4Kids.org - Week of April 4, 2004

Week of April 4, 2004

Simply Z Best

Where do you turn for hands-on fun and fun online? You turn to Zoom at http://pbskids.org/zoom where you’ll find games, activities and stories created by kids. Zoomphenom teaches you how to conduct experiments such as creating a water trombone and a potato battery. After playing Noodle, a brain trivia game, satisfy your hunger at CaféZoom with fruit and veggie concoctions and tasty treats. You can even submit your own ideas for games and recipes. Continue the fun with printable activities that you can do with your friends or while you’re on a trip.

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

Visit the Featured Web sites to find the answers.

What does Zoom Into Action encourage kids to do?

vote
exercise
volunteer

What disperses a burdock seed?

animals
explosion
wind

What type of light do butterflies use to identify each other?

UV light
visible light
X-rays

What a Busy Bee

Help Bumbles the bee collect pollen particles for the Queen of Pollen Park at http://concer-tina.co.uk/
pollenpark. Your mission is to learn about plant reproduction by traveling to different areas of the park. In the picnic area, learn how to tell the difference between flowers pollinated by insects and flowers that use the wind to polinate. Buzz over to Park Lake to help a seed germinate with three important conditions. When you’re finished exploring, zip back to the hive to take the Pollen Park Challenge.

The Causes of Color

Discover the Causes of Color at http://webexhibits.org/ causesofcolor. Scientists have discovered that color is produced by 15 fundamental physical causes. The majority of those causes are a result of Made Light, Lost Light or Moved Light. In addition to types of light as sources of color, you’ll find out about theories of color, including how animals see color and how the human brain perceives color. Splash yourself with all the colors of the rainbow at this vibrant Web exhibit.

If you could choose a new name for yourself, what would it be?

Speak Out Here!

Oh, the Cruelty

April is the cruelest month. Why? Because income taxes are due. Let’s face it, we complain about paying taxes because we’d rather spend that money some other way, and we’d rather not spend all day Saturday shuffling through a shoebox of receipts.

Taxes have always been a burden. In fact, a major cause of the Revolutionary War was unjust taxation. These days, taxes are regulated better. In 1913, the Underwood-Simmons Tariff Act passed. Only 2% of Americans paid income taxes then. At that time, the government received enough money from other taxes to keep income taxes low.

The two World Wars changed how the government spends money, so almost all Americans pay income tax these days. The money collected is used to improve the country and to help other countries. A few ways that tax money is used in your neighborhood is for funding schools, paying for police and fire departments and maintaining parks.

If you are a nutty person who likes taxes and wants to learn more about them, or if you can’t stand taxes but still want to learn about them, go to the Tax History Project at www.taxhistory.org.

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