthy males have long, dark manes, and other lions look at manes to see which lion is strongest. That's useful to lions. Male lions don't want to fight with stronger lions, and females...

A make-it-yourself card game for one.(Stung Again!)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... You will need 15 index cards or 15 two-inch squares cut from lightweight cardboard. Print a large 1 on three cards, a 2 on three more cards, a 8 on three others, and a 4 on the next three. Then print the words "Stung again!" on the last...

10 ways to celebrate St. Patrick's day.
March 1, 2007... 1. Wear green socks. 2. Plant a patch of shamrocks. 3. Read an Irish folktale. 4. Bake a batch of scones. 5. Learn how to say "hello," "good-bye," and "thank you" in Irish. 6. Draw a leprechaun. 7. Take green-frosted...

Obento.(Art in a Lunchbox)(Recipe)
March 1, 2007... What's so much fun about lunchtime in Japan? Japanese kids eat a good-looking lunch. They carry lunches to school in bento boxes. Their boxed lunch is called obento (oh-BEN-toe). Bento boxes are small containers made out of plastic,...

Your best self.
March 1, 2007... Great kick! Thanks. I practice Every day. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Professor Clutter's code.
March 1, 2007... Professor Clutter is confused. A few minutes ago, her computer displayed this message and then stopped working. She thinks the message might tell her what's wrong, but it's written in some kind of a code. Can you help her figure out what...

Riddles.
March 1, 2007... 1 What do you call an elephant that flies? Hope Sparks, Florida 2 Why can't matches play baseball? Alex Schweiger, Virginia 3 Why was the girl's nose tired? McKenna Munholand, Alaska 4 What is a cow's favorite chore?...

Brain play.
March 1, 2007... Start at the beginning and see how far you can go, thinking of good answers from your own head. START What are sleeves for? Where would you find a steering wheel? Do rocks grow? Name four things you might see in a bucket....

The Legend of Giants Causeway.(Short story)
March 1, 2007... The sound of splitting rock echoed across the North Channel. Finn McCool's frighteningly large figure could be seen day after day, night after night, as the giant split rock into columns with his ax. This was not an ax of ordinary size; the...

Dear Highlights.(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... I am homeschooled and daydream a lot, so I get done late. Do you have any ideas? Paul H. (by e-mail) Try breaking your study times into smaller sections. Perhaps you can set a timer for 20 minutes and do your best to concentrate for...

Picture puzzler: is it a game or a puzzle? It's both!
March 1, 2007... To play the game GET twenty playing pieces. Use whatever you have handy--pennies, dried beans, buttons. PUT a playing piece on every space but one. (In each new game, choose which space to leave empty.) JUMP any playing piece over...