4Kids.org: February 13, 2000

Hoover Dam
A spectacular landmark on the Colorado River, Hoover Dam is no doubt one of America's great engineering marvels. At The Official Web Site for Hoover Dam, you'll learn about the many purposes of the dam, including flood control and hydroelectric power production. Head for the Nevada desert at www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam and prepare yourself for some dizzying heights and great views. Read about its five-year creation during the Depression, how the dam actually works, and how it got its name. Into entertainment? Fans of the big screen and TV will learn about the productions shot at Hoover Dam, including "Wheel of Fortune" and "Vegas Vacation." This site shows why Hoover Dam is a wonderful slice of American heritage.

A Bird's-Eye View of the Rain Forest Put together your jungle gear and set the compass to http://toucansam.kelloggs.ca/eng/enter.htm. There you'll find the tangled path into the world's mysterious rain forests. And Toucan Sam will guide you and show you the ropes-uh, vines. Watch for incredible sites, such as giant insects as big as birds, meat-eating plants and palm trees that can walk. Stare way up at the canopy or follow a trail of ants along the forest floor. You might even run into a monkey or a colorful native tribe. Toucan Sam will even take you on a little scavenger hunt. So rest up for your jungle adventure. (This site is no longer available.)

Freedom on the Underground Railroad
During America's dark chapter of slavery, there was one bright light indeed: the Underground Railroad, an escape route for slaves who wanted to start a new life. Now you can learn what it was like to risk life and limb in the quest for freedom. Follow the North Star to www.nationalgeographic.com/features/99/railroad. Meet the legendary Harriet Tubman, a slave who successfully escaped and helped countless others find the way across icy Lake Erie into Canada. But watch out for the bloodhounds that are looking for fugitives. The journey can be grueling, as you'll find out from the 250-mile path. Trekking the Underground Railroad was no walk in the park. But it is a story of inspiration to us all. Cry freedom! (Disclaimer: This site now contains advertisements.)

When you know the answers to the questions below, enter your answers. If you are correct, you will become a "4Kids Detective of the Week." If a question is not answered it is considered wrong. Good luck.

1. When was the 50th anniversary of Hoover Dam?

1985

1980

1975

2. How much sunlight touches the rain forest floor?

1 per cent

10 per cent

50 per cent

3. What did a lantern on a hitching post mean to slaves?

danger

safe house

free lunch

Dear Amy: I have to do a school report on an important historical person. Are there any good Web sites for that? --Josh, Fresno, Calif.
Dear Josh: There is an excellent biographical dictionary site on the Web at www.s9.com to get you started. You will find an easy-to-use search engine with entries for more than 28,000 important people. But don't stop there. Try the "Master Biographer Challenge," a trivia quiz about famous people. If you answer 10 questions correctly, you'll reach the mountain top as Master Biographer. Good luck on your report.

Dear Amy: What's the difference between MP3s and MIDIs? --Kathryn, Knoxville, Tenn.
Dear Jane: Both MP3s and MIDIs are music formats that can be played on the computer. MP3s are MPEG-1, Audio Layer-3 files. They are highly compressed yet retain the sound quality of the original file. MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. It is a set of rules that exchange messages between your computer and an instrument to produce musical sounds. A good computer dictionary for kids who want to know about computer abbreviations is produced by maranGraphics and can be found at http://207.136.90.76/dictionary. (This site is no longer available.)

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