Have you ever wanted to share your advice with the president? Here is your chance. The Washington Post and Handwriting Without Tears teamed up to allow kids to give a piece of advice to newly re-inaugurated president Barak Obama. Read the three pieces of advice offered by kids below. Select one and tell if this is good or bad advice and explain why. Then in three to four sentences leave your own advice for the president. Make sure it is clearly stated and explain what exactly you want the president to think, say, or do.
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Dear Mr. President,
You should try to help the schools earn more money. Also help the homeless people and you should help lost animals. If we do that, we will make the world a better place. Do you know that I am recycling bottles and paper? I pick up all of the trash in my yard and help lost animals find its owner. If you have time, can you write back?
Sincerely,
Stephanie Carpenter, fourth grade, Lynchburg
Dear President Obama,
I have some advice for you. Let’s start off with better school lunches. I eat three times a day and I don’t look forward to lunch, so I bring lunch. We should at least get real food! They should be healthier and something more than a microwaved box with food. You should also make longer school recesses so there is less childhood obesity. There are just two of my many ideas. I’ll keep sending so watch out for . . .
Your citizen,
Andrew Misura, 10, Potomac
Dear Mr. President,
My hopes and dreams for the next four years are for there to be an All Ice Cream Day where you only eat ice cream for the day. Because I really like ice cream, and a lot of other people like it a lot.
Sincerely, Alec Butler, fourth grade, Vienn
To find out more about this project visit: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/dear-mr-president-washington-area-kids-write-letters-and-offer-advice-to-barack-obama/2013/01/16/014edc4e-599d-11e2-88d0-c4cf65c3ad15_story.html
The new President is inaugurated on January 20. A President who is re-elected must be sworn in again. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court reads the Oath of Office outside the Capitol Building. The President and Vice President swear to do their jobs to the best of their abilities and to be faithful to the Constitution. There is a huge parade up Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House after the official ceremony. The new President rides in a limousine or walks along the parade route, smiling and waving to the crowd. Many fancy inaugural balls are held all over the city of Washington at night to celebrate the President’s election.
M.C.Escher is an artist known for his black and white sketches that use geometric figures and mind boggling concepts in his works. Use one of the images below to write a poem. Your poem should include either personification, alliteration, or hyperbole/ exaggeration and be clearly connected to the work you select and be between five to ten lines long. Make sure you tell what image you are using for your poem.
Below are various notable people from this past year. After 365 days, TIME magazine like to recognize the person they felt made an impact around the globe for various reasons. Below are some notable figures who may grace the cover by the end of this year. Which one of the individuals below do you think is worthy of being Person of the Year and why? Is there someone not listed who you think is a better choice. If so explain why.
Person of the Year
Read about our nominees for TFK's 2012 Person of the Year, then cast your vote
NOVEMBER 30, 2012
By TIME For Kids Staff
Who was the most important newsmaker of 2012? Read on to learn about the 12 nominees and to cast your vote for the TIME FOR KIDS Person of the Year. Be sure to make your choice by January 1! We will announce the winner at timeforkids.com and in the first issue of TIME For Kids after the holiday break.
Click on the images below to read about each candidate. Then cast your vote in the poll.
Laughter is a cure for many ills. Read the jokes below and decide which joke is the funniest. Explain why you thought it was funny. Add your own joke, but be sure to make it appropriate.
Teacher: Last night I had a dream that I ate a huge marshmallow
Student: And what happened next?
Teacher: I woke up in the morning and found my pillow gone!
Q: Who earns a living driving their customer's away? A: A taxi cab driver.
A girl came home from school.
Her mother asked, "Dear How was your first day at school?"And the girl replied, "First day? You mean I have to go back tomorrow? Q: What is the longest word in the dictionary? A: The word smiles because there is a mile between each s.
The holidays are usually a time when all sorts of movies are released. Below is a list of kid-friendly movies you may want to see. Read the descriptions below and in three to four sentences decide what movie you would want to see and why. Is there something the writer did not include you want to know more about to make the movie seem even more interesting? Is there a movie not listed you want to see?
Kid-friendly movie guide
PIXAR VIA REUTERS - One eye, but 3 Ds: Sulley and Mike return in “Monsters, Inc. 3D.”
December is a busy time with family and friends getting together, decorating for the holidays and actually celebrating. But it’s also a great chance to get the whole family together to go to the movies. Look at our list of suggestions and tell your parents you’d really like some “quality family time.”
→“Rise of the Guardians”
When it comes out: It’s in theaters now.
What it’s about: What happens when Santa, the Easter Bunny and Jack Frost team up to take down a bad guy named Pitch, who wants to steal children’s dreams. The movie is done with computer-generated animation and features the voices of actors your parents probably know, including Alec Baldwin, Hugh Jackman and Chris Pine.
→“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
Rating: PG-13
When it comes out: December 14.
What it’s about: This is based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s story of a nervous hobbit named Bilbo Baggins, who must go on an epic quest with a bunch of dwarves and Gandalf the Grey to recapture Lonely Mountain. For many readers, this book served as the introduction to Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. It should be full of magic, but its length (21 / 2 hours) and its rating (PG-13) means it’s for older kids, preferably those who have read the book.
→“Monsters, Inc. 3D”
Rating: G
When it comes out: December 19.
What it’s about: Yes, this is a movie you have probably seen on DVD, but the adorable story of what monsters actually do when they’re not scaring little kids is a classic worthy of a family trip to the theater. (You can tell Mom and Dad that KidsPost said so!)
→“Parental Guidance”
Rating: PG
When it comes out: December 25.
What it’s about: When grandparents take on the long-term job of babysitting their grandchildren, they discover that parenting has changed a lot. This comedy is likely to be funny in different places for kids, parents and grandparents.
Do you eat a balanced diet? Read the article below. Which one of the facts below do you think is the most important reason to eat your veggies? Explain in three or more sentences.
Some children and adults alike cringe when they hear a directive about eating their veggies. In addition to their multiple health benefits, vegetables add color and texture contrasts to meals, yet many Americans still do not make room for veggies on their plates. Certain nutrients are found almost exclusively in plants. By eliminating plant products from your diet, you are doing yourself a disservice that may result in the development of chronic conditions and life-threatening illnesses. If you consume about 2,000 calories a day, you should include 2 1/2 cups of vegetables to stay healthy and prevent nutrient deficiencies. Before making dietary changes, consult your physician.
Cancer Connection
Antioxidants have been in the news quite a bit lately and have been idealized as a sort of panacea for all kinds of ailments. These compounds, which include vitamins C and E and the beta-carotene found in carrots, protect against cancer by interacting with and preventing free radicals from harming cellular structures. Free radicals can come from the environment as well as form naturally in the body as a result of chemical processes occurring in cells. When free radicals are released from cells, they float around in the body and interact with substances such as DNA and the membranes that cover cells, destroying and mutating structures.
Cardiovascular Health
Along with cigarette smoking and an unhealthy body weight, a diet low in plant products can have detrimental effects on your heart and brain. In areas where people consume diets high in vegetation, rates of cardiovascular-related diseases remain at low levels. Conversely, people who eat very little plant products have the highest incidences of blood vessel blockages, resulting in heart attacks and strokes. Phytonutrients -- chemicals originating in plants -- have protective effects on the heart and blood vessels. Among phytonutrients are the carotenoids that impart yellow or orange hues to fruits and vegetables and the flavonoids found in fruits, vegetables, tea and wine.
Diabetes and Blood Sugar Levels
Green vegetables replete with leaves can protect you from developing type 2 diabetes, which primarily affects adults. By consuming an additional 1 1/2 servings of these vegetables per day, you can decrease your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 14 percent, according to a 2010 study published in the “British Medical Journal.”
Unborn babies can also benefit from mothers eating a diet filled with vegetables. Children with type 1 diabetes carry antibodies in their blood that attack cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, a hormone that regulates the amount of sugar in your blood. In a 2009 study published in the journal “Pediatric Diabetes,” Dr. Hilde Brekke found that mothers who reported eating vegetables every day had a lower risk of giving birth to children who possessed these destructive antibodies.
Digestive Health
You should take in about 14 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories you consume daily, according to the federal government's 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans; however, the average American consumes less than half the recommended amount. Meat and dairy products contain no fiber; you can find fiber only in foods that come from plants. Because fiber cannot be broken down by your digestive system, it allows wastes to move easily through your digestive tract, eliminating constipation and inflammation along your digestive tract. This plant-derived substance also contributes to colon health, reducing your likelihood of developing colon cancer.
Weight Implications
Because plant matter contains significant bulk in the form of water and fiber, vegetables fill you up without adding many calories to your meals. Vegetables fall into the lowest energy-density food group, where items yield between 0 and 1.5 calories per gram, as compared to high energy-density foods, which contain between 4 and 9 calories per gram. By consuming diets filled with vegetables, you take in fewer calories relative to the amount of food you eat, thereby maintaining a healthy weight. Always check with your physician before you change your dietary habits.
Nutrient Deficiency
About 90 percent of your daily intake of vitamin C originates from fruit and vegetables. A deficiency in vitamin C causes a disease called scurvy and compromises your immune system and your body’s ability to heal itself. Dark-green and orange vegetables are good sources of vitamin A, which promotes cardiovascular health and guards against night blindness and cataracts -- the clouding of the eye’s lens. Vitamin K, found in green vegetables, aids in blood clotting. The vitamin E of nuts and green, leafy vegetables protects you from heart disease and cancer. By eating solely meat products, you can cause your body irreparable harm by excluding a significant amount of nutrients your body needs to function properly.
