4Kids.org - Week of January 31, 2010

Week of January 31, 2010

Visit the Featured Web sites to find the answers.

When was the Maillardet Automaton dropped off at the Franklin Institute?

November 1928
June 1935
April 1940

What kind of animal is Click?

Fox
Bear
Mouse

How many branches are
in the U.S. government?

3
4
5

The Mechanical Man

Do you think that an object can be cursed? Whether you are superstitious or not, The History of Science and Technology's Curse of the Automaton, www.fi.edu/
learn/sci-tech, will keep you on the edge of your seat. The Maillardet Automaton's past is a tragic one, from a fire to years of collecting dust because no one knew of his abilities. See this robot repaired and in action as his series of drawings tells the story of his life. When you consider how old this colorful guy is, you will be amazed!

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

Click on Science

Beatrice Bear Cure your boredom at Click, www.clickmagkids.com, where cool original projects are just waiting to be discovered by the likes of you! This online magazine changes its content month to month, so they always have something new to offer all the curious kids out there. Depending on when you visit, you may find seasonal projects to go along with the featured Click articles. Click also offers games and great book recommendations that will help entertain your brain no matter what occasion or holiday comes around.

You Be the Judge!

Learn all you can about laying down the law at Our Courts, 21st Century Civics, http://ourcourts.org. See what you can do to become an active participant in the judicial system when you visit About Our Courts. While you are there, try your hand at games such as Do I Have a Right? and Supreme Decision, where your legal skills will be put to the test. You can find helpful links and more information on this Web site by visiting the Newsroom. Be sure to share this site with your teachers and maybe earn some extra credit!

What is your favorite way to warm up
when it is cold outside?

Speak Out Here!

Search Safely

The Internet is huge and keeps growing every day. Did you know that there are so many new Web pages put up daily that it's impossible to keep count? Sometimes it's hard to know where to start when you want to research a topic or find cool games. Search engines and directories are good tools to help you find whatever you're looking for online. Unfortunately, not everything on the Web is OK for kids or even safe for your computer, so it helps to use only search engines that are filtered or directories that feature sites for kids. Check out Ivy's Search Engine Resources, www.ivyjoy.com/
rayne/kidssearch.html, for a list of kid-friendly search engines and helpful sites all in one place.

When you're ready to start searching, figure out what keywords best match the kind of site you’re looking for. If you want extra math practice, search for “math games” or something more specific like “multiplication games.” If you can't find what you're looking for, try changing your keywords or use a different search engine. Have fun and stay safe!

—Amy

Ask Amy a Question