4Kids.org - Week of November 10, 2002

Week of November 10, 2002

Makin' Crafts

Get your Hands on Crafts at www.handsoncrafts.org. At Studio 1, get down and dirty with clay. You can learn the secrets of making coil pots and practice throwing on a virtual wheel. If you don't feel like getting dirty, head to Studio 2. It has tons of fun craft activities, such as weaving, basket-making and quilting. Emma knows all the in-and-outs of weaving, and Bendria can teach you to make a basket. If you need a quick present for mom or dad, create your own slab self-portrait. Make sure to check out the Mud Works Gallery and the current exhibit.

Nominate a cool Web site at
4Kids.org/nominations

Visit the Featured Web sites to find the answers

What is a quilt-maker's best friend?

Seam ripper
Good lighting
Nimble fingers

What are the two largest ethnic groups in Peru?

Cocamas and Nianges
Cocamas and Yaguas
Ningunas and Yaguas

A man visiting Page, Ariz., said he had "never seen such beauty." Where was he from?

Atlanta
Paris
Tokyo

Virtual Explorers

The Virtual Explorers have stories to tell you at www.virtualexplorers.org. First, meet the explorers and learn about their mission to support science through project-based learning. Next, read about their Expeditions to Belize, Ghana and Peru. You can review their research of Antillean manatees, Roloway monkeys and Amazon River dolphins, and you'll find daily diaries and highlights about each expedition. Finally, make a difference in the world with information that's just For Kids.

Voices Are Calling

Listen to the Voices of the Colorado Plateau at http://archive.li.suu.edu/voices/voices.html. You'll find audio clips of interviews with people who live on the plateau. Paul Begay tells "The Gift of Spider Woman," the story of a woman who taught Navajo women to weave. Lose yourself in Places such as the Coconino Plateau and the Grand Canyon, where you can enjoy the magnificent terrain. Families and River Running are just two of the Topics that are important to the people who tell about them. The voices are calling. Heed the call.

What do you plan to be doing in 10 years? How are you preparing for it?

Speak Out Here!

Dear Amy: What is a hybrid car?
- Richard, Lenexa, Kan.

Dear Richard: A Hybrid Electrical Vehicle, or HEV, uses an internal combustion engine and an electric motor for power. This means HEVs require less gasoline than conventional vehicles. Due to this decrease in gasoline consumption, HEVs are low-emission vehicles, making them environmentally friendly. Also, a process called regenerative braking captures the energy that is lost during braking and stores it for use to power the HEV. Find out more about regenerative braking and HEVs at www.ott.doe.gov/hev/what.html. (This site is no longer available.)

Dear Amy: What's so great about fiber optics? - Luke, San Antonio

Dear Luke: Fiber optics are the fastest medium for transferring digital data. A fiber optic is a tiny strand of glass with a reflective material called cladding around it and an outer buffer coating to protect it. Light moves through the fiber to transfer data and reflects off of the cladding as it travels through the fiber. The message may weaken due to impurities in the glass. When this happens, a laser pumps up the light signal. Look at http://communication.howstuffworks
.com/fiber-optic-communications/fiber-optic.htm for more information about fiber optics.

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