4Kids.org - Week of October 15, 2006

Week of October 15, 2006

Beetle Alert

Bug lovers will adore Beetle Science at http://ecommons2.
library.cornell.edu/web_
archive/explore.cornell.edu/scene3396.html?scene=Beetle%20Science. Start with a taxonomic view of life on Earth in Species-Scape to see just how populous the beetle is. Then get up close and personal with Virtual Beetles, 3-D images of species such as the Japanese Rhinoceros Beetle found in Asia and Japan. Carbon Dust Illustrations are cool art creations featuring many creepy crawlers. Virtual Labs allows you to tour research laboratories, vital to beetle science. Watch out for the ALB! This beetle may be infesting an area near you.

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

Visit the Featured Web sites to find the answers.

What does ALB stand for?

Asian Longhorned Beetle
Ant Larvum Beetle
African Longhaired Beetle

What should you do with your soda cans?

Recycle them
Throw them in the trash
Throw them out the window

How many traits help with effective writing?

Four
Five
Six

Environmental Aid

See how you can better our environment at www.acnatsci.org/kids/
10things.html. If everyone makes small changes in his or her life, we can greatly impact nature's health. You can begin Mother Nature’s makeover by checking out your own home. The Rule of the 4 R's will guide you step-by-step. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rethink to help create a healthy, clean environment. Make sure to read through 10 Things You and Your Family Can Do to Make a Difference so that every member of your household gets involved. (This site is no longer available.)

The Story of Their Lives

Become a biographer with help from The Biography Maker at http://bellinghamschools.org/department-owner/curriculum/bsd-bio-maker-biography-maker. Four simple steps will guide you through this writing process. Questioning gives you ideas on what to ask your person of interest while writing your literary work. Learning about the person is important so you can present him or her in the most honest light. Put your research together in Synthesis and then begin telling the life story of your subject. Valuable tips can be found in each section. So start writing your masterpiece today!

What type of exercise do you get during the day?

Speak Out Here!

Stretch Your Mind

Did you know that one of the top traits employers desire in future employees is excellent communication skill? Even though you may not be in the job market yet, having the ability to speak clearly can help you. Intelligent communication in school can lead to better grades and leadership positions, like those on student council.

We all notice how others speak. I really take notice when someone is articulate in everyday conversations. You don’t have to use big words to make an impression, but increasing your vocabulary increases your knowledge.

Make learning new vocabulary an important part of your day. You can learn a word a day and practice using it in your conversations. Check out the following sites for helpful advice.

Elements of Language
www.ehrw.com/eolang

Learning Vocabulary Can Be Fun
www.vocabulary.co.il

(The first site is no longer available.)

—Amy

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