Weekly Reader, Edition 4 (including Science Spin) articles from February 2002

Weekly Reader, Edition 4 (including Science Spin) archives from February 2002

Liar, liar, face on fire. (Citizenship News).(thermal camera detects heat around the eyes when a person lies)
February 22, 2002... When kids catch another kid lying, they sometimes chant, "Liar, liar, pants on fire." That childhood saying, however, could soon change to "Liar, liar, face on fire." To Catch a Thief Scientists at the Mayo Clinic and Honeywell...

A close encounter: an asteroid streaks past Earth. (Science News).
February 22, 2002... For millions of years, a rock has been zipping through space unnoticed. But on January 7, it whizzed by Earth. If the rocks speed had been slightly different, it might have slammed into our planet. A Close Call Each year, scientists...

Science soars: at the Olympics. (Cover Story).(Cover Story)
February 22, 2002... Olympic athlete Chris Soule stands at the top of a long hill holding a small sled. He springs forward, jumps on the sled, and races down the hill as fast as he can. Soule competes in a kind of Olympic sled race called skeleton. To compete in...

The struggle for equality. (Social Studies News).(heroic African Americans)
February 22, 2002... For hundreds of years, most African Americans were enslaved. In 1865, the Civil War ended and so did slavery. But African Americans have been struggling to be treated fairly and equally ever since. Many have helped change laws to make the...

Splash.(eruption from the Cumbre Vieja volcano may cause history's largest tsunami)
February 22, 2002... Research by Simon Day, of University College London, United Kingdom, indicates history's biggest tsunami might be caused by a future eruption of the Cumbre Vieja (COOM-bray vee-AY-ha) volcano. Cumbre Vieja is on the island of La Palma in the...

Scientists spot weird squid.(Gulf of Mexico squid has long, spidery limbs and ghostly white body)
February 22, 2002... From the deep, dark depths of the world's oceans, researchers reported seeing a weird, previously unknown squid. It has a ghostly white body and long, spidery limbs. "I've never seen anything like this creature," said William Sager, an...

Booster boots.(boots are being developed that will convert walking energy into electric power)
February 22, 2002... In the future, recharging the battery in your MP3 player may be as simple as taking a walk. A California company called SRI International is developing boots that convert the mechanical energy of walking into electric power that can charge...

Comfy cattle.(waterbeds for cows)
February 22, 2002... Believe it or not, one of the newest inventions in dairy farming is a waterbed for cows. The invention was based on the common belief that comfy cattle produce more milk. Though no scientific evidence exists to support that claim, the beds do...

Black History Month.
February 22, 2002... February is Black History Month. Read some of the important February dates in African American history, Use the dates and information to answer the questions below. Fill in the oval in front of the best answer to each question. ...

Surf's up.
February 22, 2002... Dear Teacher: News of a catastrophic event often makes people think of an earthquake, a volcanic eruption, or a hurricane. A more obscure but equally catastrophic phenomenon is a tsunami. These monster waves can wipe out an entire...

You be the scientist.(how to make your own electricity)
February 22, 2002... If you liked the idea of wearing boots that power the batteries in your gadgets, here's how you can make your own electricity. You won't be able to charge batteries using this experiment, but you will see, feel, and hear an electric spark....

The Viking adventures.(explorers)
February 22, 2002... About 1,000 years ago, the Vikings sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas. Viking explorers were people who lived in lands that are now Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, countries in Europe. The Vikings sailed their ships for...

What is it? (Science News).(Segway Human Transporter scooter)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... It is out, and It may be the answer to the nation's transportation problems, says inventor Dean Kamen. Last December in New York City, Kamen unveiled his latest invention, which until then had been known only as It. It turned out to be a...

Should kids grade other kid's papers? (Citizenship News).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... You have just finished a quiz. Instead of collecting the papers, you teacher tells you to swap papers. The kids grade one another's work as the teacher reads out the correct answers. Then your teacher asks each student to call out the...

Many African Americans made U.S. history.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... February is Black History Month. During Black History Month, Americans celebrate the many important contributions African Americans have made to history. Africans began making American history even before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth...

Don't touch that dial. (News Clips).(children and television)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... A group called the TV-Turnoff Network wants you to do something to a television set. The group wants you to bury it--with books, that is. The burial is part of a new program for kids called More Reading, Less TV. Too Much TV ...

In the cards. (News Clips).(introduction of trading cards about the war on terrorism)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Are two Rudolph Giulianis really worth one George Bush? What would you give for a perfect Colin Powell? You can hear such banter when swapping baseball cards. But this year, sports card maker Topps has added a new twist to card collecting. It...

A computer screen that bends. (News Clips).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... You've just finished e-mailing your friend when your mom calls you to dinner. So you roll up your computer screen, stick it in your desk drawer, and head for the dinner table. Say what? In about five years, you may be seeing just such a...

Peer perspective. (News Clips).(students grading other students' papers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Weekly Reader recently asked you: Do you wash your hands before every meal? The pie chart at right shows how you voted. no 47% yes 53% In this week's Your Vote Counts, we want to know: Should students grade...

Study a graph. (Use The News).
February 1, 2002... Study the graph. Then answer the questions below. 1. By which year did the number of African Americans top 2 million? (A) 1820 (B) 1860 (c) 1840 2. How many African Americans were living in the United States by 1860? ...

Word wise. (Use The News).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Study the words below. Then read the sentences. Write the correct word to complete each sentence. peer recruit pledge alternative obtain 1. Some parents did not agree with the school's policy of -- grading....

Fix the prefix. (Use The News).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Below is a list of prefixes and a list of base words from this issue. Draw a line connecting each prefix to a base word. Some prefixes may connect with more than one root word. 1. un stead formation 2. in ...

Cause and effect.
February 1, 2002... Below are two passages from this issue of Weekly Reader. Complete the exercise below by writing down some of the effects that might result from the facts given in the passages. The Cause According to the TV-Turnoff Network, kids...

Slaves in America in 1800.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The map below shows the number of slaves living in each U.S. state in 1800. Study the map. Then answer the questions. Note: In 1800, the United States of America included only 16 states. The map shows the modern borders of the states. 1....