tv Teen Kids News PBS April 7, 2012 4:00pm-4:30pm PDT
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>> "teen kids news" starts right now, and we've got a lot to report. >> it's the mission to find out if jupiter, the king of planets, is really made of royal stuff. >> i'll tell you why a children's hospital has stopped serving a cafeteria favorite. >> i'll tell you about teen volunteers at the zoo. >> join us as we hit the fashion runway for an exclusive look at the fall ralph lauren girls and holiday collection. >> in flag facts, i'll explain why one of our states owes its name to a mistake. >> i'll tell you about one of america's most beloved historical poems. it tells a rousing tale of colonial heroism. but it stretches the truth. >> that and much more, so keep
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watching "teen kids news." >> welcome to "teen kids news." i'm mwanzaa. >> and i'm livia. here's our top story for this week. >> as we all know, jupiter is the biggest planet in our solar system. but there's still a lot more to learn about this distant giant. that's what nasa's newest space mission is going to find out. harry tells us more. >> packed with the very latest scientific gear, juno launched in august 2011. >> it gets to jupiter in 2016, so it takes five years to get to jupiter. >> whoa! did he say five years?
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>> five years to get to jupiter. >> well, the distance we're talking about is over 366 million miles. that's equal to going around the earth almost 15,000 times. juno has a unique design. it looks like a pinwheel, but as scott explains, the shape has a purpose. >> we're going out really far from the sun. in fact, jupiter's five times as far away from the sun as the earth is, and so we get 25 times less sunlight than we get here on earth. so we needed to overcome that. we have big giant solar panels to do that. but we go deep close to jupiter, right into the middle of the radiation zone. in fact, it's the most hazardous region in the whole solar system. we're like an armored tank going to jupiter. >> in roman mythology, juno is the wife of jupiter. according to legend, when jupiter was up to mischief, he'd hide behind clouds. >> but she could see right through the clouds, and that's just what our spacecraft juno does. it sees through the clouds of
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jupiter to figure out its true nature and see what's inside. >> scientists hope that once nasa's juno "sees through" the clouds of jupiter, we'll find a lot of answers about the birth of our solar system. >> our whole solar system was probably formed from one kind of cloud that was basically the same composition as the sun -- mostly hydrogen, a little bit of helium, and a tiny bit of everything else. well, jupiter is all gas. it may have a solid core in the middle. we don't know. that's one of the things juno will tell us. and that's what juno's trying to really understand. that slight difference is, it has a little bit different amounts of oxygen, carbon, nitrogen -- all the things we call heavy elements. and those things are important to us because that's what the earth's made out of, and, in fact, that's what life's made out of. >> which brings up the age-old question -- does life exist on other planets? >> i think that out in the universe there must be many kinds of life, and some of them must be intelligent.
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now, we haven't found any other ones, but the universe is really big, and there's a lot of stars out there, and the odds are there's a lot of life-forms. i don't know if they're visiting us, like aliens, but i think they're out there. >> so what doscott suggest we do if we find intelligent life? >> if i ever encountered an alien, the first thing i'd do is ask him where do they come from and what's it like on their planet. >> but don't hold your breath. one scientist says that the odds of there being other intelligent life out there are one 100th of a percent -- over 4 billion years. if you'd like more info on juno's mission, visit our website. >> don't go away. we've got lots more still to come on "teen kids news." >> we'll be right back. >> one month after 17-year-old trayvon martin was shot to death, his killer, neighborhood
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watchmen george zimmerman, remains free, asserting the killing was justified under florida's "stand your ground" law. >> ♪ i love to sing your praises ♪ >> preachers and parishioners around the country worshipping in hoodies in memory of the slain teen who was wearing a hoodie when he was followed by zimmerman. >> it wasn't just the african-american community that's standing up now. it's america that's standing up for justice. >> if we can just use this to target violence in general, you know, and not just somebody of another color, then i think we're gonna make a lot of movements in the right direction. >> the justice department's civil rights division and the fbi are investigating. trayvon's parents plan on pursuing a civil case. pope benedict donning a sombrero and being serenaded by mariachi bands, captivating an estimated 350,000 people on his first visit to mexico. the pontiff also making a three-day visit to cuba, where the catholic church is gaining new ground in a country that,
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until 1992, was officially atheist. lawmakers on capitol hill are stepping in to stop a growing trend -- employers requiring job applicants provide facebook passwords. >> things that we deem private are just that -- private. you shouldn't be required to give up your right to private communications. you shouldn't be required to give up your private life just to get a job. >> content on facebook can contain information protected by federal employment laws, and the social media site says you should never share your password or let anyone access your account. for "teen kids news," i'm julie banderas, "fox news channel in the classroom." >> if someone offered you a glass filled with sugar, you'd probably say, "no, thanks." but too many of us are lit drinking sugar every day. veronique reports on a hospital that's trying to get us out of that habit. >> experts at
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nationwide children's hospital in ohio have come up with a scary statistic. if you drink one 12-ounce soda a day, you're taking in an extra 35 pounds of sugar a year. >> and that, multiplied by two or three cans a day, can add up to 10 or 15 pounds of weight if they don't increase their exercise proportionately. >> to set a good example for families, the hospital is now banning sugar-sweetened drinks. it hopes the idea will catch on around the country. >> especially the children's hospitals are very well positioned to do this, as leaders in their respective communities in each region. >> on "teen kids news," we've often reported on the growing problem of overweight teens. the extra pounds don't julook bad -- they can increase your risk of developing serious diseases. >> problems that used to be reserved to older persons like myself are now happening in younger and younger children, and it's largely due to this severe epidemic of obesity. >> eden and her mom are taking the doctor's advice to heart.
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they were surprised to learn just how quickly the sugar in soda, for example, can add up. >> we don't usually get the cans. we usually get the 2 liters. so it would be like, "oh, another cup." you know, it doesn't really matter. so i didn't really think about it as i was drinking the pop. >> a recent survey found 2/3 of high-school students drink at least one soda or sugary energy drink a day. next time, make it a nice tall glass of ice water or low-fat milk. >> now we're going to run a state flag up the pole. scott has the facts that make this one stand out. >> rhode island's flag is bold and simple. but the state it represents is much more complex. for instance, although there are islands within its harbors, most of rhode island isn't an island. italian explorer
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giovanni da verrazano may be responsible for the mix-up. arriving in 1524, one of the harbor islands supposedly reminded him of the greek island of rhodes. others say the name originated with dutch explorer adriaen block. the story goes that he was amazed by the red clay in the soil. so he called the area "red island" or, as the dutch would say, "roodt eylandt." he also named one of the islands "block island" in honor of... himself. >> rhode island is known as "little rhody." it's approximately 1,200 square miles. and rhode island was started when roger williams left massachusetts in search of religious freedom. he had hope that he would find the religious freedom that had led him to come to the new world. >> williams succeeded in establishing a settlement in 1631. thankful for his good fortune, he named it "providence." today providence is the capital
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of rhode island. and "hope" is the state motto. >> so the flag includes hope, this golden anchor -- which is a reference to the coastline of rhode island -- and also 13 stars to represent the 13 states, the original states. >> here's one more interesting fact. although rhode island is our smallest state geographically, it has the longest name of any state. its official title is "state of rhode island and providence plantations." in this case, the term "plantations" refers to resettling people in a new place. >> with "flag facts," i'm scott. >> gigapan is an amazing website. it allows you to see photos as they've never been seen before. take, for example, this picture
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of a library. say you want to read the title of one of the books. impossible, you think? just watch. voilà! here's a scene from president obama's inauguration. using the slider, you can zoom in close enough to see how well vice president biden shaved. each of these pictures is actually made up of hundreds of photos that are combined by computer. the creators hope to make this new technology cheap enough so that one day we can all take our own extra-extra-large pictures. >> this report is brought to you by ralph lauren. one of the biggest events in new york city each year is fashion week. and what better way to kick it off than with a fashion show at ralph lauren headquarters. this year's event was extra exciting, because it included some very unique guests. you've probably seen fashion shows on television and in
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movies. but when was the last time you saw one where the front row was filled with kids? these are the ralph lauren girls 2011 fall and holiday collections. and kids were getting a chance to see them first. what do you think of the idea of having fashion shows especially for teenagers and kids? >> i think that's great 'cause a lot of fashion shows are for older people, so for people to go say, "oh, i'm going to a fashion show this weekend," that's really cool. >> i've never been to a fashion show before. my mom said "we're gonna go to a ralph lauren fashion show." i'm like "whoa, cool!" [ laughs ] >> the fall lineup features a variety of styles, including military-inspired jackets... herringbone blazers... and new accessories -- including this suede fringe bag. >> i love it because you can always stay bundled up and i love it because you look good in it and you always feel very confident in yourself when you wear it.
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>> the holiday collection is equally as stunning, with ruffled snowflake sweaters... sweater vests... and tunic shirts. >> my favorite outfit from the holiday collection was the plaid dress. >> while some of the girls modeling the clothes are professionals, most were just regular kids who got a chance to walk the runway. >> it's something that i've never done, and i loved it. i just tried my best, and it was really fun. >> it felt really exciting because when i was little i used to watch shows, and i saw girls walking down the runway. and i think it's really cool to know that i'm the one walking down the runway.
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>> as the show wrapped up, an unexpected guest, ralph lauren, made his way down the runway. and the crowd went wild. >> you can check out more of this event at ralphlauren.com and saks.com. just follow the links on our website. for "teen kids news," i'm carina. >> thinking about getting a tattoo? better think twice. a recent study shows that 1 in 5 people who get tattoos wish they hadn't. and with the rising popularity of tattoos, researchers predict that more and more people will regret their decision in the future. >> looking for a better way to fill your spare time? christian will show us how some teens spend their days volunteering at the zoo. and this story may just moo-o-o-o-ve you. >> aggie the cow is a star at the prospect park zoo.
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>> [ moos ] she even gets her own fan mail. >> she's a dexter cow. she's from southern ireland. >> you can learn about aggie and the other animals at the zoo from discovery guides like vanessa. >> as a discovery guide, i inform people about the animal facts, i show them how to feed the animal, and i talk to them. >> there are anywhere from 25 to 50 discovery guides working at a time. many are given school credit for their work. >> some of the kids are coming through internship programs, which basically means they get out of school early, or maybe they don't go to school that day and they come and do their internship so they get credit for their hours. >> but school credit is not the only benefit. >> some of them have career aspirations to work with animals or even work in education, so it gives them that firsthand opportunity to do that. >> atu marshall is an example of someone who began as a guide. >> i started as a teen volunteer when i was 15. basically, i would stand in at the barn area and give any
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information about the animals to the public. >> now atu works full time at the zoo as an animal attendant. >> our teenagers are assisting with education programs, and some of the education programs actually make toys and foods for the animals, and they'll put them in the meerkats exhibit, and then the teen volunteers are helping out with those classes. also, some of our volunteers have been making up chats for the public that they'll give to groups that are going around the zoo. >> the meerkats -- they come from south africa. they live in the kalahari desert, so their natural habitat is to be in dry open plains. they tend to dig a lot, and they can be very destructive, so here at the zoo, we give them things such as boxes and papers to play with. >> if you're looking to become a discovery guide, there are a few skills you'll need. >> to be a good discovery guide, i think you have to really enjoy animals, and you have to know how to talk to people and get along well with people.
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>> my advice is when you do volunteer is to be patient. it takes time. >> it's hard work, but to the guides we spoke with, it's a great opportunity. >> i chose this one because i want to be a medical researcher, and then in my future life, in my future career, i think i will have to deal with animal. >> volunteering is worth doing. i recommend doing this because you get to learn about the animals. >> and you'll also learn a lot about yourself, as well. for "teen kids news," i'm christian. >> it's time to play "word"! [ cheers and applause ] pick out what's true from among the false definitions. start with this word... does it mean... [ ring! ] morose means... "don't be morose. maybe you'll get the next one right." how about this adjective...
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it means either... [ ring! ] irrelevant means... "she lost the debate because of her irrelevant comments about her opponent's outfit." >> i'm very disappointed in you, my dear. >> here's a verb... does it mean... [ ring! ] emanate means... as in, "the sun emanates warmth," or, "people who watch 'teen kids news' emanate intelligence." [ boing! ] [ cheers and applause ] let's review... and that's "word" for this week on "teen kids news"! >> even if college is still some years away, listen to this.
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chances are the admissions people will sneak a peek at your facebook pages. in fact, an overwhelming 80% of colleges already check out applicant online profiles. but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. knowing that they're probably looking, you can score points with the admissions office by "liking" their school on facebook or by following it on twitter. and you can use a personal blog to show why you're a model applicant. >> it's a famous poem with a stirring message. but nicole says it needs a little help in the accuracy department. here's the restory behind that famous midnight ride. >> just about every schoolkid knows the phrase "one if by land, and two if by..." >> "sea." >> "sea"? >> "sea." >> "sea." >> like i said, we all know the line. that's because it's part of a famous poem written by henry wadsworth longfellow.
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it begins with the words... some people believe that longfellow's poem is about as accurate as a colonial musket with a bent barrel. >> well, it is a beautiful poem, but it's horrible history. >> and he should know. bob damon is a historian. he explained to me some of the inaccuracies in longfellow's poem. let's start with its most famous line. >> "one if by land..." >> "...and two if by sea." >> it's wrong. the british were never going by sea. so it was a river, not a sea? >> it was definitely a river, not a sea. and as a matter of fact, we might even say it was the back bay and the charles river, as opposed to a sea. >> whis accurate is that the signal was given from this boston church, called old north church. the poem goes on to say that revere was across the river waiting for the signal. >> "and i on the opposite shore will be, ready to ride and spread the alarm through every
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middlesex village and farm." >> and, in fact, he wnot on the other side of the charles river. he was being rowed across the charles river by two friends while the lanterns were being hung. >> then there's this part. >> "and lo! as he looks, on the belfry's height..." >> "...a glimmer, and then a gleam of light!" >> "...he springs to the saddle, the bridle he turns..." >> "...but lingers and gazes, till full on his sight..." >> "...a second lamp in the belfry burns." >> not true! he didn't need to find out what the signal would be. >> paul revere was the man who helped to put the plan of the old north church signals into action. so he, of course, already knew which way the british soldiers were coming. >> then why the lanterns? they were only a backup in case revere was caught as he crossed the river. longfellow wrote "paul revere's ride" in 1860, almost 100 years after it happened. here's another line from the poem. >> "it was two by the village clock..." >> "...when he came to the bridge in concord town." >> well, that didn't happen,
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either. >> he was stopped in lexington and was never able to actually make it beyond lexington to warn residents in the town of concord that the british were gonna be coming. >> the poem also leads you to believe that paul revere was the only rider that night. not so. >> there were several other men, the most important of which was william dawes, who rode off of boston neck, taking the land route to go and warn people in lexington and concord. the other man is a man named dr. samuel prescott, who was actually out visiting his girlfriend that night and was roped into helping with the business when he met up with revere and with dawes in lexington. >> so, then why did longfellow leave out those two men? >> that is a great question, and there are many historians and academics who've researched that particular piece. their answers seem to be was what longfellow was striving at was finding a way to inspire individuals to take up their place in history and to do an action that could help to change the course of events in their country. >> others offer a different explanation. they say that the poem's opening line... >> "listen, my children..." >> "...and you shall hear..."
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>> "...of the midnight ride..." >> "...of paul revere." >> ...just wouldn't have worked if "dawes" and "prescott" were added. longfellow created a legend that turned paul revere into one of our nation's most "revered" heroes, and that probably would never have happened if paul's last name didn't rhyme so conveniently. for "teen kids news," i'm nicole. >> we'll see you next time on "teen kids news." >> thanks for watching. have a great week.
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steves: moving on, we enter the region of bohemia. this part of the czech republic, closest to germany, is much-appreciated for its pastoral countryside, and floating a few hours down the vltava river through bohemian forests and villages, you see why. families and gangs of friends enjoy multi-day river trips. these guys aren't letting a little rain dampen their spirits. anyone passing through can rent a canoe and enjoy a paddle, short or long.
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float companies pick you up and drop you at convenient and scenic spots of your choice. going with the flow takes you to my favorite stop in the czech countryside outside of prague, cesky krumlov. the enchanting town of cesky krumlov, buried in the hills of bohemia, lassooed by its river, and dominated by its castle, feels lost in a time warp. its delightful old town of shops and cobbled lanes, characteristic little restaurants, and easy-going canoeing options makes it a favorite with tourists. and there's no shortage of accommodations. our home is the castleview apartments. plush and thoughtfully equipped, my room is typical of the work locals are doing, as even medieval lofts are being renovated to meet the needs of the growing number of visitors.
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open beams, a handy kitchenette, and, as its name promises, a castle view, make this a fine temporary home. with a natural moat provided by the vltava river, it's no wonder this place has been a choice spot for ages. the 16th century was the town's golden age when cesky krumlov was a cultural power, hosting artists, scientists, and alchemists from all over europe. the town's many tourists set their sights on the mighty castle of the rosenberg family. for three centuries, until about 1600, the rosenbergs, bohemia's top noble family, ran the city from this perch. its 16th-century renaissance paint job is fancifully restored. visitors wait their appointed time for a tour in the castle courtyard. the interior gives a glimpse of the ultimate in bohemian noble living through the ages. imagine being a guest, back in the 16th century,
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of this man, count rosenberg. you'd enjoy the scenes frescoed here, which celebrate a rosenberg family wedding. then, riding his assembly line of fine living, you'd dine here. come back two centuries later, and you'd dine here. and, if the countess tired of your company, she'd retire to her adjacent bedroom, but only after a servant lit the candles on her meissen porcelain chandelier. and, of course, the party would go on, perhaps with a venetian-style masquerade party in the ballroom. for a little fresh air, you'd hike down this corridor 150 yards to the count's formal garden. but don't forget, at 8:00 p.m., the candles would be lit for a play in the baroque theater. europe once had several hundred fine baroque theaters like this. using candles and oil lamps for light and pyrotechnics for special effects,
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eventually, most of them burned down. today, only four survive that are in beautiful shape and open to the public, like this one here at krumlov castle. [ whirring ] baroque theater was all about melodrama. lighting, perspective, and sound effects were all melodramatic. even the weather was thrilling, with machines to make horrifying wind... [ whirring ] [ rough whirring ] a driving rainstorm... [ rough whirring ] [ rumbling ] and menacing thunder. even back then, it was all about special effects.
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