>> welcome to "teen kids news." éi'm siena. éwe'll start with our@(op story. shark# -- just the thought of meeting one of those $cold-bloode creatures is enough to make our own blood run cold. but as veronique reports, we depend on sharks for far more than wrealize. >> our story about the ocean street.begins hera on a city >> yeah, we're at the explorers club, the home of exploration. >> meet chris fischer.

an experienced ex lorer h"@ helped start the research group called ocearch. extraordary -- to study@some of the largest and most dely of the largest and most dely white shark#. >> it's interesting, you know, i didn't understand how important sharks were@to the future of the planet when i began this journey. i'm just someone who loves the ocean. but it turns out, sharks are the top of the food chain. they are the lion of the ocean@-- the great balance keeper. arks, we're going to harm the ocean's delicate ecosys$em, as well. >> so, one of the things we see happen in some areas is, if you remo the sharks, the squ explode like locusts. and then they eat all the bait fish, and the other fish have nothing to eat, and they decline, and you end up with a >> and that's where ocearch comes in. they've launche a long-term %oject to study these giants of the deep. >> well, in an effort to make sure we could look after the future of sharks, we had to have the information necessary to

manage their future. we had to understand, where's the nursery? where are the baby sharks so we can help them succeed so they grow up? where are the adult sharks mating so we can make sure they're successful? and when i started to understand how important sharks were and then began to try to learn about them, it came to me quickly that we do not know much about them. >> no wonder. being able to learn out sharks in the open ocean meant catching them alive -- an incredible challenge. but ocearch was up to the task. >> for the first time in history, we've pioneered the method to capture giant eat white sharks, mature white sharks -- 3,000-, 4,000-, 5,000-pound sharks -- and give the brightest men and women, our scientists, access to those sharks. >> butiful. i mean, she oks very placid. she looks great. her color's great. >> then they return the sharks back to the oean. but the research@oesn't stop there. >> as technology has advanced, our ability to have batters that last for a very long time and to have sml devices that

can communicate with satellites has allowed us now to mount trking devices on these white sharks. and every time they stick their fin up out of the water( theeir device turns on and communicates with a satellte exactly where they@re at that moment. >> attaching the tracking devices doesn't hurt the sharks. it's just like g"áting your ears pierced. >> you put these tags on, and about 18 months later, the female white sharks show us where the babies are, where the nursery is, and th we move to protect that area. >> since sharks are some of the most ferocious predators in@the áocean, you wouldn't think they ne protecting, but there is another %edator even more deadly -- man. >> you know, sharks are disappearing because there is an enormous demand in asia for shark-fin soup. and it's a sad (hing because 20 ,0 0 sharks are finned a day -- caught, fins off, and(m dumped overboard. the bottom of the ocn is littered with finless sharks. >>@carch is working with

environmental groups a world governments to stop this form of fishing. >> if you want to talk to us, l'u ow, !u can go to the oceah facebook page, and that's a great place to interact with us, as well as go to the ocearch global shark tracker. you !ún track about three dozen great white sharks in real time right now. >> by the way, if you're worried about swimming in the ocean and being attacked by a shark, keep this in mind. >> di you know you are more likely to be struck by lightning twice than have an interaction with a shark? and lord knows we all don't wander around worried about getting struck by lightning. getting struck by lightning. reassuring. anyway, check out their website. it's fun to track the sharks. there is also a link on our site, as well. >> coming up, i'll show you how you can turn your idea for a safe-driving message into money for college and a free trip. >> more than two dozen are dead

and tens of thousands of homes destryed as a cyclone rors through india's east coast. the death toll could have been much higher if people didn't fo$&ow evacuation warnings, which forcedearly 1 llion people to flee their homes. is is the most powerful storm to hit india in more than a decade. the $100 bill gets a makeover. the change part of an effort to cut down on counterfeiting. one modificati'g is a blue, three-dimensional security ribbon w h images that run down the bill. some are saying the new bill benjamin franklin's face is@but still on the front. for "teen kids news," i'm rick leventhal, "fox news channel in the@lassroom." >< thiireport is sponsored by the national@$oad safety foundation. it's become a tradition on "teen kids news" for us to tell you about a very special annual contest.

it has to do with getting tes to drive more safly. scott tells us more. >> do you know what impaired driving is? >> driving when you're drunk or high. >> it's driving when you're intoxicated. >> someone who's been like drinking or soone who's really (atired so they can't really thk straight. >< driving under the influence. >> impaired driving is driving when you're not as fully alert as you need to be. >> that means the driver may have been drinking or using illegal drugs, or maybe they're just tired from taking somethng like allergy medication or from staying up late. >> you can get killed when you drive impaired, and qou can hurt other people. >> that's unsafe. >> 'cause it's a risk to themselv and peo e on the road. >> because they could get hurt. >> that's why the national road safety fountion is partnering with scholastic on an exciting contest. >> we're inviting students in grades 6 through 12 to send in their ideas for a psa that warns thei"@peers about the dangers of impaired driving. >> that includes how to avoid being in a car with a driver who

may be impaired. in addition to a $1,000 prize, the winner ge(s a unique opportunity -- a trip to new york city to work with an award-winning director to produce the psa. >> i think you're just looking down like you are thinking about turning on the radio, you re note note, and now yo gonna do it. >> all right. >> what do you think? >> that's good. >> the completed spot will make its tv debut right here on "teen kids news." the winner will also be featured in scholastic's classroom magazines, distributed nationwide. you can send in your idea for the psa a few different ways -- write it out as a script, or you write it out as a script, or you that's a series of drawings that help visualize your concept. but, please, don't send a video. video entries will not be counted. to learn more about the contest, you can check out teenlane.org. thereãalso a linon our website. >> and, remember, get those entries in by february 12th. >> so, good luck. for "teen kids news," i'm scott.

>> okay, everyone, it's time to find out what teens think. here's "speak of the week." >> when you think of heroes, you may think of someone with superstrength and amazing powers, but heroes can c'fe in all shapes and sizes. so, tell us, who's your hero? >> well, i guess i'd have to say my parents because, i mean -- come on -- they raised me and everything. and, i mean, ty're just really good role models, and it's a good thing to have someone to look up to like that. >> my heroes are my parents. >> my hero is my dad because he inspires me. >> i'd probably say my mom was my hero because she's able to do a lot of things. she's a single mom, so she's able to do a lot of things for me and for my siblings, as well. >> my hero is my mom and dad 'ause they've been telling me, my whole life, what to do and to not talk to strangers and@all thaá. >> sometimes the most influential heroes are the ones closest to your heart -- your

parents. with "speak of the week," i'm monika. >> we'll see how a saw and a hammer can hel apeople in need when we return. >> in 2005, hurricane katrina devastated new orleans and the surrounding areas. since then, the city has fought hard to come back. and over the years, volunteers from across america pitched in. tyler tells us more. >> it's so sad just to think that qou could lose everything, like to think, "wow, this is my life." you lose everything -- your whole house. like, your family falls apart. where are you supposed to go? [ camera shutter clicking ] >> jennifer is one of many high-school students who have spent part of their vacation in new orleans. working with habi$t for humanity, they

helped rebuild lives by rebuilding houses. >> habitat for humanity is a nonprofit organization that raises awareness for affordable housing. and in this school, we started a club called the emerson h4h project. >> the club was started after a teacher suggested the idea to one of her students. >> okay. i got the idea because i'm a member of a habitat affiliate out in suffolk county, new yorkv i've been doing it there fo$ about six years now. and i wanted to get the kids involved here. >> before my junior year, we were e-mailing and stuff like that, and she told me about #)arting this project. and i was just really ",cited about it. i was reah$l on board. so, we didn't really know where we were going with it. we were going with it. was the easy part. the real challenge was raising money. events lie "pasta & prizes" helped. the year. >> habitat for humanity doesn't just build houses in new orleans. they help wherever they can. >> there's a huge need for affordable housing everywhere. we build affordable homes for people, working families, people

who need them, and we also advocate for affordable housing, for changes in policy, and for changes in the public consciousness, to make people aware of housing issues. >< the kids always surprise me with the level of commitment that they show. they're giving up their own time to go@and fly out and do something that is in service to others. >> there are many ways to help out. >> is everybody ready for the prizes? >> i think just be proactive, about what's going on in the world around you. i mean, at first, you may not know what it's really all about, but that's kind of the journey, is finding out and, you know, learning where you can go from there and how you can grow as a person. >> teens can also educate their peers and their friends and their community about housing housing policy or changes in the public consciousness about housing issues. >> whether helping to hammer home the need for better housing or swinging a hammer to build affordable homes, the goal is the same -- making a difference in other people's lives.

>> too much exercise and too little water -- they make for a painful situation. i'll tell you how to treat it. >> we all should know what to do $g a medical emergency. that's why we're bringing you tips on first a$d from the american red cross. >> what are heat cramps? >> they're muscle pains or spasms that usually occur in the legs or the abdomen. >> what causes them? >> exposure to high heat and humidity that causes us to lose fluids and electrolytes. >> what are electrolytes? >> [ chuckles ] you've probably heard in science

class of elements like sodium, potassium? these are electrolytes that are usually found in sports drinks. they are a (aluable substance that our muscle fibers really need in order to function properly. >> okay. so, what should we do? >> fst of all, we want to move that person into a cool areap@whether that be indoors or even the shade. and have them rest and stretch the muscle. even massaging the area can really be of help. to replenish those lost fluids, though, we should give them half a glass of water or a sports drink every 15 minutes. just make sure that the fluid doesn't contain caffeine, 'cause that can actually make the situation worse. >> so, het's review. to treat heat cramps, the red cross says, get to a cooler place. rest.(m stretch,@assage, and maybe ice the area. drink half a glass of cool wate$ or a sports drink with electrohytes every 15 minutes. and avoid drinks with caffeine. >> don't let heat cramps cramp your style -- stay properly hydrated. for "tkn," i'm emily.

>> here's yet another reason to avoid too much junk food -- not only can it be unhealthy for your body, it could also be unhealthy for your mind. scientists have found that eating junk food can actually make you feel bad about yourself. so, if you've been feeling sad lately for no good reason, try skipping things like chips. you could find that an apple a day might keep the bl)es away. >> it's time to play "word." [ applause ] pick out what is real from among what isn'tp start th this word -- latent. it means either... [ bell rings ] latent means not sn, but ready to emerge, as in, "there's some latent fun in this word game." [ cr'+d cheers ] now try a rhye -- blatant. it means either...

[ bell rings ] blatant means loud or obvious. it was blatant that that last definition was phony. or did it ol qou, too? let's take complacent, an so adjective that means either... [ bell rings ] complacent means satisfied or unconcerd. about getting these words wrong. >> [ humming ] >> so, here's a rhyming review... and that's "word" for this week. >> when we return, i'll show you real shrunken heads, the world's

smallest car, and ginormous cockroaches. >> there are all kinds of museums in this world -- for example, art, natural history, or science and industry. but did you know that there is a museum dedicated to some of the most bizarre things you have ever seen? amanda has the story. >> welcome to ripley's believe it or not! odditorium in new york's times square. >> an odditorium is a museum, but like no museum you've ever seen before. when you walk in, you will be confronted with some of the strangest, most unusual artifacts that have ever been compiled in one place. so we felt that it was very important to differentiate ourselves from a typical museum, especially for kids, because, as they come in, they're gonna constantly be looking around and say, "i don't believe what i'm seeing." hence the name ripley's believe it or not! odditorium.

>> so, who was robert ripley? >> he actually started as a newspaper journalist and, through his travels, became fascinated with the bizarre and the unusual -- was kind of like the real-life indiana jones and lived by (he adage that fact is stranger than fiction. >> the odditorium has hundreds of exhibits, from freaks of nature to medieval torture devices to some very strange customs. stephen ekstrom is our guide through this weird and wonderful place. there's so much to see that i asked stephen to show us his top five favorite exhibits. so, where do we start? >> this way. follow me. we're gonna start with my fifth favorite thing here in the attraction, and that is the world's largest public display of shrunken human heads. these are all real human heads like this one right here, which were shrunk by the jivaro tribe of ecuador and peru. we've got about two dozen on display here, and that's more than you'll find even at the smithsonian. >> how does a head shrink like that?

>> we actually have a 10-step recipe up on the wall. but it starts with beheading your enemies, preferably when they're dead. and (en you stew and smoke it. it's kind of like leathering. and you remove the skull, od course, before that. and you fill it with hot sand and stone and rocks so that it actually shrinks down to the point where it's only about big enough to fit into your hand. >> so that's just the skin? >> that is just the skin. >> no bones. >> no bones. all right. i hope you're ready, 'cause now i'm gonna show you my number-four favorite thing here at the attraction. >> okay. >> it's this right he. this is the world's smallest production car. this right here is a peel trident. they come from england. and, as you can see, they seat two people rather uncomfortably. it's electric-powered, it goes about 40 miles an hour, and it's easy to park it. you can put it just about anywhere. >> so, what makes this different than a toy car or a golf cart? >> well, golf carts, of course, don't go 40 miles an hour. >> that's true. >> that's one big thing. the other thing that makes this different from a toy car is that this is actually street legal.

and this is street legal and sold in england. >> now, if you want -- >> i want to drive it. >> you want to drive it? >> let's go for a drive. >> do you have your license? >> i have my license. >> okay. let me give you a lesson here. >> beep! beep! hey! move out of the way! >> okay, so, what's your number three? >> funny thing about number three is that i almost ate it. and it's this right here. it's a portrait of back obama, but it's made entirely of gumballs -- almost 13,000 of thei. >> all right, stephen. so, we're up to number two. >> we are. >> what is your number-two favorite exhibit? climb on in. these are live hissing cockroaches from madagascar. there's a whole family of them. and they're edible. >> [ laughs ] >> [ chuckles ] >> oh, my gosh! >> and you can see, you're completely surrounded by there -- these lovable, delicious, and friendly

characters that we call our pets. >> i'm out of here! [ chuckles ] no, really, it was a little creepy. >> well, if you thought that was creepy, i actually got one out earlier. >> [ chuckles ] >> so you can hold it. and i appreciate the fact that you tucked yoursehf into the corner, because... >> i just... >> here you go. >> no, i really don't want to hold it. >> are iou sure? do you want to just pet him? >> i really don't want to. >> hmm? would you mind just petting it, making it feel friendly? >> [ chuckles nervously ] >> go for it. they don't bite. all you've got to worry out is it running up your hand and up your sleeve. go ahead. just like this. see? >> okay, i think we're ready for your top favorite exhibit out of all of the exhibits. >> we are. and have you ever heard of mad scientists? >> yes. >> well, mad scientists were studying what made the mad mad, what made criminals criminals, what made the crazy people

crazy. this gentleman over here, about 200 years ago, was convicted of a crime in france. after he was beheaded, his head was set in this preservative by mad scientists who were trying to figure out what made him mad. and if you take a look at it, you can see his brain, his eye sockets, his tongue. and if you look at it from the side, you can even see his eyelashes. >> oh, my gosh. there are ripley's odditoriums all around the country that attract thousands of visitors every year. in the movie "night at the museum," ben stler actually spends the night in a museum. would you ever spend the night in a museum like this? >> [ chuckles ] we actually have people who do. >> [ gasps ] >> we do fascinating overnight programs here at the attraction. >> would i like to spend the night here in this museum? are you kidding?! for "teen kids news," i'm amanda. >> that's our show for this week. thanks for watching

"teen kids news." we'll see you next time. >< write to us at... here's a shout-out to pr newswire for including "teen kids news" on their big screen in times square, new york city. a big thanks to our troops in the middle east for their

service. yy

[festive horn music] ♪ - ah, the florida keys. hey, kids, did you know that the florida keys are actually made out of giant mangroves like these i see out here? from mangroves to sea lions, pirates to hemingway, check out all the characters and scenes that have made the florida keys so popular for so long in... both: travel with kids: florida! female announcer: this program is made possible by sears vacations, the official sponsor of family fun. plan your next family vacation at: also by csa travel protection. since 1991, csa travel protection