4Kids.org - Week of September 9, 2007

Week of September 9, 2007

Artistic Africa

The National Museum of African Art is ready for your arrival at www.nmafa.si.edu/index2.html. This virtual museum collection
introduces you to the imaginative brilliance on display in Africa. Arts and Programs brings the art to you as you tour the many galleries highlighting the beauty of this faraway land. Explore the Collection explains the uses, diversity and imagery used in African art to help you understand the history behind the creations. Visit Playtime and see the rich history behind Africa’s masks, then design your own.

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

Visit the Featured Web sites to find the answers.

Who normally weaves broadloom textiles?

Women
Men
Children

How many levels of thought does A.I. have?

Five
Six
Three

What does “Ah Piztlaw” mean?

He loves playing ball
Play Ball
He the ball player

Rad Robots

Introduce yourself to the very real world of Artificial Intelligence, or A.I., at http://library.thinkquest.org
/05aug/01158. From movies to books, many different entertainment mediums focus on the future of A.I. Basics explains how computers think and details what A.I. is really about. Click and drag different objects into a cube in Uses to discover all the cool ways A.I influences your life. Ethics helps explain how scientists keep a handle on A.I. while continuing their research. Also, see if you can crack Azimov’s Code.

A MesoAmerican Adventure

Ready ... set ... play ball! Prepare yourself for the Mesoamerican Ballgame sporting adventure at www.ballgame.org/main.asp. Explore the Ballgame will teach you about the first team sport that tied the people of Mesoamerica together. Take a front-row seat or suit up for some serious sparring as you compete against powerful players. But, be warned! The losers of this game were often sacrificed, while the winners were showered with gifts and riches beyond their wildest dreams. Save some time to visit Experience the Exhibit for more about this serious sport.

What is your favorite school sport to play?

Speak Out Here!

Prized Science Part 2

A lot of readers have asked me for advice with their science fair projects, so I have decided to ask Madeline, the creator of www.super-science-fair-projects.com, to share her Best 10 Science Fair Tips on the Planet!

1. Start your project when you get the assignment.
2. Keep a Science Fair Journal. Write everything that you do and see.
3. Choose a subject that interests you.
4. Interview experts. They will offer ideas and suggestions.
5. Write the question that your experiment will answer: Will flowers bloom faster in sunlight than in dark?
6. Turn your question into a hypothesis: Flowers bloom faster in sunlight than in the dark.
7. Controlled variables: Everything in the experiment that stays the same.
8. One independent variable: Change only one thing. Grow 10 plants in a dark closet, then grow 10 plants on a window ledge.
9. Write your observations in your journal.
10. Secret: Your hypothesis does not have to be correct. That is what is so great about science fair projects … there are no wrong answers!

—Amy

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