Koalas, penguins at risk of extinction: study

By Marlowe Hood Marlowe Hood – Mon Dec 14, 6:27 am ET

COPENHAGEN (AFP) – Climate change threatens the survival of dozens of animal species from the emperor penguin to Australian koalas, according to a report released Monday at the UN climate summit.

Rising sea levels, ocean acidification and shrinking polar ice are taking a heavy toll on species already struggling to cope with pollution and shrinking habitats, said the study from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an intergovernmental group.

"Humans are not the only ones whose fate is at stake here in Copenhagen -- some of our favourite species are also taking the fall for our CO2 emissions," said Wendy Foden, an IUCN researcher and co-author of the study.

The report details how climate change undermines the viability of 10 species, including the leatherback turtle, the beluga whale, clownfish, the emperor penguin and salmon.

Australia? siconic bear-like koala faces malnutrition and ultimate starvation as the nutritional quality of eucalyptus leaves declines as CO2 levels increase, the report added.

Polar species are especially hard hit.

The ringed seal is being forced further north as sea ice it relies on for rearing its vulnerable pups retreats every decade.

The emperor penguin, remarkably adapted to thrive in harsh Antarctic conditions, faces similar problems. Reduced ice cover makes it harder to mate and raise chicks, and has caused a sharp decline in the availability of krill, a major food source.

As once-frozen tundra gives way to forest, the common red fox has moved northward, where it hunts and competes with its far rarer arctic cousin.

The beluga whale is doubly threatened by global warming: loss of sea ice makes it tough to find prey, and the rush to open new maritime routes is likely to result in deadly ship strikes, as happens elsewhere.

"For a large portion of biodiversity, climate change is an additional and major threat," said Jean-Christophe Vie, deputy head of the IUCN?s Species Programme.

In tropical regions, more than 160 species of staghorn corals -- and the tens of millions of people that depend on healthy coral reefs for their livelihood -- are dying off due to ocean acidification, a direct result of warming seas.

For clownfish, brought to the screen by Hollywood in the animated blockbuster "Finding Nemo", the changing ecosystem impairs sense of smell, which they use to find the sea anemones they rely on for protection.

Salmon stocks are dropping off not just from overfishing but because lower oxygen levels resulting from increased water temperatures boost susceptibility to disease and disrupt breeding.

The United Nations climate talks are tasked with forging a durable solution to global warming and helping poor countries cope with its consequences. They are set to end with a summit on Friday with around 120 leaders attending.

In a few more years, you will be making decisions on how to protect our planet ad the animals. Can you think of any way we can help save animals that are in danger of extinction?

Fourth-Grader Finds Dinosaur Fossil

A 9-year-old girl spots a bone amid rocks and dirt in Maryland
By Laura Linn December 7 , 2009

It turns out that fourth-grader Gabrielle Block has an eye for fossils. The nine-year-old found a dinosaur bone at Dinosaur Park in Maryland. She is the first person to find a fossil there since the park opened to the public.

"Usually it takes a well-trained and practiced eye to be able to pick out the fossils" from the rocks and dirt, park manager Donald Creveling told The Washington Post.

On November 21, Gabrielle found a half-inch fossil. Experts at the park believed it to be a bone from a dinosaur’s tail. The dinosaur was probably a small meat-eater. It most likely lived more than 100 million years ago.

The fossil is now at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. There, paleontologists, or scientists who study ancient life from fossils, will examine it more closely.

Gabrielle found the fossil after sifting through dirt and rocks for some time. She was visiting the park with her parents and 7-year-old sister, Rachael. Even though Rachael is the true dinosaur lover in the family, Gabrielle was thrilled with her discovery.

“I was really excited and happy,” Gabrielle told The Washington Post.

Dinosaur Park
A dinosaur park is an area of land where dinosaur fossils have been found. It is not just for scientists. Anyone who has interest can go there to hunt for fossils. Dinosaur Park in Prince George’s County, Maryland, invites visitors the first and third Saturday of each month. Gabrielle made her big find on just the second weekend the park was open to the public.

People have been finding fossils in this area for more than 150 years. Dinosaur Park was created so that no one could destroy the fossil area by building offices or houses there. Paleontologists believe Dinosaur Park has many more fossils yet to be found. And Gabrielle’s little sister, Rachael, hopes to find one of them. “I promised [Rachael] we’d go back next time [Dinosaur Park] is open,” her mom told The Washington Post.

Imagine you found a fossil. What would you do with this part of the past? Donate it to a museum, keep it, start your own museum? Remember to tell why.

Great White Sharks Are Closer Than You Think

A new study shows that these fierce ocean hunters swim near beaches—but they don't treat people as prey
By Robbin Friedman November 30 , 2009

Picture a great white shark. Do you think of it hunting deep in the ocean, far from the shore? Many scientists thought great white sharks spent most of their time that way. They believed these deep-ocean swimmers only rarely came near the beaches that might bring them close to humans.

A new study, however, shows that this is not true. It turns out that great white sharks in the Pacific Ocean often swim close to busy California beaches. Several have even gone inside San Francisco Bay.

But the study does not mean that humans are in any more danger from sharks than scientists thought before. Why? The sharks are not interested in people.

Tagging and Tracking the Sharks

For the study, 10 scientists tagged 179 great white sharks. They used darts to attach special tags to the sharks. The tags tracked the sharks’ movements.

The tracking showed that the sharks spend several months a year off the coast of central and northern California. They pass close to beaches where swimmers and surfers gather. They are drawn to the areas by prey, like seals and sea lions. The researchers were surprised to find that a few sharks left the ocean and entered San Francisco Bay.

Minding Their Own Business

But the researchers don’t see any cause for alarm, or worry. Apparently the sharks have been close by all along, without humans noticing. The study “shows us the sharks are really minding their own business,” said Salvador J. Jorgenson of Stanford University. Jorgenson is the study’s lead author.

Scientists already knew that the great white shark mostly stays away from humans. Shark attacks on humans are very rare. Each year, more people die from dog bites than from shark attacks.

New Findings About Migration

The tags also helped the researchers learn about the sharks’ migration, or yearly travel, patterns. Many scientists believed that sharks did not swim anywhere in particular in their ocean travels. Instead, they learned that the sharks follow very clear migration paths.

In late winter, the sharks swim thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean. Many travel as far as Hawaii. One spot in the migration area has been called the “White Shark Café.” The area got its nickname because so many sharks gather there. In late summer, the sharks return to the California coast.

Name 3 facts you have learned about Great White Sharks? Remember to write a topic sentence such as “I have learned many things about Great White Sharks” to begin your 4 sentence paragraph.

Help Others This Holiday Season

November 20, 2008

This holiday make the season a little brighter for others. Giving back is a great thing to do all year round, but the holidays tend to bring out the charitable side in most people. Try some of these ideas with your family and make a difference this holiday season.

• Donate to a charitable organization
• Invite an elderly neighbor or someone who lives alone to join your celebration (ask your parents first!)
• Deliver a meal to a family in need
• Write a thoughtful note to someone special
• Bring your host a small gift to show your appreciation and offer to help clean up
• Donate clothes you've outgrown
• Donate food to a local charity or food bank
• Volunteer at a soup kitchen
• Send a care package to a soldier
• Visit hospital patients
• Foster a dog or cat
• Adopt an endangered animal through a zoo
• Shovel snow for a neighbor
• Help pick up trash at a local park
• Join a church or school group that does community service projects

Helping others is a theme of the holidays. Is there anything else we can add to this list to help others? Remember to write your idea in paragraph format. Make it great!

Thanksgiving Blessings

From colonial times to the present, this holiday has always been a time to say thanks

By TIME For Kids

Americans have always been hungry for the holidays. After all, a big Thanksgiving feast is one of our country's oldest traditions, older than America itself. Thankfully, the spirit behind Thanksgiving has never changed, either. It has always been a special time to be grateful for the blessings of the past year.

The History Behind the Holiday

The feast that has become known as the First Thanksgiving was actually a harvest festival celebrated in December of 1621. That's when English settlers in Plymouth, Massachusetts, gave thanks for the progress they had made after a harsh winter in their new country. Guests at outdoor tables gobbled up ducks, geese, turkeys, clams, eels, fish, wild plums, corn bread and other goodies. About 90 Native Americans also came and brought five deer to add to the feast. The festival lasted for three days.

Thanksgiving customs spread and expanded along with the rest of America. After the American Revolution, George Washington proclaimed that the first national Thanksgiving would be on November 26, 1789. In the decades to follow, however, people celebrated Thanksgiving locally and with no official date.

A women's magazine editor named Sarah Josepha Hale wanted to change this. After years of drumming up support, she finally persuaded President Abraham Lincoln to proclaim the last Thursday in November 1863 as a national day of Thanksgiving. It stayed that way for 75 years afterward until 1939, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt set it one week earlier. He wanted to lengthen the shopping period before Christmas to encourage gift-buyers and help businesses. So Congress ruled that, after 1941, Thanksgiving would be an official federal holiday falling each year on the fourth Thursday of November. This year we celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 26.

In a short paragraph or 4 or more sentences, describe how Thanksgiving began. Do not forget to proofread your posting to ensure you post your best work.

Studies: As Ice Sheets Flow and Melt, Oceans Continue to Rise

Posted: 11/23/09

Since 2006, the Antarctic ice sheet has been flowing into the surrounding ocean at an increased rate, resulting in ever-rising sea levels, a new study says.

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin said satellite images suggest sea level will likely to rise faster than previously predicted.

"If the current trend continues or gets worse, Antarctica could become the largest contributor to sea level rises in the world. It could start to lose more ice than Greenland within a few years," the study's lead author, Jianli Chen, told the BBC.

The study's release comes as world nations prepare to meet Dec. 7 in Copenhagen, Denmark, for the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. The White House says it will propose a target for reduced carbon emissions at the conference.
New studies show an increase in Antarctic ice sheet flow, in combination with rapidly melting Greenland ice, is causing a rise in global sea levels.

Over the weekend, controversy erupted when computer hackers broke into the e-mail account of Phil Jones, one of the world's leading researchers on climate change, and posted messages that appeared to show Jones admitting to tinkering with temperature data to explain a relative lull in global warming over the past 10 years.

Republican Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma, the ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and a skeptic of global warming, has accused U.N. researchers of "cooking the science" to make climate change seem more severe than it is.

Meanwhile, another report released Monday by Europe's largest insurance company, Allianz, warns that unless immediate action is taken to curb greenhouse gas emissions, the world faces a "tipping-point scenario," resulting in billions in weather-related insurance losses.

The Allianz report said that if climate change is left unchecked, rising sea levels would be particularly hard felt in the United States, because of its proximity to Greenland's rapidly melting ice sheet:

"As water added to the ocean takes time to be globally distributed, this leads to sea level rise that is larger than the global average in some regions. Here, the greatest initial sea level rises are predicted down the North Eastern seaboard of the USA, affecting a number of U.S. port megacities including Baltimore, Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Providence," the report said.

Another new study, conducted at Utrecht University in the Netherlands and published in the journal Science, found that, as with Antarctica, Greenland's ice sheet is melting faster than past studies showed.

According to The Associated Press, sea level has risen by an average of an inch and a half since 1997.

This is another real world news story. Tell in a small paragraph of 4 or more sentences, what is the problem with the ice melting. What can we do to stop the problem?

Over 100 icebergs drifting to N.Zealand

Mon Nov 23, 2:09 am ET

SYDNEY (AFP) – More than 100, and possibly hundreds, of Antarctic icebergs are floating towards New Zealand in a rare event which has prompted a shipping warning, officials said on Monday.

An Australian Antarctic Division glaciologist said the ice chunks, spotted by satellite photography, had passed the Auckland Islands and were heading towards the main

South Island, about 450 kilometres (280 miles) northeast.

Scientist Neal Young said more than 100 icebergs -- some measuring more than 200 metres (650 feet) across -- were seen in just one cluster, indicating there could be hundreds more.

He said they were the remains of a massive ice floe which split from the Antarctic as sea and air temperatures rise due to global warming.

"All of these have come from a larger one that was probably 30 square kilometres (11.6 square miles) in size when it left Antarctica," Young told AFP.

"It's done a long circuit around Antarctica and now the bigger parts of it are breaking up and producing smaller ones."

He said large numbers of icebergs had not floated this close to New Zealand since 2006, when a number came within 25 kilometres of the coastline -- the first such sighting since 1931.

"They're following the same tracks now up towards New Zealand. Whether they make it up to the South Island or not is difficult to tell," Young said.

New Zealand has already issued coastal navigation warnings for the area in the Southern Ocean where the icebergs have been seen.

"It's really just a general warning for shipping in that area to be on the alert for icebergs," said Maritime New Zealand spokesman Ross Henderson.

The icebergs are smaller remnants of the giant chunks seen off Australia's Macquarie Island this month, including one estimated at two kilometres (1.2 miles) and another twice the size of Beijing's "Bird's Nest" Olympic Stadium.

Young earlier told AFP he expected to see more icebergs in the area if the Earth's temperature continues to increase.

"If the current trends in global warming were to continue I would anticipate seeing more icebergs and the large ice shelves breaking up," he said.

When icebergs last neared New Zealand in 2006, a sheep was helicoptered out to be shorn on one of the floes in a publicity stunt by the country's wool industry.

This is a real world situation that is in the news. Now in a 3-4 sentence paragraph, sum up what is the main points of this article.

Rattlesnake Rustlers

When Heather Ramirez of Auburn, California, went to the dentist recently with her husband Len, she wasn’t there to have her teeth cleaned. She and her husband are professional snake removers. They were there to catch and return to the wild a rattlesnake that had slithered indoors.

She describes her work as “protecting people from rattlesnakes—and protecting rattlesnakes from people.” In her part of the country, the northern Pacific rattlesnake (Crotalus virudis oreganos) often comes face-to-face with humans.

Studies show these snakes generally only bite people who are trying to catch or kill them. Keeping your distance prevents bites, which are serious but not usually fatal with today’s medicines. A rattlesnake can even give a loud warning that says, “I am here, stay away” with the rattles located at the tip of its tail.

“We find rattlesnakes everywhere,” says Ramirez. “In houses, in yards and woodpiles, under decks.” She says that the snakes aren’t invading human homes—it’s the other way around: “These animals were here first, and we humans came in and built houses. We are living in their territory.”
Many people are frightened when they see a rattler and call for help right away. When the Ramirez phone rings, the couple drops whatever they are doing and rushes to work, often leaving a meal half-eaten on the table.

The team is good at finding snakes that have gone into hiding. A tool that looks like long spaghetti tongs allow them to handle the snakes without harming them (see photo), and the tongs are long enough that the snake cannot reach them to bite.

“Never pick up a rattlesnake,” says Ramirez. “I’ve been doing this job for 12 years, and I have never touched one with my hands. There’s no reason to take that risk.”

“We put the snakes in wooden crates in our pickup truck. Those crates are bolted to the floor and locked for safety,” explains Ramirez. She takes the captives to holding pens at her house until she can let them go far away from human activity.

Ramirez tells people to read all they can about snakes so they understand these amazing animals. For example, snakes actually help humans. Small mammals like rats, mice, and gophers carry fleas and ticks that spread serious illnesses like bubonic plague and Lyme disease to people. A snake might eat a dozen rodents a year, helping control the population—and the spread of disease.
Ramirez and her husband relocate more than a thousand snakes a year. “The longest was 5 feet 9 inches (1.8 meters), and I’m only five-foot-three, so that was amazing to see.” She enjoys every day working with snakes. “I just love my job!”

Snake Safety Tips
* If you see a snake, don’t touch it. Go tell an adult.
* Snakes like warmth, and they often curl up at night next to big plastic toys outside that hold the warmth of the sun. Look carefully when you go out to play.
* Never put your hands into woodpiles or dark corners of the garage in case a snake is hiding there.
* When you’re out playing, step on rocks and logs, not over them. You don’t want to surprise a snake that might be hiding underneath.

Can you write down 3 facts you have learned about rattlesnakes? Remember to write in complete sentences.

A Future That Floats

When Mohammed Rezwan was a kid, his school used to close for three or four months every year. The break was not an extra-long summer vacation. School was closed because of floods.
Rezwan grew up in Bangladesh, where floods are common. The floods stop many kids from completing their education. Rezwan finished school. But he never forgot his friends who did not.

He wanted to make it possible for kids in his country to go to school year-round. "If the kids cannot go to school, why don't we bring the school to them?" he recalls thinking.

Rezwan decided to build boat schools that can reach students even during a flood. Each boat has a classroom, a library and computers.

Losing Ground
The people of Bangladesh are used to floods. Every summer, heavy rains hit the Asian country. Rain fills the rivers, and they overflow onto the land. Lately, the floods have gotten worse.
Scientists say the Earth is getting warmer. That is making mountain glaciers near Bangladesh melt. The melted ice causes even more floods.

Experts believe that by 2050, one-fifth of Bangladesh could be covered with water. Millions of people would have nowhere to live.


Hope for the Future
Rezwan is not letting the problems slow him down. Instead, he is coming up with more solutions. He has built library boats, hospital boats and houseboats. All of them run on solar power.
Rezwan is doing all that he can to help his country. People outside of Bangladesh can lend a hand too. "Kids in the U.S. can focus on using less energy," he says. "It will help countries that are suffering because of climate change."

Living in one of the rainiest spots in the world has it’s problems. Scientists are predicting that the flooding will get worse. Can you sum up this article in a 2-3 sentence summary?

Making Sure Girls Count

Elina Seketsani, 15, dreams of being a teacher. She is from Dedza, a district near the capital of Malawi, a country in Africa. Her teachers say she's a smart girl who has a bright future. But a few years ago, she wasn't even sure she would finish the fourth grade.

When Elina was 9, she dropped out of school to work as a babysitter. She had to support her family. "My hopes of making it as a teacher were shattered," Elina says.

Malawi is one of the poorest nations in the world. Hunger and disease are part of daily life. Girls there are less valued than boys. "When a family doesn't have money to send all the kids to school, they'll send the boys first," says Brad Kerner of Save the Children. The group works with kids in poor countries.

The unequal treatment of girls is a problem in many parts of the globe. A new program from the Nike Foundation hopes to change that. It aims to show that girls are important. They can help fight poverty, disease and other problems. Nike calls it the "girl effect."

Girls Are the Solution
A girl can change the world. She just needs the right tools. Studies show that families benefit when girls stay in school. Educated women earn more money.

More than 600 million girls live in poverty worldwide. But groups are working to help these girls succeed. In Malawi, CARE is helping more than 15,000 girls. Reading circles, science camps and other activities promote girls' education. "When you educate a girl, her whole community benefits," says Sarah Bouchie of CARE.

Save the Children also has a program in Malawi. It encourages girls to stay in school. It teaches them business skills too. And boys are taught to respect girls.

A Second Chance
Elina Seketsani returned to school at age 13. With support from Save the Children, Elina has excelled. She is a role model for other girls. "Get an education," she tells them. "I am working hard to realize my dream of becoming a teacher."

I could not imagine a place where boys and girls were not treated equally. We discussed how veterans fought to help protect our country. How do you think we could help these girls in less fortunate countries? Sometimes the greatest ideas come from kids. Explain your thoughts.

The New York Yankees are back on top.

The Yankees won the World Series for the 27th time. On Wednesday, they beat the Philadelphia Phillies , 7-3. The Yankees won four games in the best-of-seven series. The Phillies won two.
In Game 6 Wednesday, the Yankees gave their home crowd a lot to cheer about. Japanese slugger Hideki Matsui smacked a homer, a single, and a double. Each hit brought in two runs. That gave him six runs batted in (RBIs) for the night. Matsui won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for the Series.

“Winning the championship is such a great feeling,” Matsui said. “I guess you can say that this is the best moment of my life right now.”

The National League (NL) Phillies won the World Series last year. They had hoped to win the title two years in a row. But the American League (AL) Yankees were too strong. The Yankees won the Series for the first time since beating the New York Mets in 2000.

The Yankees have played in the Series 40 times since the first World Series in 1903. That is a record in baseball. So is the team’s 27 World Series wins. The St. Louis Cardinals hold second place, with 10 Series wins.

Big Win in a New HomeYankees fans are always hungry for a trophy. But winning the World Series this year is especially sweet. The Yankees started the year in a brand-new Yankee Stadium. It replaced the old Yankee Stadium that was built in 1923. That was the place where the Yankees found so much glory. Bringing the World Series trophy to the new stadium says that the old Yankee glory is alive and well.

It must be exciting to have your team win the World Series. Do you have a sports team? If so, which sport and which team? Explain why you like this team.

A Sticky Situation #4

Marty is a hall monitor at school. While monitoring the hall, he sees his friend Paul take a cell phone out of his backpack. Cell phones are not allowed in school. Marty doesn't want to get Paul in trouble, but Marty is supposed to help keep order in the halls and to tell a teacher when school rules are broken. What should Marty do?

Write a paragraph explaining what you think Marty should do.

A Sticky Situation #3

Joey is walking home from school when he gets a text message from his friend Deirdre. She wants Joey to come to her house to see her new video-game system. Joey really wants to see Deirdre's new game, but his parents told him to go straight home after school. What should Joey do?

Write a paragraph explaining what you think Joey should do.

A Sticky Situation #2

Ricky and Nadia were talking in class. Their teacher, Mrs. Belle, thought she heard Jenny's voice. Mrs. Belle wants to send Ricky and Jenny to the principal's office for disrupting class. Nadia doesn't want Jenny to get in trouble for something she didn't do, but she doesn't want to get in trouble either.

Write a paragraph explaining what you think Nadia should do.

A Sticky Situation

Maurice is at the mall when he sees his best friend, Veronica, steal candy from one of the stores. Veronica offers to split the candy with Maurice if he promises not to tell anyone. Maurice loves candy, but he knows that stealing is wrong.

Write a paragraph explaining what you think Maurice should do.

Museum Disagreement

Here is a bit of history on Greece and the Parthenon. Click the link below to watch the video. Pay attention for you will need to understand this disagreement to be able to give your understanding on how they should solve it.

Click the link below. Then click the VIDEO tab to start the video.

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Places/Find/Greece

Now, there is a disagreement between the museums in Greece and England. Who should have the statues? Should they be returned to Greece or stay in London? What do you think?