State Websites

Hey 4A! Check out the list of websites below. You will be able to find all kinds of great information about your state for State Fair.

http://www.50states.com/

http://www.infoplease.com/states.html

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/states

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/index.html

http://www.kids.gov/6_8/6_8_states.shtml

Iditarod Dog Sled Race

Check out the latest news, musher biographies, race route, history and more at the official website of "The Last Great Race". The 2009 race begins next Saturday, March 7.

http://www.iditarod.com/

A New Discovery

Hey 4A! Read about a new fossil discovery that was found in Peru.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090228/ap_on_sc/lt_peru_fossil

An unusual discovery

Read about an interesting find while landscapers were digging a front yard pond.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090226/ap_on_re_us/ancient_tools

A Ticket?

Read about a man who originally received a ticket after being hit by a car while helping two people cross a street in Colorado.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090228/ap_on_re_us/good_samaritan_ticketed

Fight over Declaration of Independence copy

Read this article about a man who sued and won a lawsuit he filed against the state of Maine for ownership of a copy of the Declaration of Independence.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090227/ap_on_re_us/declaration_lawsuit

Doodling

Hey 4A! Check out this current research article that suggests doodling can help improve your memory.

http://health.yahoo.com/news/healthday/takenotedoodlingcanhelpmemory.html

Coke or Pepsi?

Hey 4A! Which is your choice: Coke or Pepsi? Read the article below to find out what brand of soft drinks the President and his staff prefer at the White House.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20090227/us_time/08599188216700

Aquarium Flood

Read this short article about an unlikely cause of a flood at an aquarium in California.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090227/ap_on_fe_st/odd_octopus_flood

Did You Know Presidential Style Trivia......?

Hey 4A! Recently, historians have released a list of the best and worst of the United States Presidents. Historians based their decisions on what qualities each president possessed, such as leadership, public persuasion, relations with Congress, and their belief systems. Based on the clues below, see if you can guess the presidents that finished in the top five on the list. We will start with number five and work our way to number one. Each correct answer is equal to two tickets. You can turn your answers to me beginning Tuesday, February 17.

5. This was our 33rd president. His middle name is S . The S in his middle name does not represent anything. There is no period after the S since it doesn't stand for anything.

4. The Teddy Bear was named after him. He is also given some credit for helping Maxwell House establish one of their most famous slogans of all time: "It's Good to the Last Drop." He was the 26th president.

3. This president was one of eight presidents to die while in office. He served longer than any other president, served four terms, and was the first president to have a presidential aircraft and fly in a presidential plane. He was the 32nd president.

2. This president was the only to receive 100% of the Electoral College votes in both 1789 and 1782. He was the first president of the United States.

1. The nation just recently celebrated this president's 200th birthday. He was assassinated in the Ford Theater, a theater no other President visited until Gerald Ford came along. He spent time working on flatboats taking cargo to New Orleans, realizing first hand the struggles of slaves in the South. He was the 16th president.

More Upcoming Events

Chicago Flower and Garden Show - March 7 - March 15 (10:00am to 8:00 pm) - Enjoy 25 lush theme gardens, a marketplace, celebrity chefs, and educational seminars. Visit www.ChicagoFlower.com for more information.

Mary Poppins - Cadillac Palace Theatre - Chicago - March 11 - May 17. This is Disney's stage version of the popular movie. They are beginning their national tour in Chicago. Visit www.BroadWayInChicago.com for more information.

North Central College Annual Jazz Concert Series - Wentz Concert Hall, North Central College - March 11 at 7:30 pm. A series of concerts that allows all ages, including students, the chance to hear world-class professional jazz artists close to home. Visit www.NorthCentralCollege.edu for more information.

2009 Naperville St. Patrick's Day Parade - Saturday, March 14 at 10:00 am - Downtown Naperville. Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a parade complete with Irish costumes, dance, and music. Starts at Naperville North High School and ends at Municipal Center. Visit
www.WSIrish.org for more information.

Upcoming Events

Hey 4A! Looking for something to do with your families? Check out this list below for events coming soon....

McCormick Tribune Ice Rink - Located in Downtown (weather permitting). Skate rentals are available on site. runs through March 15. 10:00 am - 10:00 pm. Check out www.MilleniumPark.org for more information.

Chicago Auto Show - McCormick Place, Chicago. February 13 - February 22. This is the nation's largest running auto show. There are over 1,000 vehicles to check out. Visit www.ChicagoAutoShow.com for more information.

Polar Adventure Days - Northerly Island, Chicago. Saturday, February 21 from 12:00 to 4:00pm. Explore Northerly Island and come face-to-face with live animals, engage in winter activities, watch ice sculpture carvings, listen to storytellers, and create nature-inspired crafts. Visit www.ChicagoParkDistrict.com for more information.

The New Shanghai Circus - Paramount Theater Aurora. Sunday, February 22 at 3:00pm. Athletes defy gravity and execute breathtaking feats as they stretch the limits of human ability in this spellbinding show. More than 2000 years of Chinese tradition in this great family show! Visit www.ParamountArts.com for more information.

National Pig Day at Brookfield Zoo - Sunday, March 1. First created in 1972, the day celebrates and appreciates one of the most intelligent of the farmyard animals. Enjoy pig related activities and the Children's Zoo's pigs. Visit www.BrookfieldZoo.org for more information.

Westminster Dog Show

Hey 4A! Each year, there is a dog show called the Westminster Dog Show in New York City. This year's winner was a ten-year-old Sussex Spaniel. Check out the picture below and be sure to read about the winning dog's amazing journey to becoming champion.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090211/ap_on_sp_ot/dog_show

Kentucky Fried Chicken Recipe "Safe" Again

Hey 4A! Check out the following story to learn how the Colonel's Secret Recipe used to make Kentucky Fried Chicken is back safe again!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090210/ap_on_bi_ge/kfc_secret

Did you Know Walt Disney Style?

Here are some little known facts about Walt Disney:

Walt tried to join the Army to fight in World War I. The problem was that he was too young. He was only 16 at the time. Walt went to work for the Red Cross where he was an ambulance driver.

Walt's first venture went bankrupt. In 1922, he founded the animation company Laugh-O-gram. The company ran into trouble and Walt sold his only movie camera for a one-way ticket to Hollywood.

Before Mickey Mouse, there was Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Walt helped create the character for Universal Studios in 1928.

Walt tried several sketches before settling on a mouse. Originally, Walt wanted to name Mickey Mortimer Mouse.

Walt's first full-length animated movie, Snow White, was not expected to do well. He ran well over budget (1.5 million dollars) and had to sell his house to get a loan for the movie. It became a huge success and made over 66 million in the United States alone. Today, the movie has made over 184 million dollars. Not bad for a movie created in 1937.

Walt was a train lover. He built a miniature railroad in his backyard. It had over 2,615 feet of track and even included a tunnel. His backyard railroad become an inspiration for the Disneyland park.

Walt respected his father greatly. Walt's dad made about $1.00 per day. Although Walt's dad didn't get to see Disneyland, there is a lamp in his window that is always lit in his honor.

Walt's bronze statue in Disneyland has a tie with the letters S, T, and R. This stands for Smoke Tree Ranch, Walt's ranch in Palm Springs California.

DId you Know Disneyland Style?

Here are some cool little known facts about Disneyland:

It only took 364 days to build Disneyland!

Main Street represents Walt's home town, Marceline, Missouri, in 1901, the year he was born.

The drawbridge to Sleeping Beauty's Castle really works. It's been raised only twice: once on opening day, and once in the 1980's when Fantasyland reopened.

The organ that was in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea now lives in the ballroom of the Haunted Mansion.

In the early years of the park, the Rivers of America were stocked with catfish and visitors were allowed to fish off the docks of the Tom Sawyer Island.

Disneyland was expected to fail. It opened on a day that was 101 degrees and the street asphalt wasn't dry. By the end of the first day, about half the rides were broken.

There is an underground to the park where cast members (employees) can relax, change into costumes, and eat lunch in peace.

Employees have the option of working out in the Matterhorn. It is officially classified as a gym and has a full basketball court inside.

If your balloon pops, you can show any balloon seller your popped balloon and they'll give you a new one.

Coca-Cola gives the park free soda to eliminate competition in the park and for the advertising.

There are hidden Mickey's spread all over the park and there's at least one in every ride!

Record Setting Swimmer

Hey 4A! Check out the article below. It introduces you to a 56 year-old woman who set a record by swimming across the Atlantic Ocean!

http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=ap-atlanticswim020809&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Television Trivia

Hey 4A! Answer the following question and receive a few tickets in class. Just put the answer on a sheet of paper. In 1997, this show became the longest prime-time animated series on television. It beat out the Flintstones for that spot. Name that show! Hint: There are five people in the family and it can still be found on television on Sunday nights. What is it?

New Animal Species Discovered

Hey 4A! Check out this cool article that explains some of the new animal species that have been recently discovered around the world!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090202/sc_nm/us_amphibians

An Amazing Survival Story

Check out this amazing survival story of two fishermen who survived a disaster on the sea for 25 days.

CANBERRA, Australia (Jan. 20) - Two desperate, dehydrated men found bobbing in an ice box off Australia told authorities they spent 25 days adrift after their fishing boat sank, officials said Tuesday. There was no sign of 18 other crew members.

Authorities were amazed that the men, from the Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar, were spotted by a routine customs service flight that patrols for far larger craft such illegal trawlers and people-smugglers in Australia's northern waters.

Monsoon rains in recent weeks may have prevented the pair from dying of thirst.
The men, 22 and 24, were rescued from the Torres Strait by a helicopter Saturday and flown 57 nautical miles (66 miles) southeast to a hospital on Thursday Island off Queensland state, Maritime Safety Authority spokeswoman Tracey Jiggins said.

A photograph taken from the patrol plane shows both men standing shirtless in their pink ice box — a waist-high container barely larger than a bathtub and often used to store freshly caught fish — and waving frantically.

"These two people being spotted is miraculous in itself in the huge expanse of ocean after drifting for 25 days," Jiggins said.

Authorities have not said what the men ate or drank during their ordeal. Media reports have said they survived on fish chunks that had been stored in the cooler before the boat sank and rain water that pooled on the floor

Do Cows Really Have Feelings Too?

Hey 4A! Check out this article in which researchers concluded that cows who were called by a name produced more milk than cows who weren't addressed with name.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/cowswithnamesmakemoremilk

A Six Year Old's Birthday Surprise!

Hey 4A! Check out this article of a six-year-old from the West Coast who received a huge birthday surprise while eating cupcakes with his class. Read the article to check out who was in the oddly shaped box.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090130/ap_on_fe_st/odd_birthday_surprise