ChillKids
June 2020
Fun Family Educational Resource of Chapel Hill • Carrboro • Durham • Hillsborough • NC Triangle
SUMMER FUN!
Beach Safety How to "Break the Grip" of Rip Currents
Fun Puzzles Dot to Dots
FREE!
Piedmont Electric Membership Corporation
A Touchstone Energy Cooperative
Ready to Explore! Four Cheetah Cubs
Born at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia
June Word Find Find the words by looking up, down, backwards, forwards, sideways and diagonally.
S W P C H E A S A D M Y S Q A W U A J N R I N Q R Y A C A J Y D V R B R J B J X E G I D N Cheetah Cubs *Amabala *Jabari
L E N E S B H F H E C D K Z I
O T D A P Y A J L R C Q K B R
N A H P D J I L S Z P O K B E
D O N K H L A C B J I M F D N R F F O H Z S S E C A H V E F T F A N I Z A F M B W W S T J R S F B B K V P F U Z U K G G *Hasani *Erindi Echo Smithsonian
W G P E C J C I S R S Q X A K
Z Z L H Y T R O Q P N W O Q G
Q S S L J B O A U Y B C J A D L R X Z I K G J B Q T K G A S A B Z E U F H G P G G H Y Q A Ocean Sand Seashells Surf
*These are the names of Echo Cheetah's cubs at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (page 5).
Chapel Hill Pediatrics
&Adolescents
Welcome NEW and Established Patients
• Care from birth through college • Complimentary “meet & greet” sessions • Same-day appointments • Comprehensive sports & camp physicals Appointment Hours 8 am - 5 pm M-F All Locations
Walk in Availability: Chapel Hill Office: 7:15 – 7:50 am and 1-7 pm M-F, 9 am - 2 pm Sat - Sun Durham Office: 7:15 – 7:50 am M-F
READ TOGETHER
Educational fun for the whole family! ChillKids is your LOCAL award-winning educational family resource magazine for parents, grandparents, children, and educators K-5th grade in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough/Orange County, Durham and the NC Triangle.
ChillKids
HAVE FUN READING & LEARNING with ChillKids, featuring award-winning educational puzzles and games. Educators can request FREE distribution for your K-5 classroom(s) by calling (919) 951-4410. Read the monthly online edition at www.ChillKids.com/news. The ChillKids family educational resource is supported by sponsors who share our mission to promote literacy and a love of learning in our local community. To learn more about supporting our 501(c)(3) nonprofit literacy mission in partnership with the Newspaper in Education Initiative, call us at (919) 951-4410.
919-942-4173 Open daily including weekends and holidays. Serving you in 2 locations:
JUNE PUZZLE ANSWERS
Chapel Hill: 205 Sage Road, Suite 100 Durham: 249 East NC Hwy 54, Suite 230
www.chapelhillpeds.com 2 www.ChillKids.com/news June 2020
ChillKids
Chapel Hill/Carrboro/Hillsborough/ Orange & Durham Counties' Fun Family Educational Resource PUBLISHER/EDITOR Kate Look kate@ChillKids.com June 2020 Cheetah Cub Cover Photo: Shannon Richard/ Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.
For Sponsorship Information, or to request (FREE!) K-5 distribution for your school, contact us at: (919) 951-4410 www.ChillKids.com/news ChillKids 1818 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, #210 Chapel Hill, NC 27516 Copyright © 2020 ChillKids. All rights reserved. No part of this issue may be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without permission of the publisher. Neither participating advertisers nor the publishers will be responsible or liable for misinformation, misprints or typographical errors. The publishers reserve the right to edit any submitted material. ChillKids is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, artwork, or other material. Children's art submissions should include name, address, telephone number, and permission to publish signed by a parent or guardian.
Welcome Summer! Hello! Hooray for summer! The first day of Summer is on June 20th. Go for walks with your family and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air! Read about the four cheetah cubs born at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, and check out the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute's Cheetah Webcam! Due to the COVID19 outbreak, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute is temporarily closed to the public. However, animal keepers and veterinary staff remain working to provide care for the animals. Cubs can be viewed live at the Smithsonian Cheetah Webcam. Read all about the cheetahs on page 5! Summer time is beach time and the North Carolina coast has so many beautiful beaches with lots of fun things to do. Remember safety first on outings to the beach. Read about rip currents on page 4, and learn how to stay safe and avoid rip currents. Get out in nature with your family, get "unplugged," and read all summer long! Have a joyful June!
By Jan Buckner Walker
The Original Crossword Puzzle for Kids and Their Favorite Adults
™
The across clues are for kids and the down clues are for grown-ups!
Kids Across
1. Thee shape of each side of a Monopoly playing cube 3. Selected a game piece (or got an apple from a tree) 6. Easy Monopoly math: In Monopoly money, WHITE = $1, PINK = $5, YELLOW = $10, GREEN = $20 and BLUE = $50. If you have one green, one pink and five white bills, how many dollars do you have? 9. Make no mistake: The player who pulls a Community Chest card that says "Bank _____ in your favor" gets to collect $200 12. Abbr. for the word that appears on 17 of the 22 properties (Hint: It's a synonym for "Street") 13. It's the little stick a tiny man would use to tap that silver hat just before he pulls a rabbit out of it: a _____ wand 14. Type of game Monopoly is (and a homonym of how a player might feel as he sits in jail while the other players
of "dice" 7. Production of a high-touch 17. version of Monopoly ensures that blind players can get in on 20. the action 8. Electric company icon 22. 10. When a player lands on a question mark, it's time to take this kind of card 23. 11. Any agreement between players (or to pass out playing cards) 15. Rich color of the game pieces found in a deluxe edition of Parents Down Monopoly 1. Number of sides on dice (or 16. Royal color of Park Place one half of "boxcars") 18. Released in 1998, the U.S. 2. Reading or Pennsylvania Space Program Edition of 3. Sprung!: It's one way to get Monopoly (featuring space out of jail centers instead of houses and 4. If the orange card you drew hotels) celebrated the 40th tells you that you have been anniversary of this agency elected ______ of the 14A, you're about to pay each of the 19. Toss the dice 21. Left your fellow players other players $50 penniless (and determined to 5. One of a pair: Though its best you the next time) usage is now optional, once upon a time, this word was the only correct singular form
Monopoly, Anyone?
take their turns) Location of GO, Jail or Go to Jail It's the color of the Community Chest cards A great resting place: It's the space diagonally across the board from GO These words are found on an unlucky card you might draw from the Community Chest or 10D deck: "Go to ____!"
Find puzzle answers on page 2.
™
kris@kapd.com
KAPD ebooks now available on www.kapd.com
6/2019
June 2020 www.ChillKids.com/news
© 2019 KAPD, LLC
3
SAFETY
Safety at the Beach: Rip Currents
Rip Current Fast Facts
Can you spot the Rip Current?
We all love the beach in the summer. The sun, the sand, and the surf. But just because we're having fun, doesn't mean we can forget about safety.
Signs that a rip current is present are very subtle and difficult for the average beachgoer to identify. Look for differences in the water color, water motion, incoming wave shape or breaking point compared to adjacent
Rip currents account for 80% of beach rescues, and can be dangerous or deadly if you don't know what to do. First, know before you go. Check local beach & current forecasts before you head to the beach, and always swim near lifeguards. Look for any warning signs or flags. If you're unsure about conditions, ask a lifeguard. And know how to swim before you venture in.
conditions.
Rip Current
When you go to the beach, start off by staying back from the water. Rip currents are easier to see at an elevated position, like a dune line or beach
Rip currents are powerful, narrow channels of fast-moving water that are prevalent along the East, Gulf, and West coasts of the U.S., as well as along the shores of the Great Lakes. Moving at speeds of up to eight feet per second, rip currents can move faster than an Olympic swimmer. Lifeguards rescue tens of thousands of people from rip currents in the U.S. every year, but it is estimated that in the U.S. more than100 people are killed by rip currents annually.
access. Then look for places where waves aren't breaking (flat spots in the line If you do happen to be caught in a rip current, of breaking waves). Also look for places where there is foam or sediment in the stay calm. It won't pull you under, but it will water being transported away from the beach offshore. pull you away from shore. If you try to fight the rip current and swim against it, you'll just get worn out. Instead - float! If caught in a rip current, don't fight it! Swim parallel to the shore and swim If you're a good swimmer, swim parallel to shore until back to land at an angle. Source: https:// you've cleared the pull of the rip current. Swim at an angle with the waves, allowing them to push you to shore. oceantoday.noaa.gov/ripcurrent/
If you can, wave and yell to get the attention of lifeguards and people on shore to let them know you need help.
Look for a break in the incoming wave pattern. Image: weather.gov (courtesy of Dr. Wendy Carey, Delaware Sea Grant).
If you're on shore and see someone in trouble in a rip current call for help! If a lifeguard is not available, throw in something that floats or extend a reaching object, but don't try to be a hero and make the rescue yourself. Even trained lifeguards only attempt a rescue using a flotation device. Rip currents can be dangerous, but if you know your options, survey your situation, and stay calm, you can stay safe and continue to have fun in the surf, sand, and sun. Source: https://oceantoday.noaa.gov/ripcurrent/
Look for a break in the incoming wave pattern. Image: weather.gov (courtesy of Dr. Tom Herrington, Stevens Institute of Technology).
Educational Videos NOAA Ocean Today's How to "Break the Grip of the Rip: https://oceantoday. noaa.gov/ripcurrent/ NOAA Ocean Today's Surviving Rip Currents: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=WWwVbMKXeUU
Look for a channel of churning, choppy water. Image: weather.gov courtesy of Dr. Wendy Carey, Delaware Sea Grant
Look for an area having a notable difference in water color. Image: weather.gov courtesy of Dr. Wendy Carey, Delaware Sea Grant.
Source: www.weather.gov/jetstream/ripcurrents
USLA and NOAA Rip Current Public Service (PSA) Video: https://youtu.be/ytyLMkV2iu0
KNOW YOUR OPTIONS
IF CAUGHT IN A RIP CURRENT ●
Relax, rip currents don’t pull you under.
●
Don’t swim against the current.
●
Swim out of the current, then to shore.
●
If you can’t escape, float or tread water.
●
If you need help, yell or wave for assistance.
ESCAPE
CURR
ENT
ESCAPE
RIP CURRENT
CU R
RE NT
Rip currents are powerful currents of water moving away from shore. They can sweep even the strongest swimmer away from shore. If at all possible, swim near a lifeguard.
4 www.ChillKids.com/news June 2020
ANIMAL KINGDOM
Welcome Cheetah Cubs!
Cheetah Cubs Born at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, VA
Echo cheetah with her four newborn cubs. Photo: Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute Cheetah Webcam screenshot.
Three of Echo's cheetah cubs. Photo: Adrienne Crosier/Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
On April 8, the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute welcomed a litter of four chirping cheetah cubs — three boys and one girl. Their mother is Echo Cheetah. People all across the world have tuned in to the live Cheetah Cub Cam to see the cubs as they grow more mobile and playful by the day. On May 22, 2020, the Zoo asked for the public's help to name the cubs. After five days of voting and more than 30,000 votes, the winning names are: Amabala (female) - Zulu for "spots" Jabari (male) - Swahili for "fearless" or "brave one" Hasani (male) - Swahili for "handsome" Erindi (male) - Named for a protected reserve in Namibia where many cheetahs are rereleased
The Cheetah Cubs Can Be Viewed on the Smithsonian's New Live Cheetah Webcam!
The cheetah cubs are growing quickly! Echo cheetah with her four cubs. Photo:
Shannon Richard/Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.
All About Cheetahs Built for speed, the cheetah can accelerate from zero to 45 in just 2.5 seconds and reach top speeds of 60 to 70 mph, making it the fastest land mammal!
Tune in to the Cheetah Cub Cam streaming live from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, for all the action at https://nationalzoo.si.edu/ webcams/cheetah-cub-cam.
The cheetah's spotted coat helps it camouflage among the dry grasses of the African savanna where it lives.
An Animal Cam Educational Packet with fun Zoo educational activities for children is available to parents and educators looking for student and child home activities at https://nationalzoo.si.edu/sites/ default/files/documents/animal_webcam_activity_packet_2.pdf
A cheetah's teeth are small when compared with other big cats; they have larger nasal passages that enable quick air intake. Without large teeth, cheetahs' fighting abilities are limited agaist larger, stronger cats like lions, so cheetahs tend to opt for flight versus fight.
Cheetahs have slender, long-legged bodies with blunt, semi-retractable claws. Their heads are small with high-set eyes. A black tear mark runs from the inner corner of each eye down to the mouth.
Cheetahs are sometimes confused with leopards, but leopards are much heavier than the slender, fast cheetah, and leopards have rosette-shaped spots and no tear marks. Cheetahs do not roar, but they make sounds including purrs, barks, growls, hisses and chirps that are unlike those of any other cat. The most common vocalization is the chirp. Another common vocalization is what has been termed the "eeaow." It is a lot like the meow of a cat, but does not have the initial low frequency. Cheetahs inhabit a broad section of Africa including areas of North Africa, the Sahel, eastern and southern Africa. Over the past 50 years, cheetahs have become extinct in at least 13 countries, and they are most prevalent in Kenya and Tanzania in east Africa, and Namibia and Botswana in southern Africa. Cheetahs thrive in areas with vast expanses of land where prey is abundant. In Namibia, cheetahs live in a variety of habitats, including grasslands, savannahs, dense vegetation and mountainous terrain.
Photo: Shannon Richard/Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.
Sources: https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/cheetah; https://nationalzoo.si.edu/ animals/vote-name-cheetah-cubs; https://nationalzoo.si.edu/news/cheetahcubs-born-smithsonian-conservation-biology-institute; https://nationalzoo.si.edu/ webcams/cheetah-cub-cam
June 2020 www.ChillKids.com/news
5
What Powers a Spacecraft? Have you ever wondered what kind of energy powers a spacecraft? The short answer is that a spacecraft generally gets its energy from at least one of three power sources: the Sun, batteries or unstable atoms. To choose the best type of power for a spacecraft, engineers consider where it is traveling, what it plans to do there and how long it will need to work.
a battery in the spacecraft. These batteries can power the spacecraft even when it moves out of direct sunlight. Solar energy has also been used to power spacecraft on Mars. NASA's Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, and Mars’ Phoenix lander all used power from solar panels and so does the InSight lander. Spacecraft traveling far away from the Sun have very large solar panels to get the electricity they need. For example, NASA's Juno spacecraft uses solar power all the way out at Jupiter, where it orbits the planet. Each of Juno’s three solar arrays is 30 feet (9 meters) long!
NASA's Juno spacecraft is powered by very large solar arrays. It began orbiting Jupiter in 2016. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Energy from Atoms
NASA's Juno spacecraft is powered by very large solar arrays. It began orbiting Jupiter in 2016.
An illustration of the Cassini spacecraft diving between Saturn and its rings in 2017. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.
Spacecraft have instruments that help them take pictures and collect information in space. But they need electricity to power those instruments and send the information back to Earth. Where does the power come from? The answer is that it depends on the mission. To choose the best power system for a spacecraft, engineers have to think about several things. Some factors they consider are: where the spacecraft is traveling, what it plans to do there and how long it will need to work. One source of power is the Sun.
Energy from the Sun (Solar Power) Solar power is energy from the Sun. Spacecraft that orbit Earth, called satellites, are close enough to the Sun that they can often use solar power. These spacecraft have solar panels which convert the Sun's energy into electricity that powers the spacecraft. The electricity from the solar panels charges
However, solar power doesn’t work for all spacecraft. One reason is that as spacecraft travel farther from the Sun, solar power becomes less efficient. Solar-powered explorers may also be limited by a planet's weather and seasons, and harsh radiation (a type of energy). And they might not be able to explore dark, dusty environments, such as caves on the Moon. Mars is a dusty, windy place. When dust covers solar panels, they can’t make as much energy for the spacecraft. Use the slider to see the Spirit rover’s solar panels covered in dust (left) and what they looked like after winds cleaned them off (right). Credit: NASA/JPLCaltech/Cornell
An atom is a tiny building block of matter. Almost everything we know in the universe is made up of atoms. Atoms have to store a lot of energy to hold themselves together. But, some atoms—called radioisotopes—are unstable and begin to fall apart. As the atoms fall apart, they release energy as heat. Radioisotope systems produce power for a very long time, even in harsh environments. In fact, NASA's two Voyager spacecraft use this type of power. They have traveled farther than any other human-made object and are still sending back information after more than 40 years in space! A radioisotope power system uses the temperature difference between the heat from the unstable atoms and the cold of space to produce electricity. NASA has used this type of system to power many missions. For example, it has powered missions to Saturn, Pluto and even spacecraft that have traveled to interstellar space. This type of power system also provides the energy for the Curiosity rover on Mars.
When solar power won’t work, spacecraft have to get their power another way. So, scientists developed other ways that these spacecraft can get power. One way is to simply use batteries that can store power for a spacecraft to use later. Energy from Batteries Sometimes, missions are designed to last a short amount of time. For example, the Huygens probe that landed on Saturn’s large moon Titan was only meant to work for a few hours. So a battery provided enough power for the lander to do its job.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
This is a self-portrait of NASA's Curiosity rover on Mars. Curiosity gets its power from a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack and a radioisotope power system. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Spacecraft batteries are designed to be tough. They need to work in extreme environments in space and on the surfaces of other worlds. The batteries also need to be recharged many times. Over time, NASA scientists have invented ways to improve these batteries. Now they can store more energy in smaller sizes and last longer.
Radioisotope systems produce power for a very long time, even in harsh environments. In fact, NASA's two Voyager spacecraft use this type of power. They have traveled farther than any other human-made object and are still sending back information after more than 40 years in space! Source: https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/what-powersa-spacecraft/en/ Visit NASA Space Place at http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/to learn more!
6 www.ChillKids.com/news June 2020
JUNE 2020 ONLINE Flick Picks Artemis Fowl
Despicable Me
(Disney+ streaming Jun 12, 2020)
(Currently available to watch on Netflix.)
In a happy suburban neighborhood surrounded by white picket fences with flowering rose bushes, sits a black house with a dead lawn.
Disney’s Artemis Fowl, based on the beloved book by Eoin Colfer, is a fantastical, spellbinding adventure that follows the journey of 12-year-old genius Artemis Fowl, a descendant of a long line of criminal masterminds, as he desperately tries to save his father who has been kidnapped. In order to pay his ransom, Artemis must infiltrate an ancient, underground civilization—the amazingly advanced world of fairies—and bring the kidnapper the Aculos, the fairies’ most powerful and coveted magical device. To locate the elusive object, cunning Artemis concocts a dangerous plan—so dangerous that he ultimately finds himself in a perilous war of wits with the all-powerful fairies. Artemis Fowl is directed by Kenneth Branagh and stars Ferdia Shaw, Lara McDonnell, Josh Gad, Tamara Smart, Nonso Anozie, Josh McGuire, Nikesh Patel and Adrian Scarborough, with Colin Farrell and Judi Dench. Disney’s Artemis Fowl debuts exclusively on Disney+ on June 12, 2020. 1 hr. 35 min. Rated PG.
Disney+; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
Unbeknownst to the neighbors, hidden beneath this house is a vast secret hideout. Surrounded by a small army of minions, we discover Gru (Steve Carell), planning the biggest heist in the history of the world. He is going to steal the moon. Gru delights in all things wicked. Armed with his arsenal of shrink rays, freeze rays, and battle-ready vehicles for land and air, he vanquishes all who stand in his way. Until the day he encounters the immense will of three little orphaned girls who look at him and see something that no one else has ever seen: a potential Dad. The world's greatest villain has just met his greatest challenge: three little girls named Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier), and Agnes (Elsie Fisher). Rated PG (for rude humor and mild action). 1 hr. 35 min. Universal Pictures; Illumination Entertainment.
THE ANIMAL HOSPITAL
JUNE Maze
Highest quality veterinarian services using state of the art technology & techniques
* Dog boarding * Cat boarding * Luxury cat condos * Dog self-wash service
START
END
North Carolina’s best small animal practice, serving the community since 1974!
112 West Main St. Carrboro, NC 27510
919-967-9261
SUMMER IS HERE! Protect your pets against fleas and ticks!
theanimalhospitalcarrboro.com
June 2020 www.ChillKids.com/news
7
put READING ALOUD at the top of your summer bucket list
Learn more at ReadAloud.org