The Destruction of Pompeii

The Destruction of Pompeii

    The city of Pompeii was located in southern Italy. It was not far from where the present city of Naples stands. Pompeii was a busy, prosperous city with a population of about 12,000. A few miles to the north, stood Mount Vesuvius, a volcano. However, Mount Vesuvius had not erupted for a long time, so no one realized it was still active.
    Then on August 24, A.D. 79, Vesuvius erupted violently. The eruption totally buried Pompeii and several nearby towns. Huge piles of volcanic ash and debris covered everything! According to records, some people managed to escape. However, many did not.
    For many centuries people forgot that Pompeii had ever existed. Then in 1748, some small discoveries in the area led to the excavation of a temple in Pompeii. That was the beginning of many years of excavation and restoration. Some of that restoration still continues to this day.
    Pompeii is an amazing archaeological site because it has been so well-preserved. The ashes, cinders, and dust that fell during the eruption of Vesuvius kept everything intact. Buildings, works of art, furniture, eating utensils, and even the outlines of bodies can be seen as they were on the day Pompeii was destroyed.

How was the city of Pompeii destroyed?

Why were many things in Pompeii so well-preserved?

The Edible Schoolyard

 The Edible Schoolyard

    What does a certain school in California have that most other schools don't have? King Middle School has a garden. The garden is part of a cooking and gardening program called the Edible Schoolyard. The idea for the program came from Alice Waters. Waters started a restaurant that makes food from fresh ingredients.

    Something delicious is always growing in the garden. Students are learning a different type of ABCs--asparagus, beans, and carrots! They grow fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Teachers and students work together in the program. Parents and local farmers support the program.

    In the garden, students take care of the soil and plants. They harvest the crops. Students can explore and sample new foods directly from the garden. They learn firsthand the ways in which fresh food is healthy for your body. A classroom kitchen is also part of the program. In the kitchen, students prepare and eat healthy dishes made from the food they grow.

    Teachers at the school use the garden and kitchen activities to extend the learning in other subject areas, too. For example, students learn information about plants and the relationships between living things and their environment.

    Both the garden and the program are growing, and word of this program is spreading. Other schools across the country have started their own edible schoolyards.

Crossing the Seas

 Crossing the Seas

    Ships are one of the oldest and most important forms of transportation. Giant tankers carry oil and other liquids. Refrigerator ships carry fresh fruits, meats, and vegetables. People traveled across the ocean on ships before airplanes became widely used. Now people take vacations on cruise ships.
    Throughout history, nations became rich and powerful by taking control of the seas. When they lost that control, they also often lost their power.
    Probably the earliest "ship" was a log that someone used to cross a lake or river. Later people tied logs together to create rafts and discovered how to use trees to make canoes. In places where wood was scarce, people made boats out of animal skins. They sewed the skins into a bag, filled the bag with air, and used the bag as a float.
    By about 3000 B.C., the Egyptians had discovered how to use sails to move boats. They also learned how to make boats out of planks of wood. For the next 5,000 years, shipbuilders focused on building bigger and bigger ships with better sails.
    A big change in shipbuilding came in the 1800s. People began to use steam instead of wind power to move ships. These ships were fueled by coal. Later people began using heavy oil instead of coal. Today people even use nuclear power to move large ships.

what was probably the earliest ship?

According to the article, why was controlling the seas important long ago?

Bicycle Stunt Riding

Bicycle Stunt Riding

    To many people, riding a bicycle is a pleasant pastime. To some, it's serious exercise. And to a brave few, it's a way to impress an audience and win medals and fame.

    The members of this last group compete in a sport known as bicycle stunt riding. The sport made its entry into the X Games a few years ago. In this type of riding, bikers perform airborne tricks and acrobatics. The tricks have names such as the Tail Whip, Can-Can, and Truck Driver. In competition, bikers go through a cycle of four different events.

    In the dirt-jumping event, bikers launch themselves off dirt ramps and perform high-flying tricks in the air. In a flatland performance, a biker performs tricks of balance and strength while rolling along a flat surface. Street stunts consist of jumping over boxes, rails, and pipes. In the vert, a biker performs stunts on and over a halfpipe similar to those in snowboarding and skateboarding.

    The star of bicycle stunt riding is New Yorker Dave Mirra. he has won multiple silver and gold medals at the X Games. In fact, he's won more medals than any other X Games athlete. Mirra has mastered and created stunts that have amazed judges and audiences. He's brought enthusiasm to the sport.

    Someone once asked Mirra if winning medals ever becomes boring. "Winning gold never gets old," he replied. "Winning the X Games is the biggest accomplishment anybody can have right now in this sport."

Paul Bunyan and the Popcorn Blizzard

 Paul Bunyan and the Popcorn Blizzard

    Everyone knows that Paul Bunyan was a mighty big hero who headed for the West and became a lumberjack. While there, Paul hired hundreds of men to help him clear the forests and create land for farms.
    One spring, when some of the forests had been cleared, the farmers planted corn. When summer came, the sun got hotter and hotter, and the cornstalks grew as tall as trees! As the cornstalks grew, so did the kernels of corn.
    One morning, after the scorching sun rose, it was hotter than ever. When Paul went out, his lumberjacks stood near him because his shadow provided the only shade. While the men were working, they suddenly heard a loud popping sound. All across the fields, the corn kernels were bursting as loud as firecrackers! The popped corn flew through the air and then fell to the ground, forming large piles. Meanwhile, the men who had been sweltering were now shivering because they thought the popcorn was snow! So they ran inside to put on their jackets and caps. Then they made popcorn balls and had popcorn fights!
    Later on, this incident became known as the Popcorn Blizzard. People laughed and marveled how during the "blizzard" everyone forgot about the heat.

Why did the cornstalks grow so big?

What did the men think the popcorn was?

Solar Winds Blow Past Earth

 Solar Winds Blow Past Earth

    A few years ago, science experts warned that some people might have trouble with their TV and phone services due to a huge explosion on the sun. Even though that never happened, it is true that explosions on the sun, called solar flares, can affect Earth.

    Solar flares are giant explosions on the sun's surface. They occur in places where the sun's energy is very strong. The flares send brilliant blasts of gas and energy into space. These blasts, called solar wind, blow through the solar system.

    Problems can occur when energy from solar wind reaches Earth. These winds can harm satellites, create power failures, and even cause problems with cell phones.

    luckily, a magnetic field surrounds Earth. This is what causes compass needles to point north. It acts as a strong shield to protect against solar winds. However, sometimes a small amount of energy from a solar wind makes it through Earth's atmosphere. This usually happens near the north or south poles. When this happens, people can see the northern or southern lights. These beautiful lights look like red, and pink clouds in the night sky.

A Difficult Choice

 A Difficult Choice

    Mr. Singer rang the doorbell and Diane went to open the door for her neighbor.
    "Hello, Diane," said Mr. Singer, "I'm here to look at the kittens you're giving away. I saw your ad for free kittens in the local newspaper yesterday."
    "Hi, Mr. Singer, come on in," replied Diane. "Our cat had a litter of five kittens, but we still have two left. So you can have your choice!"
    Diane reached down for the basket containing the two tiny kittens. She gathered up the two adorable animals so that Mr. Singer could get a better look.
    "They're both really cute," said Mr. Singer, as he gently petted their fur. "Tomorrow is my daughter Brenda's birthday, and she's wanted a kitten for such a long time." He looked from one kitten to the other and asked, "How am I going to choose between them when they're both so terrific?"
    Diane smiled, but didn't say a word, as Mr. Singer held first one and then the other in his hand. "I know my daughter could fall in love with either of you," he said aloud to the kittens. "I don't know how I'm going to choose between you!"
    "You know, Mr. Singer," said Diane with a smile, "having two kittens around the house can be twice as much fun as having one."
    Mr. Singer laughed out loud, "Diane, I do believe you're reading my mind!"

Why was Mr. Singer at Diane's house?

What do you think Mr. Singer will do next?