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Can objects move by themselves? Without a visible force being exerted on them? Here is a chance to find out using mothballs and other objects. What you will discover speaks to the power of chemical forces.

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In your mind, imagine how the world used to be. Believe it or not, less than 100 years ago, the streets were filled with horses, not cars. Less than 75 years ago, having a telephone in one’s house was unheard of. Less than 50 years ago, people relied on radios for their news and entertainment-televisions had only just been invented. Even fifteen years ago, the Internet was just being put together, and email was just a dream. How things have changed!

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Yes, they look like horses, and are part of the Equus genus like horses are, but they look a bit different and they roam the plains and mountains of Africa. Zebras, known for their outrageous black and white stripes are one of nature’s finest examples of diversification. Let’s learn a little about these gorgeous creatures, and find out what is happening to them in the 21st century.

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Most of us are familiar with many of the fairy tales collected by the Grimm Brothers. See if you can read some lines from some of these stories and guess the name of the story that they came from.

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“Soon after that she had a little daughter, who was as white as snow, and as red as blood, and her hair was as black as ebony, and she was therefore called little Snow White.”

“Once there was a miller who was poor, but who had a beautiful daughter. Now it happened that he had to go and speak to the king, and in order to make himself appear important he said to him, ‘I have a daughter who can spin straw into gold.’”

Do these sound familiar to you? Both of these stories have been retold by thousands of people in hundreds of different languages. The first is line is from the famous story that was made into a movie by Walt Disney called Snow White. The second is from a less familiar but still widely read story called Rumpelstilzchen (try to spell that word without looking at this page!)

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Most kids love to eat pizza. But, have you ever tried to make your own pizza. Try this fun recipe for french bread pizza at home. Just make sure that you have an adult help you with the oven. Especially one with a little bit of baking experience!

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“Soon after that she had a little daughter, who was as white as snow, and as red as blood, and her hair was as black as ebony, and she was therefore called little Snow White.”

“Once there was a miller who was poor, but who had a beautiful daughter. Now it happened that he had to go and speak to the king, and in order to make himself appear important he said to him, ‘I have a daughter who can spin straw into gold.’”

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Did you read the book A Long Way From Chicago also written by Richard Peck? If you have, then you know who Grandma Dowdel is. If you haven’t read it, and you’ve picked up a copy of A Year Down Yonder, get ready for Grandma Dowdel to start ruling your world.

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Our bodies contain thousands of miles of blood vessels. Enough to circle the earth 2 1/2 times if laid out end-to end! Arteries and veins are the main throughway for blood to carry cells. But in between veins and arteries are these tiny vessels called capillaries. Capillaries only can allow red blood cells to pass in a single-file line! This experiment helps to illustrate how blood cells are able to fit through the tiny capillaries.

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Who is the greatest soccer player ever to have lived? Okay, maybe that’s a controversial question– great players crop up every year. But if you look at who all of the great soccer players are compared to, you’ll find Pelé’s name appearing over and over. Who the heck is Pelé, anyway? The Sunday Times, a London Paper put it this way, “How do you spell Pelé? G-O-D.”

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Imagine this: you and your best friend are calmly paddling your canoe through the bayou. The sky is high and colorless, the water is as still as bottle glass. Your friend suggests that you both pull the canoe to the water’s edge, because it’s right around lunchtime, and your stomachs are growling. As you maneuver the light boat under an overhanging tree, dripping with Spanish moss, your paddle brushes against a log… Or at least what you thought was a log.

Before you know it that log is thrashing around, snapping its jaws, stirring up the water with its powerful tail. You are both yelling at the top of your lungs, your hearts beating like tom-tom drums. But as quickly as the commotion began, it’s over, and both of you are left with your mouths open slightly, and one question on the tips of your tongues: was that an alligator or a crocodile?

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Do you know what is one of the largest construction projects ever completed? We’ll give you a hint…it is very long and it took hundreds of years to build. Give up? The answer is The Great Wall of China. Continue reading and learn some interesting facts about the history and construction of the Great Wall.

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