4Kids.org - Week of January 26, 2003

Week of January 26, 2003

Tricky Trade

Don't Buy It: Get Media Smart at http://pbskids.org/dontbuyit. Advertisers use tricks to sell products, including leaving hamburgers raw in the center so they look plump and juicy. Check out weird products, such as the Pet Rock, and see whether they were "hot" or "snot." Also discover the secret of using technology to create the perfect body for a magazine cover. A junk food quiz tells you some facts that you might not want to know about your favorite snacks. Be sure to meet Nick Salter, who is fighting for commercial-free public schools.

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

Visit the Featured Web sites to find the answers

How many radio stations can one company own?

100
1,000
As many as they want.

How many aluminum cans are burned daily even though they are recyclable?

100 thousand
100 million
1 thousand

What will decline without marine reserves?

plankton
algae
fish populations

Developing a Green School

Join the Green Squad on a mission to make their school environmentally friendly at www.nrdc.org/greensquad. Four kids take you on an interactive journey turning a school inside out and searching for health and safety hazards. Roll your mouse over anything suspicious to find out exactly what's wrong. Then click on the picture to get the lowdown on the problem. The Envir-o-meter shows how serious the hazard is. After the adventure, you'll be able to make your school eco-friendly.

Save the Fish, Help the Fishermen

Dive deep into Marine Reserves: How Do You Fit In? at www.jason.org/digital_labs/CINMS. You'll learn about marine reserves and become familiar with fishing laws, sanctuaries and harvesting methods. Before entering the simulation, choose the role that you wish to play in the digital lab. There, you will have the opportunity to learn about reserves by creating your own sanctuary. But be careful. You must consider the needs of others as you strive to meet your own needs. (This site is no longer available.)

What can be done to increase voter participation?

Speak Out Here!

Dear Amy: What is a wide-area network? -- Samurdha, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Dear Samurdha: A wide-area network (WAN) is a network of computers across a large geographical area. WANs are composed of local-area networks (LANs), small networks such as those used to network the computers in a single office building or in your school. To form a WAN, LANs are usually connected to each other by telephone lines or satellites, just as the Internet is. You can find additional information about WANs, LANs and other technology words and phrases at www.webopedia.com.

Dear Amy: Does the weather affect cell phone reception? -- Fernie, El Paso, Texas

Dear Fernie: The weather, among other factors, can affect cell phone reception. For instance, radio waves travel best in humid air, so range of reception decreases when the air is dry. Weather beyond the Earth, such as solar flares, can also affect cell phone reception. A solar flare may damage a satellite that is used for cell phone transmissions. You can find out about other factors that influence cell phone reception by going to http://telecom.hellodirect.com/ docs/ Tutorials/ ImproveCellReception.1.031501.asp.

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