991016 A Miracle at the Mine-Michael

A Miracle at the Mine
Rescue teams bring trapped miners to freedom in Chile
BY ANDREA DELBANCO

Tears of relief and shouts of joy rang out last week at the San Jose mine in northern Chile as 33 miners were lifted to freedom, one by one. The men, ranging from 19 to 63 years old, have been buried alive since a cave in the copper and gold mine they were working collapsed on August 5. It is the longest time anyone has ever survived being trapped underground.
Buried Alive
After the collapse, the men found an emergency shelter off one of the mine's tunnels. The temperature in the dark shelter was around 90F. For more than two weeks, the miners' water came from the radiator tanks on their work vehicles. They shared a supply of food that was meant to last for only 48 hours.
The miners were totally isolated until rescue teams made contact with the men on August 22. They sent a note to the surface explaining their situation. Rescuers drilled small holes to reach the cavern and sent down supply tubes containing food, water, clothes, medicine, fresh air and other supplies. They also received letters from their families, a television set and games.
A Complicated Rescue
Additional collapses slowed down rescue efforts. Finally, a tunnel was built that could fit a 13-foot rescue capsule, called the Pheonix. The escape hole measures 28 inches across, a tight fit for the twisting 20-minute, 2,041-foot ride. The first miner reached the surface just after midnight on Wednesday. The rescue mission was faster than expected, and all 33 men had been brought to safety by late the same day.
The miners were met by family members who were waiting at Camp Hope, a settlement of tents near the mine. Chile's president, Sebastián Piñera, cheered at the scene and hugged the miners. "We made a promise never to surrender, and we kept it," he said. After an immediate medical exam, the men were air-lifted to the nearest hospital for 48 hours of observation.


http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/news/story/0,28277,2025274,00.html

991016 A Miracle at the Mine-Michael
The miners were trapped since August 5th. They have been trapped for sixty nine days. I can’t even think about what it will be like down there. When they were working the mine suddenly collapsed, so they were buried alive in the mine. The mine was even deeper than the Taipei 101 so staying in there was a difficult thing to do. The mine was very hot because it was closer to the earth crust. The first miner was rescued just after midnight on Wednesday. The miners’ family members were all waiting at the Camp Hope it was a tent near the mine even the Chile president was there. Their family members were all very worried about the miners because they had been buried alive for a long time. The rescue team used a rescue capsule, called the Phoenix to save the miners. After a long time of rescuing all the thirty three men were all rescued. All the people were very happy to see them to be rescued. After the miners were rescued they were air-lifted to the nearest hospital to get their treatment.

991001 A Penny's Worth-Michael

A Penny's Worth
A one-of-a-kind penny sells for more than a million dollars
BY SUZANNE ZIMBLER

Some people say pennies bring good luck. Others say pennies are not worth saving. After all, a penny is only worth a cent. But one unusual penny turned out to be worth a lot more when a coin collector paid $1.7 million for it earlier this month.
The coin is one of a kind. It is the only penny that the Denver mint made out of copper, instead of steel, in 1943. Because it is unique, it is also very valuable. No penny has ever sold for this much money.
The Changing Penny
The Lincoln penny first appeared in 1909. For 34 years, the one-cent coin was made out of copper. Then, in 1943, the penny changed. World War II was going on, and copper was needed for equipment. So for one year, pennies were made out of steel instead. At least most of them were.
A small handful of coins were made out of leftover copper. There are three main mints or places where coins are made, in the United States. Of the known copper pennies from 1943, twelve were made in the Philadelphia mint, and five were made in the San Francisco mint. Only one was made in the Denver mint.
Nobody knows for sure why a copper penny was made at the Denver mint in 1943, coin-dealer Andy Skrabalak told TFK. "There's a rumor that a mint employee [made] the coin in the middle of the night," he said.
A Special Set
The coin collector who bought the $1.7 million penny wants to remain anonymous, or unknown. But the reason for his purchase is known. He already had two copper pennies from 1943—one from the San Francisco mint and one from the Philadelphia mint. To complete the set, he needed the Denver penny. The three coins will go on display at a rare-coin convention in Tampa, Florida, this January.
The collector who sold the penny is also keeping his identity a secret. It took four years to convince him to give up the rare coin. Now that he finally sold it, he is donating all of the money to charity.

http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/news/story/0,28277,2021923,00.html

991001 A Penny's Worth-Michael
A penny is just only a coin, it is not very important to people. A penny just worth 1 cent but a coin collector spends 1. 7 million dollars to buy a penny that worth one cent! Why did the coin collector do this? It is because that this penny is a very important to coin collectors they wanted to buy this special penny. This penny is the only copper penny that is made from Denver. There are three main mints that make coin they are, “Philadelphia mint”, “San Francisco mint” and “Denver mint”. The only eighteen copper coins are made from these three mints. Twelve of them were made from Philadelphia, five of them were made from San Francisco and the last one is made from Denver. One of the copper coins that cost 1.7 million is the one is from Denver. It was made in 1943. The value of a coin depends how rare it is if a coin is made from 2000 years ago, it might be very valuable. Now the American pennies are made of 97.5% of zinc and 2.5% of copper coated outside of the coin. I think these coins are very special. Maybe I can collect some coins too.

990924 It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Jupiter!

It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Jupiter!
On Monday, the planet will come closer to Earth than it has since 1963
BY SUZANNE ZIMBLER

Do you have plans tonight? How about a date with Jupiter? For the first time in nearly 50 years, the planet will be just 368 million miles away from Earth. You can catch a glimpse as the sun goes down. The planet won't appear as big or bright again for another 12 years.
A Shining Planet
Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. Right now, it is three times brighter than Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. Only the moon outshines Jupiter.
Around dusk on Monday, Jupiter, along with its many moons, will rise in the east. By midnight, the planet will be directly overhead. Binoculars and telescopes will not be not needed to see the planet, but they will improve the view. "Jupiter is so bright right now, you don't need a sky map to find it," says astronomer Tony Phillips. "You just walk outside and see it."
But Wait, There's More!
Jupiter is not the only planet making a rare appearance tonight. Coincidentally, Uranus will also come closer to Earth than it normally does. It is "a once in a lifetime event," says Phillips.
Uranus will be difficult to see with the naked eye. The planet will be 1.7 billion miles away from Earth—much farther than Jupiter. But through a telescope, the two planets will appear to be side-by-side. Uranus will shine like an emerald-colored disc.
If it is cloudy where you live tonight, Phillips says don't give up. Jupiter will remain relatively close for many weeks. And early risers are in luck: You can see Jupiter setting in the west just before sunrise.


http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/news/story/0,28277,2020326,00.html

990924 It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Jupiter! -Michael
Jupiter is a big planet. It is the first time nearly fifty years. Jupiter will be seen by naked eye on September 20th. Jupiter became very big on that day. The planet, Jupiter, will not be seen that big and bright for twelve years. That means that in twelve years, September 20th will be the greatest day to see Jupiter. I have never seen a planet with naked eye. Jupiter was so big on that day and it was also very bright. And also at that day, Uranus also can be seen on the telescope. It is just right beside Jupiter but we can not see it from our eyes we need a telescope to see it because Uranus is too far for us to see it with naked eyes. There are about 63 natural satellites around Jupiter unlike Earth, we only have one moon. Jupiter is the fifth planet from the sun and it is also the biggest planet in our solar system. Jupiter is made by a lot of gases such as hydrogen and helium. It is not like the Earth, our planet is made by rock, soil, lava, water. There is not any water or oxygen on Jupiter so we ca not live on there. Maybe if we have a chance we could go to Jupiter too.

990917 Amazing Amphibians-Michael

September 15, 2010
Amazing Amphibians
Check out these incredible facts about frogs, toads and salamanders
Courtesy Conservation International

Amphibians are amazing animals. Did you know that toads use their eyeballs to help swallow their prey? Or that there are species of salamanders that can re-grow a new leg or tail if needed? Read on to learn more interesting facts about these cool creatures.
• Amphibians live on all continents, except Antarctica.
• The goliath frog of West Africa is the world's biggest frog. Its body alone can reach almost a foot in length, and it weighs up to seven pounds. The giant frog also has the longest leap, easily clearing 10 feet in a single hop.
• The Chinese giant salamander is the world's biggest amphibian, weighing in at well over 100 pounds and reaching up to more than six feet in length.
• The toxin in one individual of the most toxic poison dart frog could kill over 90 humans.
• In Brazil, the world's only fruit-eating frog leaps with its mouth wide open at ripe fruit hanging in trees.
• The gliding frogs of Southeast Asia can "hang-glide" between trees, thanks to the extensive webbing between their toes.
• Spadefoot toads smell like peanut butter.
• The gastric brooding frog of Australia, now thought to be extinct, swallows its fertilized eggs. It raises the tadpoles in its tummy until they develop into frogs. Then the froglets come hopping out of the parents' mouth.
• A group of frogs is called an "army" of frogs, and a group of toads is a "knot" of toads.
• Some Australian frogs create their own insect repellent that resembles the smell of rotten meat, roasted cashew nuts and other scents.
• The ornate horned frog uses its powerful jaws and sharp teeth to capture rodents, birds, and other small animals. A large frog can eat an entire mouse with one swallow.
• The water-holding frog survives in the dry Australian outback by taking in so much rainwater that it blows up like a balloon.
• Frogs typically shed their skin about once a week—and usually eat it afterward.

http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/news/story/0,28277,2019443,00.html

990917 Amazing Amphibians-Michael
There are a lot of amphibians in the world. The seven continents except Antarctica all have amphibians. Amphibians are animals such as “frogs, toads, salamanders, and newts”. These animals are all cold blood animals. Amphibians are very special animals because they can live in water and on the land. Such as frogs, when the frog is born it doesn’t even look like a frog. You call a child frog –tadpole. When the tadpole frogs up it also grows legs and it will turn into a frog. When the outside changes, the inside also changes. A tadpole uses gills to breath but when it grows up it uses lungs to breath. The amphibians are very special animals. It is also special to call a group of frogs and toads. You call a group of frogs an "army" of frogs and you call a group of toads a "knot" of toads. The amphibians have a lot of interesting facts such as The largest amphibian is the Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus) and also a group of salamanders that is called “plethodontids” the don’t have lungs they breathe with their skins and mouth. Isn’t that cool? There are still a lot of amphibians that scientists haven’t found out. So the world is a very special place.

990910 Wildfires Rip Through Colorado –Michael

Wildfires Rip Through Colorado
A fast-moving wildfire destroys dozens of homes near Boulder
BY CLAUDIA ATTICOT
Strong winds—some with gusts of 45 miles per hour—spread a large wildfire through Fourmile Canyon near Boulder, Colorado, on Monday morning. The blaze forced more than 3,000 people out of their homes. So far, officials say about 1,000 homes have been evacuated and dozens have been destroyed.
Fast-Moving Flames
The five-square-mile blaze spread quickly through three canyons, causing officials to close roads. Giant plumes of smoke filled the sky, some of which could be seen for miles.
Tom Neur, whose house was destroyed by the fire, drove through a wall of flames to escape the fast-moving fire. "The bumper is melted off in the front of the van," he said. His wife, Anna, who had been evacuated earlier, was relieved to hear that he had survived the blaze. "I don't care about the house," she told him. "I'm just glad you're ok."
No Cause Yet
Officials say they have not determined the cause of the fire, but area residents think dry weather is to blame. "We haven't had any rain in almost a month. Maybe more than a month," said Craig Douglas, who was forced to leave his home. "The humidity the last couple of days had been in the single digits, so it was a fire waiting to happen."
Nancy Engellenner and her husband Philip Helper believe they may have lost their home in the fire. "The way the wind was, it was just spitting flames everywhere," said Engellenner. They won't know for sure until it's safe to return to the area.
Although high winds make the fire difficult to control, firefighters hope to have it completely under control by Tuesday.

http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/news/story/0,28277,2016479,00.html
990910 Wildfires Rip Through Colorado –Michael
There was a big fire in Fourmile Canyon, Colorado. The fire was very big and very scary. The big fire has destroyed one thousand homes and there were about three thousand people had no homes to live because of the big fire. The fire burnt a lot of places and a lot of people had just escaped from the deadly fire. The reason of the wildfire is because of the dry weather. It didn’t rain for about one month and all the dry woods might be the reason of the dry woods. The dry forest doesn’t have enough water so it causes big fire. The wildfire not only burned a lot tree but also damaged the environment. The wildfire might also cause mudslides and air pollution. When the tree burns it will make a lot of carbon dioxide (CO2) the carbon dioxide will cause the global warming and the earth will get hotter and hotter. When the atmosphere has too much carbon dioxide, it will make a lot of problems. So having a wildfire isn’t really a good thing.

Understanding Labor Day

Understanding Labor Day
Americans set aside a day to honor the nation's workers

To many Americans, Labor Day marks the end of the summer, a day off from work and school, and one last chance to relax. But Labor Day is much more than just a day off. It represents a very important victory for laborers everywhere. The holiday is a celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers.
Fighting for Change
More than a century ago, workers were forced to deal with harsh conditions. They were paid very little, and they often worked 10- to 12-hour days. Men, women and even small children were forced to work even when they were sick.
Tired of long hours and dangerous conditions, workers began organizing themselves into labor unions. On top of fighting for higher pay and shorter workdays, they also fought for the rights of children. The workers wanted employers to place limits on the age of their workers so that small children were not overworked or hurt in factories.
A Holiday for Workers
A New York City carpenter named Peter McGuire is credited for coming up the idea for Labor Day. In 1872, after working many long hours under poor conditions, McGuire rallied 100,000 workers to go on strike. The workers marched through the streets of New York City, demanding a better work environment.
McGuire spent a decade fighting for worker's rights. In 1882, he proposed the idea to create a special holiday for workers. On Tuesday, September 5, 1882, more than 10,000 workers hit the streets of New York City for the first ever Labor Day parade. Two years later the celebration was moved to the first Monday in September. And in 1894, Congress passed a law making Labor Day a national holiday.
A Relaxing Celebration
Americans celebrated the first Labor Day holiday with a parade, picnics and fireworks. Today, many people hit the road to enjoy the last of their summer vacation. Others enjoy the long weekend with picnics, backyard barbecues or just rest and relaxation.
However you spend Labor Day, remember that the holiday is a time to pay tribute to the workers who have made America what it is today.


http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/news/story/0,28277,1836908,00.html

990903 Understanding Labor Day –Michael
I think the Labor Day is a very important holiday. It has a great meaning to all the labors. More than a century before, workers were forced to work in bad conditions. Such as working with a long time to get a little money or they have to work even when they are sick and not healthy. It was not good for the labors to work such a long time to just get little money so the labors started to fight for their fundamental rights. They fought for higher paid and shorter workdays, and they also fought for the children’s right. The labors wanted employers to place limits on the age of their workers so that small children will not get injured while they are working. A New York City carpenter called Peter McGuire, he stands out and fights for all the labors right. On Tuesday, September 5, 1882, more than 10,000 workers hit the streets of New York City for the first ever Labor Day parade. This parade let the Congress of America made the Labor Day into a national holiday. So I think that Peter McGuire is a great man, he fights the right for all the labors!

A Lot Like Our Solar System

August 25, 2010
A Lot Like Our Solar System
Astronomers have made an exciting planet discovery
BY SUZANNE ZIMBLER

Picture our solar system. In the center, there's our star, the sun. Orbiting the sun are eight planets, including Earth. But what about planets outside of our solar system?
About 15 years ago, scientists developed the tools to detect these "exoplanets." Since then, they have spotted about 450. Most of the finds include one, two or three enormous gas-filled planets orbiting a star.
But on Tuesday, a group of European scientists announced an unusual discovery. They say they have identified a solar system that is similar to ours. It is made up of as many as seven planets orbiting a sun-like star. The star is more than 100 light-years away from us. A light-year is nearly 6 trillion miles. (A trillion is a million million!)
A Small, Small World
The five planets that the scientists are most certain about are giant—up to 25 times the size of Earth. According to Christophe Lovis, one of the scientists behind the find, these five planets are similar to Neptune. "They are made essentially of rocks and ice," he said. "They are probably not habitable."
There are also signs of two more planets. One is thought to be similar to Saturn. The other may be the smallest exoplanet ever spotted. It is only slightly larger than Earth. Because it is so close to its star, the small planet takes just over a day to orbit it.
Planet Hunting
Spotting faraway planets is challenging. The blazing light given off by the star they orbit makes the planets hard to see. According to the European Southern Observatory, the task is like "spotting a dim candle in front of a raging forest fire."
That is why we cannot yet be 100% sure about these seven planets. The scientists have not actually seen them. Instead, they used a powerful telescope to study the star for six years. The star gave the scientists clues about the planets that orbit it.
According to scientist Alan Boss, who was not involved with the study, this method is best for "finding the big guys." But, he said, the discovery shows that spotting smaller planets is also possible.
"The really nice thing about finding systems like this is that it shows that there are many more out there," says Boss. "Mother Nature really had fun making planets."


http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/news/story/0,28277,2013396,00.html

990828 A Lot Like Our Solar System-Michael
The universe is a special place. There are still a lot of things that we don’t know about it. Such as new stars, new planets, new systems or even new living creatures that are in space. A group of European scientists had discovered a new system that was similar to our solar system. In the middle of that system has a star that is just like the sun. There are also seven planets surrounding the star in the middle just like ours. The star is more than 100 light-years away from us. A light-year is nearly 6 trillion miles. So the star is very far from us. But the European scientists said that there aren’t any living creatures and air on the planets. Rock and ice is what that covers on the planets. Scientists will still find out more things about the system that is similar to us.