4Kids.org - Week of August 10, 2008

Week of August 10, 2008

Visit the Featured Web sites to find the answers.

What is the crane a symbol for?

good fortune and long life
safety
education

What is the fastest fish?

Shrimpfish
Mackerel
Blue Shark

Who determines
the look of a stamp?

the Postal Service art director
the President of the United States
an annual vote of all the postal service workers

Finger Folding Fun

Make awesome origami
art at Kids Web Japan’s Exploring Origami,
http://web-japan.org/
kidsweb/virtual/origami2. Celebrate Japanese culture when you download practice paper with special lines that will guide you as you create your art. If you want some inspiration, the Origami Gallery has great photos featuring beautiful paper projects of many shapes and sizes, such as land animals and flowering trees. Be sure to check out Origami Trivia for neat factoids about the special meanings behind this Japanese art.

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

Gold-Medal Goldfish?

Swim the seas with competitive fish at The Fish Olympics, www.liverpool
museums.org.uk/nof/
fish. Ray Mullet challenges you to choose who the gold medal fish might be in many different events. Play hide and seek in Cross Country Camouflage, where you can zoom in on photos of fish who don't want to be found. Fill your belly and your brain with the Eating Event, where hungry fish see who can feed their face the fastest. Paddling around this site will teach you a thing or two about what really goes on under the sea!

Stamp It Up

Browse through a collection of beautiful stamps at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum’s “The Art of the Stamp,” www.postalmuseum.si
.edu/artofthestamp. From superheroes to superstars, many memorable faces and places have graced our nation's stamps. The Artwork link features cool categories, such as Stamps With a Story and Love. Zoom out of this world with Science and Technology stamps featuring gorgeous portrayals of memorable moments in space. Then visit American Legends, where great men and women are highlighted for all to enjoy.

Are you looking forward to the start
of school? Why or why not?

Speak Out Here!

Dear Amy: What should I do with my old microchips? — Zohra, Mangalore, India

Dear Zohra: Technology waste is becoming a huge problem. It might be easy to just put old computer parts in the trash, but we need to remember that computer parts can contain toxic materials. Older computers and computer parts should always be properly disposed, either by reusing or recycling.

Newer computers and parts can be refurbished, or fixed and made like new again. Many organizations will refurbish old computers and give them to schools and poor communities around the globe. This is the best possible option. Not only does it help the environment, but it also provides opportunities for those who cannot afford to buy a computer.

Computers and parts that are too old to reuse should be recycled. Most of the materials in old computers and computer parts can safely be recycled and used to create new computer parts. For people who live in the U.S., visit http://earth911.org to find out where to recycle your old electronics. You can also go to https://www.techsoup.org/recycle to learn more about reusing and recycling old computers.

—Amy

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