TIME for Kids G2 Student Reader

Acknowledgments

“Giant Hearts” by Brad Bagert Text Copyright © 2002 by Brad Bagert. Reprinted by permission of Dial Books for Young Readers,
a Division of Penguin Putnam Inc.

“A Penguin’s Toes” by Kenn Nesbitt. Text copyright © 2001 by Kenn Nesbitt. All Rights Reserved.

“When Whales Exhale (Whale Watching)” from WHEN WHALES EXHALE by Constance Levy Copyright © 1996. Used by
permission of Marian Reiner for the Author.

“The Sun” by Leland B. Jacobs A Bill Martin Book, Reprinted by permission of Henry Holt and Company, LLC.

“The Tortoise” by Douglas Florian Text Copyright © 2001 Douglas Florian. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin
Harcourt, Inc.

“Raindrops on the Willow Tree” by Margaret Wise Brown Text Copyright © 2001 by Roberta Brown Rauch. Reprinted by
permission of Hyperion Books for Children.

Photography Credits

Book Cover: (c) Blend Images/Alamy; (tr) Mark Bolton/Corbis

Contributor

© Time Inc. All rights reserved. Versions of some articles in this edition of TIME For Kids
originally appeared in TIME For Kids or timeforkids.com.

B

Published by Macmillan/McGraw-Hill, of McGraw-Hill Education, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.,
Two Penn Plaza, New York, New York 10121.

Copyright © 2011 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the
prior written consent of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., including, but not limited to, network storage or
transmission, or broadcast for distance learning.

Printed in The United States of America

ISBN: 978-0-02-206166-1
MHID: 0-02-206166-5

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 WEB 13 12 11 10 09

Issue 1........................................................ 5 Issue 9...................................................... 53
Compare and Contrast Author’s Purpose
Photos and Captions Diagrams
Context Clues Context Clues

Issue 2.......................................................11 Issue 10.................................................... 59
Cause and Effect Compare and Contrast
Map Charts
Antonyms Antonyms

Issue 3...................................................... 17 Issue 11.................................................... 65
Main Idea and Details Main Idea and Details
Bar Graphs Map
Prefixes and Suffixes Synonyms

Issue 4...................................................... 23 Issue 12.................................................... 71
Compare and Contrast Main Idea and Details
Bar Graphs Photos and Captions
Synonyms Context Clues

Issue 5...................................................... 29 Issue 13.................................................... 77
Main Idea and Details Cause and Effect
Photos and Captions Time Line
Context Clues Homophones

Issue 6...................................................... 35 Issue 14.................................................... 83
Author’s Purpose Summarize
Charts Photos and Captions
Context Clues Homographs

Issue 7...................................................... 41 Issue 15.................................................... 89
Sequence of Events Author’s Purpose
Diagrams Time Line
Context Clues Context Clues

Issue 8...................................................... 47
Main Idea and Details
Bar Graphs
Context Clues

Contents

Issue 1 Compare and Contrast • Context Clues
• Photos and Captions
A Team
Player One Tough Job ............................................... 6
Play Smart! ...................................................... 8
(c) Stockbyte/Alamy; (tr) Jim Goldberg/Magnum Photos Play It Safe! Sports Championships CHARTS ....................... 10

How can you avoid getting hurt and
stay in the game?

A2TFK_TXNA_I1FP_RD11.indd 5 1/20/09 3:18:40 PM

Issue 2 Cause and Effect • Antonyms • Map

Greening A Hero’s Life ................................................... 12
Africa Keeping Kenya Green .................................... 14
Kenya Fast Facts LISTS .................................... 16
(c) Fred Ward; (tr) William Campbell/Sygma/Corbis
America honors
A2TFK_TXNA_I2FP_RD11.indd 11 Martin Luther King, Jr.

1/23/09 12:42:44 PM

Issue 3 Main Idea and Details • Prefixes and Suffixes
• Bar Graphs
No Place
Like Home Tree Houses for Everyone .............................. 18
Home, Sweet Home ...................................... 20
(c) Margaret Lampert; (tr) Steffan Hacker/Habitat for Humanity International Dream Houses Giant Hearts POETRY ...................................... 22
for Kids

A2TFK_TXNA_I3FP_RD11.indd 17 A group in Vermont makes
kids’ dreams come true.

1/23/09 12:46:12 PM

Issue 4 Compare and Contrast • Synonyms
• Bar Graphs
A Chimp
Home Champs for Chimps ....................................... 24
Follow the Herd............................................. 26
When Animals A Penguin’s Toes POETRY ............................... 28
Need Help

People work together to give
animals a helping hand.

(c) Daryl Balfour/Getty Images; (tr) Luis M. Alvarez/Wide World Photos/AP Images

A2TFK_TXNA_I4FP_RD11.indd 23 1/23/09 12:48:12 PM

Issue 5 Main Idea and Details • Context Clues
• Photos and Captions
High-Tech
Help Is Anyone Out There? ................................... 30
Finding the Way............................................ 32
(c) Rob Lewine Photography; (tr) Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Wide World PhotosScientists use more Old Ways and New Ways CHARTS .................. 34
than their ears to listen
to space sounds. 1/22/09 2:41:12 PM

A2TFK_TXNA_I5FP_RD11.indd 29

Issue 6 Author’s Purpose • Context Clues • Charts

Going A New Deal on School Meals ....................... 36
to Seed Bees, Bats, Bears, and Bison ......................... 38
Fresh and Fruity WRITTEN DIRECTIONS ................. 40
Schools serve up a(c) Alex McKnight; (tr) David Lazenby/Animals Animals-Earth Scenes
healthful new food policy.
1/23/09 1:06:51 PM
A2TFK_TXNA_I6FP_RD11.indd 35

Issue 7 Sequence of Events • Context Clues
• Diagrams
Martian
Veggies? From Seed to Fruit......................................... 42
A Martian Garden.......................................... 44
People and From Seed to Beans DIAGRAMS ....................... 46
animals use
plants for food.

(c) Anton Vengo/SuperStock; (tr) Courtesy Michael Mautner

A2TFK_TXNA_I7FP_RD11.indd 41 1/26/09 10:31:04 AM

Issue 8 Main Idea and Details • Context Clues
• Bar Graphs
Speaking
Chinese Dinosaur Hunters .......................................... 48
A Language Art ............................................. 50
(c) Peter Morgan/Reuters America; (tr) Eugene Louie/San Jose Mercury News/Newscom ALL ABOUT CHINA Say It in Chinese CHARTS ................................ 52

China has a lot to share with the
rest of the world.

A2TFK_TXNA_I8FP_RD11.indd 47 1/23/09 1:09:30 PM

Issue 9

Far Flung Author’s Purpose • Context Clues • Diagrams

scorpion Scorpion These Robots are Wild.................................. 54
Monarchs on the Move ................................ 56
cockroach Robot V Who Has a Backbone? CHARTS ...................... 58
lobster
Scientists are studying
creatures to build robots.

RoboLobster

(bl) Fred Bavendam/Minden Pictures; (cl) Holt Studios International Ltd/Alamy; (tl) Ingram Publishing/Alamy; (br) Jodi Hilton for the New York Times/Redux Pictures; 1/30/09 12:28:20 PM
(cr) Daniel Kingsley, Roger Quinn and Roy Ritzmann/Case Western Reserve University; (tr) Courtesy NASA Ames Research Center; Flap Photo: Diomedia/Alamy

A2TFK_TXNA_I9FP_RD11.indd 53

Issue 10 Compare and Contrast • Antonyms • Charts

Animals On the Beach................................................. 60
From Eggs Thank You, Flipper ........................................ 62
When Whales Exhale
(c) Stuart Westmorland/The Image Bank/Getty Images; (tr) Aqua Image/Alamy Safe in (Whale Watching) POETRY ............................. 64
the Sea

Dolphins are underwater heroes.

A2TFK_TXNA_I10FP_RD11.indd 59 1/28/09 1:40:20 PM

Issue 11 Main Idea and Details • Synonyms • Map

Lost Losing the Lynx ............................................. 66
Lynx! Surfing the Sands .......................................... 68
The Sun POETRY .............................................. 70
(c) WILDLIFE/Peter Arnold Inc.; (tr) OSF/Kemp, R. & J.-Survival/Animals Animals - Earth ScenesNature
Matters
1/28/09 5:13:15 PM
Why do living things need
places to live in nature?

A2TFK_TXNA_I11FP_RD11.indd 65

Issue 12 Main Idea and Details • Context Clues
• Photos and Captions
Animal
Families A Big Turtle Comeback ................................. 72
Daddy Day Care ............................................. 74
Scientists fight to save(c) Luiz C. Marigo/Peter Arnold, Inc.; (tr) Tim Davis/Corbis The Tortoise POETRY ...................................... 76
these sea creatures.
1/28/09 1:43:31 PM
A2TFK_TXNA_I12FP_RD11.indd 71

Issue 13 Cause and Effect • Homophones • Time Line

How Can It’s Getting Crowded Around Here!............. 78
You Help? Pecans: A Nutty Resource............................. 80
From Cotton Field to T-Shirt DIAGRAMS ......... 82
Taking Care(c) Digital Vision/Getty Images; (tr) Diane Macdonald/Stockbyte/Getty Images

of Earth 2/5/09 4:48:37 PM

If we treat resources with care,
there will be enough for everyone.
This girl takes water used to rinse
dishes and reuses it to water plants.

A2TFK_TXNA_I13FP_RD11.indd 77

Issue 14 Summarize • Homographs
• Photos and Captions
From
Rock Windy Weather ............................................. 84
to Sand Solid as a Rock............................................... 86
Raindrops on the Willow Tree POETRY ......... 88
Here Comes the(c) LWA-Dann Tardif/Corbis; (tr) Michael Szoenyi/Photo Researchers

Wind 2/11/09 1:56:15 PM

You can fly a kite
on a windy day.
What else happens
in windy weather?

A2TFK_TXNA_I14FP_RD11.indd 83

Issue 15 Author’s Purpose • Context Clues • Time Line

Spanish A Story Collector ........................................... 90
Moss The Blowing Winds ....................................... 92
Who Has Seen the Wind? POETRY ................. 94
Long ago people told
stories to explain
how things happen.
Today we still enjoy
those stories.

(c) Bob Winsett/Corbis; (tr) JupiterimagesTTeallinlges

A2TFK_TXNA_I15FP_RD11.indd 89 2/5/09 4:49:32 PM

(c) Stockbyte/Alamy; (tr) Jim Goldberg/Magnum Photos A Team
Player

Play It Safe!

How can you avoid getting hurt and
stay in the game?

One Tough Job

Condoleezza Rice wanted to
make a difference.

Condoleezza Rice was the first Jim Goldberg/Magnum Photos
African American woman to be
U.S. Secretary of State. She was ↑ Rice is a big football fan.
not elected to this job. The
President appointed her to it. Racism kept most African
The secretary of state works Americans out of top jobs
with leaders of other countries. when Rice was young. But her
It can be a tough job. parents told her that she could
do anything. She planned to
Working Hard study music after college.
Condie Rice was born in 1954, Then she decided to make a
in Birmingham, Alabama. She difference in the world. She
played the piano at 5. As a teen studied hard so she could do
she was a talented ice-skater. just that.
She finished college at age 19.

Mark Wilson/Getty Images Before she was secretary of
state, Rice had other important
↑ Rice plays a tune with Yo-Yo Ma. jobs. She sat on the National
Security Council. She was the
6 • Time For Kids National Security Advisor to
President George W. Bush from
2001 to 2005.

Olivier Douliery/Abaca USA/Newscom

Travel and Tough Talk ↑ Rice tells people about the war in
The secretary of state Iraq. It is her goal to solve differences
meets with world leaders. in a peaceful way.
Success is when the U.S.
meets its goals without Listening in the Middle East
war. In one year Rice took Israelis and Palestinians have
18 trips to 33 countries. had differences for a long time.
She traveled 247,603 miles. Finding a peaceful way to solve
She worked on problems with their land problem has been
Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and hard. Sometimes it helps to
North Korea. Rice believes listen. A secretary of state
that problems can be solved in needs to be a good listener.
a peaceful way. Someone who Rice spent time in the Middle
knows her well once said, “She East listening to people. She
won’t take no for an answer.” said, “It was a good opportunity
to come and to listen to people
↓ Rice meets with Palestinian . . . [talk about] how they saw
President Mahmoud Abbas. the future.”— Andrea Delbanco,

AP Photo/Murad Sezer Romesh Ratnesar, Elaine Shannon

Issue 1 • 7

Learn how to stay
healthy playing sports.

Jim Cummins/Corbis

↑ Baseball injuries send
about 100,000 kids to
the hospital each year.

L izzie Singer plays basketball for a school in New York

City. She was excited to play her next game. Soon after

the game started, she hurt her leg.

“It was bad,” says Lizzie. “I sat out for the rest James Keyser
of the game.”

Lizzie needed help for her leg. She had to do
exercises to make her leg strong.

More than 30 million kids in the United States take
part in sports. A report says that about 3.5 million
of them were hurt when playing sports.

In one year, about 250,000 kids were injured

playing basketball. They had to go to the hospital.

In a single year, 75,000 soccer Lizzie Singer warms up
players went to the hospital, too. for a basketball game. →

8 • Time For Kids

David Madison 2008/Madison Images

(bkgd) Brand X Pictures/ ← 200,000 kids go to the
PunchStock hospital with football
injuries each year.
Be a Good Sport
Tips from a Pro
The good news is that kids can keep
from getting hurt. Follow these tips from a sports
doctor for a safe game.
First, follow the rules. It’s also
important to use the right safety 1. Get in shape. Exercise before
equipment. If you play football, wear
shoulder pads. If you play soccer, your team plays.
wear shin guards. Never ride a bike
without wearing a helmet. 2. Play a different sport. It will

Next, remember that sports should exercise different parts of
be fun. Listen to what your body your body.
is telling you. “Don’t be afraid to
say something if you get hurt,” says 3. Warm up. Make sure you
Michelle Klein. She works at the
National Youth Sports Foundation. stretch before you play.
“Pain means something is wrong.”
4. Wear the right gear.
5. Listen to your body. Tell a

parent or coach if you’re
in pain.

Issue 1 • 9

Sports Championships

Most professional sports hold a championship
event. This chart shows the name of the
event for each pro sport.

Professional Sport Name of Championship
National Hockey League Stanley Cup

National Football League Super Bowl

Major League Baseball World Series

International Soccer World Cup

National Basketball NBA Finals
Association

10 (cw from top) C Squared Studios/Getty Images; C Squared Studios/Getty Images; Photodisc/Getty Images;
Photodisc/Getty Images; C Squared Studios/Getty Images; Doug MacLellan/Wide World Photos/AP
Images; Associated Press/Wide World Photos/AP Images; Tiffany and Co./Wide World Photos/AP Images;
Fritz Reiss/Wide World Photos/AP Images; NBAE/NBA Photos/Getty Images

(c) Fred Ward; (tr) William Campbell/Sygma/Corbis Greening
Africa

America honors
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr., dreamed that

the world could change through peace.

Every January, we celebrate the life
of Martin Luther King, Jr. King changed
our nation. He believed all people should
have the same rights.

King was born in Atlanta, Georgia, in Bob Adelman/Magnum Photos King made a famous
1929. At that time, many laws kept black speech. He told people,
and white people apart. “I have a dream!”

During the 1950s, King and other
leaders peacefully protested against those
unfair laws. King believed in the power of
protest without violence.

A 1965 march to Montgomery,
Alabama, made the news. ↓

12 • Time For Kids

In 1963, King led a march to Washington, D.C.
After the march, King and other leaders met with
President John F. Kennedy. They talked about fair
laws for all. These talks helped start a law. It was
called the Civil Rights Act. The law said African
Americans must have equal rights. In 1964, King
won the Nobel Peace Prize. It goes to people who
try to bring peace and unity to the world.

Sadly, Martin Luther King, Jr., died before his
dreams came true. He was killed in April 1968 in
Memphis, Tennessee. Today, King’s message still
lives on.

Putting Civil Rights on the Map

Washington, D.C.

Memphis,
Tennessee

Montgomery, Atlanta,
Alabama Georgia

Joe LeMonnier

James Karales Issue 2 • 13

For this leader, planting trees is the John McConnico/Wide World Photos/AP Images
first step in changing the world.

W ↑ In 2004, Wangari
angari Maathai was born in Kenya, Africa. Maathai won the
Nobel Peace Prize.

She lived in a farm community. Over the years,

forests around her home were cut down. The land

was cleared to build large farms. Maathai planted

new trees in the area.

Thirty years ago, Maathai started a group

called the Green Belt Movement. This group

encourages farmers to plant “green belts” of trees.

More than 2,000 women and William Campbell/Sygma/Corbis
children help plant trees in Kenya.

14 • Time For Kids

Some people don’t want new trees planted.
They want to build houses and buildings instead.
These people try to hinder Maathai from
planting new trees.

But Maathai keeps spreading her message.
Many other countries in Africa are now planting
trees, too.

Maathai’s work has created thousands of jobs

for women. Women sell seedlings to Maathai’s

group. They spend the money they earn on food.

They also use this money to send their children

to school. Maathai’s

green dream is making

other women’s dreams

come true, too. Africa

Kenya

Kenya is a country in Africa.
Can you point to Kenya on
the map? →

Joe LeMonnier

Issue 2 • 15

Do you want to learn more about Kenya
Kenya? Look at the list below for some Nairobi
facts about this country in Africa.

Official Name: Republic of Kenya

Capital: Nairobi Key

Size: 224,962 square miles Capital
(about twice the size
of Nevada) Joe LeMonnier

Population: approximately 34,000,000

Official Languages: Kiswahili and English

Climate: Tropical to arid, or dry

Agriculture: coffee, tea, corn, wheat,
sugarcane, fruit, vegetables,
dairy products, beef, pork,
poultry, eggs

Currency: shilling

Sports: cross country running,
road running, soccer,
rugby, cricket, boxing

(bkgd) Siede Preis/Getty Images Ariadne Van
Zandbergen/Alamy
16

(c) Margaret Lampert; (tr) Steffan Hacker/Habitat for Humanity International No Place
Like Home

Dream Houses
for Kids

A group in Vermont makes
kids’ dreams come true.

Tree Houses Royalty-Free/Corbis
for Everyone
By Tiffany Sommers

(tl) The Hole in the Wall Gang
Camp/Forever Young Treehouses;
(tr) Courtesy Candlelight Ranch

Adis3a4b0i-lfiotioets-ltoonggertatmopthaellotrwese kids with IKtidisshhiagnhginouthteintrteheisttorpese. house.
house.

Tree houses are wonderful places to play with friends.

You can even just sit in them and dream. But for some

kids, tree houses are only a dream. Many kids have never

been in a tree house. Why? They have disabilities. They

are unable to climb. Bill Allen and Phil Trabulsy are good

citizens. They wanted to make these kids’ dreams come true.

In 1998, they started Forever Young Treehouses in Vermont.

This group makes tree houses for kids with disabilities.

18 • Time For Kids

Michael Havey/Forever Young Treehouses

The tree houses have long ramps. Ramps
help kids in wheelchairs get into the houses.

Kristen Messer, 17, visited a tree house

for the first time. “It was really great having

a tree house that I could get into without HChamazpFsrheieremtarneevihsoitussae.New
any help,” Kristen says.

Chaz Freeman, a 19-year-old, uses a

wheelchair. After he visited a tree house in New Hampshire,

he said with a smile, “We get to experience what it is like to

be a normal kid.”

Allen and Trabulsy’s tireless group is working hard
around the U.S. to build tree houses.

Things in People’s Homes

Tree houses can’t fit things that fit in many other houses. This bar
graph shows the percent of U.S. homes that have these goods.

Telephone (97%)

Air conditioner (85%)

Computer (73.4%)

Dishwasher (63%)

Garage (62%)

Fireplace (35%)

Dean MacAdam 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Issue 3 • 19
Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Volunteers build houses for families in need.

How long does it take to build a Courtesy Steffan Hacker/Habitat for Humanity International

new house? It usually takes about
six months or more. But each year,
thousands of people work together
to build new homes in just four
months! Who does this wonderful
work? Habitat for Humanity.

Habitat for Humanity is a group ↑ Student volunteers at work.
that builds homes for families in
need. It has branches in different Courtesy Steffan Hacker/Habitat for Humanity International
states around the country.

This group works all over the

world, too. Volunteers help build

the homes. They are unpaid

workers. Volunteers can be builders

and painters. They can be teachers ↑ Student volunteers built this
or bankers. Some are students. home in Taos, New Mexico for
Habitat for Humanity has built a needy family.

more than 300,000 houses. More

than 1.5 million people live in these houses.

20 • Time For Kids

Working Together Courtesy Steffan Hacker/Habitat for Humanity International

Building a home is hard work.

Volunteers learn how to put up

walls. They use tools and machines.

These selfless volunteers work with

the family that will live in the ↑ Suruchi Srikanth hammers
house. Everyone works together to a nail into the wall of a new
make the family’s dream come true. house.

Suruchi Srikanth has worked with Habitat for
Humanity for four years. She began volunteering in
high school. She has built many homes with other
volunteers. She takes her responsibilities seriously.
Volunteers know that if they don’t help, homes might
not get built. They are good citizens who care about
other people.

The Number of Houses Built

This graph shows how many houses Habitat for Humanity
built from 1976 to 2007. The group formed in 1976.

300,000 279,723
200,000
Number of Houses 100,000 200,000
150,000
0
100,000
50,000
10,000
0

1976 1991 1996 2000 2003 2005 2007

Years

Issue 3 • 21

Giant Hearts

By Brod Bagert

Psst! Listen, little hamster,

We have something to say to YOU.
You may think we kids are giants,
But you can be one too.

Giants don’t have to be real big,
Giants don’t have to be tall.
What makes someone a giant
Is not their size at all.

And even when we giants get scared, Digital Archive Japan/Alamy
We always do our best.
We learn from our mistakes
And forget about the rest.

Life is like a play:
We all play giant parts.
And the biggest giants are the little players
Who play with giant hearts.

22

A Chimp
Home

When Animals
Need Help

People work together to give
animals a helping hand.

(c) Daryl Balfour/Getty Images; (tr) Luis M. Alvarez/Wide World Photos/AP Images

Champs for Chimps

Lynne Sladky/AP Photo

Many chimps help save people.
Now people are saving these chimps.

By Anna Prokos

Fort Pierce, Florida, is a great place to ↑ Chimps climb and play at
the sanctuary in Florida.
monkey around. This city is home to 300
chimpanzees. The chimps live at a sanctuary.
A sanctuary is a safe place.

These chimps once lived in labs for years. Some were taken

as babies from their homes in Africa. They were brought to the

United States for scientists to study. They were kept in small

cages. Many had not seen another chimp. They didn’t know

how to climb trees. Luis M. Alvarez/AP Photo

Wild chimps help each other meet

their needs. They look at the fur of

other chimps to find bugs. They take

the bugs off. This keeps the chimps

healthy.

Wild chimps also use the ↑ People rescued these chimps from
environment to meet their needs. little cages in labs. Now they live
They use sticks to get bugs and honey in a more natural place.
to eat. They use rocks to open nuts.

24 • Time For Kids

Happily Ever After

Save the Chimps runs the Florida
sanctuary. This group makes life
happier for chimpanzees. Now the
animals live on 12 islands. The islands
have lots of large trees. Now these
animals are active and happy.

For the first time in their lives, the

chimps have families. They eat three fresh meals ↑ Dr. Carole Noon
started Save the
a day. They gulp down delicious foods like bananas, Chimps in 1997.

apples, pasta, and oatmeal with raisins.

(t) Lynne Sladky/AP Wide World Photos;
(c) Luis M. Alvarez/AP Photo

Oldest Chimps in U.S. Zoos

In the wild, chimps can live to their forties.
They can live even longer in zoos. Take a look.

70 (68) (63) (60)

Age (in years) 60 (54) (52) (50)
50

40

30

20

10

0 Lil Mama Inky Bill Coco Susie Bonnie
Sequoia Portland Sunset Los Angeles
Lion Country Lion Country Park Zoo
Zoo Zoo Zoo
Safari Safari

Chimps in zoos

Issue 4 • 25

Follow

the Herd

Special collars help Kevin Schafer/age fotostock/SuperStock
protect elephants.
Protecting enormous
Lewis is a wild elephant. He animals can be hard.
Elephants need a lot of food.
lives in the Samburu National They eat about 220 to 440
Reserve in Kenya, a country in pounds of plants every day.
Africa. Lewis uses his legs to It is hard to find spaces that
roam and his eyes to look for are large enough and have
food. He uses his trunk to enough food for them.
grab food. By doing what
comes naturally, Lewis could Samburu Elephant Population
help save other elephants.
Number of Elephants 1,000 525 700 900
African elephants are 900 1998 2003 2008
endangered. That means 800
the number of elephants is 700
very low in some places. 600
To protect them, there are 500
nature reserves like Samburu. 400
They give the animals a safe 300
place to live. 200
100
26 • Time For Kids 0

Years

Many smaller animals share had a special part that lets a
the 64-square-mile reserve. satellite track the elephant.
The serval, a wild cat, and the
klipspringer, an antelope, are Scientists learned that Lewis
only two feet high. They need often left the reserve during
less food than Lewis. They the dry season. When there
find enough to eat in was little rain, he couldn’t find
Samburu. Unlike Lewis, they enough to eat. He learned to
don’t roam into unsafe places. find delicious crops at a farm.

Collecting the Clues This information will help
Lewis. Scientists can give him
A group called the Save the food during the dry season.
Elephants Foundation is Then he and other elephants
working to help elephants. won’t need to roam. — Andrea Delbanco
Scientists wanted to find out
what makes elephants ↓ The elephant collars are big! Claire Cerling
wander into unsafe places.
Maybe then they could keep
them safely in Samburu.

The group put special
collars around the necks of
some elephants. Each collar

Issue 4 • 27

By Kenn Nesbitt
A penguin’s toes, they froze
from strolling slowly through the snows
because his clothes expose his toes
or so I’m told.

A penguin’s knees can freeze
from speeding freely through the breeze
and freezing knees can make him sneeze
and catch a cold.

A penguin’s bill will chill
from sitting still upon a hill
until he’s ill and had his fill
of being cool.

But his digits ALL go rigid
frozen stiff and frosty frigid
when a penguin
rides his icicle to school.

(bkgd) Don Farrall/Getty Images

28

(c) Rob Lewine Photography; (tr) Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Wide World Photos High-Tech
Help

Scientists use more
than their ears to listen
to space sounds.

“Is Anyone
Out There?”

Scientists
are listening
for sounds in
outer space.

By Kathryn Satterfield

John Todd/AP Photo

Scientists study signals for clues about what happens in space. ↑

In 1870 the telephone was invented. It allowed people

who were far apart to talk to each other. Today Jill
Tarter spends her days listening to signals from outer
space. She is a scientist.

Earth makes many signals every day. They come
from radios, televisions, and cell phones. In the past,
signals from radios couldn’t reach deep into space. Their
frequencies, or number of radio waves, kept them from
traveling far. But tools changed in the 1930s. Since
then, signals have traveled to other stars. Things in
space might give off signals, too. Scientists use tall wires,
called antennas, to “listen” for these signals.

30 • Time For Kids

(bkgd) Masterfile Royalty-Free

A Sound Plan
Tarter’s group also uses radio telescopes. These
giant metal dishes pick up out-of-this-world
sounds. The tools have heard sounds from 800
stars. Scientists studied the sounds. The sounds
did not show signs of life in outer space.

Tarter wanted to study science from an early
age. After 16 years, she still loves her job. “We
may detect a signal at any moment and answer
one of humankind’s oldest questions,” says Tarter.
“Are we alone?” She thinks the answer is no.
There are 100 billion stars in the universe.
So scientists still have plenty to search!

Courtesy Seth Shostak, SETI Courtesy SETI

↓ Radio telescopes collect data
from radio sources.

↑ Jill Tarter uses a computer
to understand the signals.

Issue 5 • 31

Finding Mark Richards/PhotoEdit
the Way

Blind people count on technology
to help them get around.

There are special ways to help blind ↑ The first guide dog
training school in the
people get around. For example, blind U.S. started in 1929.
people use a walking stick. They tap it
along the ground as they move. The stick
warns them when something is blocking
their path.

Dogs are trained to help people who can’t see.
These guide dogs lead people through busy areas.
The dogs are trained to follow orders. When blind
people are in a new place, they can ask others for
directions. Then they pass on the information to
the guide dog using the right commands.

Now there is new technology that can help blind
people when they are in a new place. Some people
use GPS. GPS stands for Global Positioning System.
GPS can tell a person exactly where he or she is.
It uses satellites in space to work.

32 • Time For Kids

Talking Map Marcio Jose Sanchez/Wide World Photos/AP Images

Blind people who use GPS carry around
a tiny receiver. First, the receiver gets
signals from satellites in space. Then,
a computer guides the user with
voice commands. Finally, the user
listens for exact directions. It’s like a
talking map!

GPS also lets people know what

is around them. It tells the name of ↑ Blind people have tools,
the street that is coming up. It may like GPS, to help them
even tell the user about a park or store get around.

nearby. Blind GPS users have a better idea about their

neighborhood. They feel better about traveling alone.

They feel good about getting to new places.

Detlev van Ravenswaay/Photo The ABCs of GPS
Researchers
Satellites move around Earth.
They are about 11,000 miles high
in the sky! There are about 24
GPS satellites moving around our
planet. Each one orbits Earth
twice a day.

← GPS satellites float above Earth.
There are many of them.

Issue 5 • 33

People figure out better ways to do important things.
Look at this chart to see how technology has changed.

Activity Past Present

Cooking

Traveling

Communicating

Listening
to Music

Gina Matarazzo

How do you think people will cook 20 years
from now? What will they use to listen to music?
How will they travel?

34

(c) Alex McKnight; (tr) David Lazenby/Animals Animals-Earth Scenes

Going
to Seed

Schools serve up a
healthful new food policy.

School lunches slim down LWA/Photodisc/Getty Images
to keep kids healthy.

Do you eat sweet treats

at school? If you do, you
probably don’t live in Texas.
In 2004, Texas made new
rules about school snacks.

The Texas government More schools are serving healthful foods.
checked on its students.

It found a big problem. About one third of the state’s

elementary school children weighed too much.

The Texas Department of Agriculture is part
of the state government. It is in charge of school
lunches. It made new rules for healthful eating in
schools. The rules say kids should eat balanced meals.
Kids should also cut back on foods with too much
fat or sugar. Children now eat foods that give them
energy to grow, work, play, and learn.

36 • Time For Kids

New Rules for Dean MacAdam
Vending Machines
The new rules change vending machines Vending machines now
in schools, too. Many foods sold in have more healthful foods.
vending machines have too much
sugar or fat. Now, students cannot buy
unhealthy foods from vending machines
during the school day.

Some Texas schools have changed
their vending machines. Now they sell
healthy foods such as fruit, carrot sticks,
and yogurt. They are helping kids in the
community be healthy!

How Sweet It Is!

Sometimes, sugar is added to food and drinks. But too

much sugar is bad for your health. See how much sugar

is in some foods.

Sugar Added to Food and Drinks

Food or Drink Added Sugar (in teaspoons)

one slice of bread

one cup of chocolate milk

one bar of chocolate

one cup of milk

one fruit drink

Issue 6 • 37

Bees, Bats, Bears, David Lazenby/Animals Animals/Earth Scenes
and Bison

Animals can be
plant partners.

A bee buzzes. A bat flies at

night. A bear walks through a
forest. A bison grazes. These
different animals are part of the
process of growing plants.

Seeds Start with Pollen To make seeds, pollen has to
move from one part of the plant to
Plants grow from seeds. The seeds another. Pollen also moves from
come from pollen. The pollen plant to plant. How does pollen
and seeds are made in the get from one place to another?
plant’s flowers. Sometimes bees and bats carry
it. Bees and bats fly to flowers to
get food. They fly from flower to
flower. Along the way, they touch
pollen. Pollen sticks to their bodies.
When the bee or bat moves to a
new flower, pollen rubs off. Then
the plant can make seeds.

38 • Time For Kids Martin Rugnar/age fotostock/SuperStock

Plants Start from Seeds Sometimes seeds stick to the
fur of bears and bison. When those
A seed needs soil to grow. How do animals lie down, the seeds can
seeds get from the plant to the soil? drop to the ground. A new plant
Sometimes bats, bears, and bison can grow there.
help out.
Plants grow from the seeds.
A bear finds a blueberry patch. Flowers grow on plants. Flowers
A fruit-eating bat lands in a banana make pollen. Pollen makes seeds.
tree. A bison chews tall grass. Hungry bees, bats, bears, and bison
When these animals eat fruit and go looking for food. Now it starts
grass, they are also eating seeds. all over again! — Susan Moger
The seeds go in with the food.
Later they come out in the animal’s
droppings. The seeds in the
droppings grow into plants.

Plant Helpers First Light/Getty Images

This chart shows the resources

plants give to animals.

Animal Plant Resource
giraffe leaves to eat
squirrel tree branches to build a nest in
monkey sticks to use to gather honey
sparrow seeds to eat

Westend 61/Alamy

Issue 6 • 39

Fresh and Fruity

(t) (bl) (bkgd) Christine Schneider Want to whip up a tasty snack? Try this
recipe for a yummy fruit smoothie.

You’ll go bananas over it!

Ingredients

1 banana

6 strawberries

3 cup low-fat yogurt
4

1 cup low-fat milk

3 ice cubes

Directions

1. Put all the ingredients into a
blender. Place cap on the blender.
(Ask an adult help to help you.)

2. Blend until smooth.

3. Pour into two glasses.
Enjoy with a friend!

40 Thomas Firak/Jupiterimages

Martian
Veggies?

People and
animals use
plants for food.

(c) Anton Vengo/SuperStock; (tr) Courtesy Michael Mautner

From Seed to Fruit IT Stock Free/Jupiter Images

These steps show how a pumpkin grows. Shmul Thaler/Index Stock

Start with Seeds Ingram Publishing/SuperStock

Seeds go into the soil. Sunny
spots are best. Sunlight helps
pumpkins grow.

Next Come the Sprouts

Small sprouts come up from the
soil. Their roots take in water.
Water and sunlight help sprouts
grow bigger.

Leaves and Flowers

Weeks pass. Leaves grow
on the pumpkin vines.
Then come flowers. One
flower opens at a time.

42 • Time For Kids

Green Pumpkins

Fruits grow on the vines.
They are tiny at first.
Each fruit stays green for
months. The pumpkins
are not yet ripe.

J Douglas Brooks/Port Huron Times Herald/AP Photo

Orange Pumpkins

The fruits take in warmth,
water, and sunlight. Each one
grows big and orange. Now
the pumpkins are ripe!

RVN/Alamy

Pumpkin Plant

Pumpkin plant parts work together to grow more plants.

Flowers make Seeds grow
seeds and fruit. into new plants.

Judith Moffatt Fruit feeds the Leaves take in
seeds and keeps light and turn it
them safe. into food.

Issue 7 • 43

A Martian Garden

Can vegetables grow in
Martian soil on Earth?

Michael Mautner is a scientist One Martian rock was found in the
Sahara Desert. The other was found
and a gardener. He had an idea. He in Antarctica. Both are good places
wanted to know if he could grow for spotting space rocks.
vegetables here on Earth in soil
from Mars. In the Mix

Martian Rocks Hit Earth Mautner took slices from the
Martian rocks. He found chemicals
Mautner did not go to Mars to get inside them. These same chemicals
the soil. He made it from Martian on Earth are used in fertilizer.
rocks that were already here. The Fertilizer helps plants grow.
rocks from Mars fell through
space. They landed on Earth. AFP/Newscom
Space rocks that land on Earth
are called meteorites. A lot of
meteorites hit Earth. Not many
of them come from Mars.
Mautner proved that his did.

A meteorite from Mars →

44 • Time For Kids

Mautner ground up the slices of Courtesy Michael Mautner
Martian rock to make soil. This soil
had the fertilizer chemicals in it.

Mautner mixed the Martian soil ↑ A tiny asparagus plant sprouts in Skip Jeffery
with water. Then he put pieces of Martian soil mixed with water.
asparagus and potatoes in the mixture.
In a few weeks the plants grew a couple ↑ The asparagus plant grows bigger!
of inches tall. These plants were
healthy. He grew other plants in plain
water. He also grew some in water
mixed with other ground-up rocks.
These test plants were smaller. They
were not as healthy as the plants grown
in Martian soil.

Mautner says, “In the future, people The Solar System
starting a colony on Mars could use the
soil there to grow food.” — Susan Moger Earth and Mars are part of the
Solar System. Can you find
them in this diagram?

Bob Kayganich

Mercury Earth

Venus Jupiter Neptune
Uranus
Mars Saturn

Sun

Issue 7 • 45

From Seed to Beans

How long does it take for a bean seed to turn into

a full-grown bean plant with beans you can pick?

Day 1 Day 3 Day 8
Plant the seed in The seed grows The seed sprouts.
the ground. roots.

Day 60 Day 14
The bean plant has The seedling
beans ready to pick! grows.

46 (tl) (tc) (tr) Siede Preis/Getty Images; Nigel Cattlin/Alamy; (bl) WizData/
Alamy; (br) Siede Preis/Getty Images; S.J. Krasemann/Peter Arnold, Inc.

(c) Peter Morgan/Reuters America; (tr) Eugene Louie/San Jose Mercury News/Newscom Speaking
Chinese

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