>> welcome to "teen kids news." i'm siena. we'll start with our top story. sharks -- just the thought of meeting one of those cold-blooded creatures is enough to make our own blood run cold. but as veronique reports, we depend on sharks for far more than we realize. >> our story about the ocean actually begins here on a city street. >> yeah, we're at the explorers club, the home of exploration. >> meet chris fischer. an experienced explorer, he helped start the research group called ocearch.

its mission is simple yet extraordinary -- to study some of the largest and most deadly predators of the ocean, great white sharks. >> 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. >> therefore, if we kill off the sharks, we're going to harm the ocean's delicate ecosystem, as well. >> so, one of the things we see happen in some areas is, if you remove the sharks, the squid 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 dead ocean. >> and that's where ocearch comes in. they've launched a long-term project 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 about 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 great 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. >> beautiful. i mean, she looks very placid. she looks great. her color's great. >> then they return the sharks back to the ocean. but the research doesn't stop there. >> as technology has advanced, our ability to have batteries a very long time and to have small devices that can communicate with satellites has allowed us now to mount

tracking devices on these white sharks. and every time they stick their fin up out of the water, the device turns on and communicates with a satellite exactly where they are at that moment. >> attaching the tracking devices doesn't hurt the sharksv it's just like getting 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 then we move to protect that area. >> since sharks are some of the most ferocious predators in the ocean, you wouldn't think they need protecting, but there is another predator 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 thing because 200,000 sharks are finned a day -- caught, fins cut off, and dumped overboard. the bottom of the ocean is littered with finless sharks. >> ocearch is working with environmental groups and world governments to stop this form of fishing.

>> if you want to talk to us, you know, you can go to the ocearch facebook page, and tha's a great place to interact with us, as well as go to the ocearch global shark tracker. you can 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. >> did 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. >> i guess that's supposed to be reassuring. anyway, check out their website. it's fun to track the sharks. there is also a link on our site, as well. >> the state of california braces for what could be one of the worst fire seasons in history. california governor jerry brown

says firefighters have already responded to 1,500 fires this season. that's nearly double the average for this time of year. the cause of the recent fires in san diego county, which forced thousands to evacuate their homes and destroyed houses and businesses, is under investigation. the governor says unusually high temperatures, low humidity, and gusty winds made containing the fires more challenging. the state has set aside $600 million to help fight the blazes this season, but that might not be enough, according to the governor. our nation marks the 60th anniversary of brown vs. the board of education. the historic ruling by the u.s. supreme court outlawed segregation in schools and other public facilities across america. yet today, the department of justice continues to enforce the ruling and is currently monitoring 200 cases in school districts where there is evidence of segregation. kids' cereal may be tasty, but a new study says the amount of sugar in it is much higher than adult cereal. the environmental working group, a nonprofit health research and advocacy organization, says

cereal marketed towards kids contained an average of 40% more sugar per serving than adult cereals. the group analyzed 1,556 cereals and says 181 are targeted towards children. eating a bowl of kids' cereal every day amounts to consuming up to 10 pounds of sugar a year. the group that conducted the study recommends buying cereals with no more than a teaspoon of sugar per serving. for "teen kids news," i'm david lee miller, "fox news channel in the classroom." >> this report is sponsored by the national road safety foundation. >> nice to meet you. it's emily. >> 18-year-old emily mochel is the winner of the drive2life psa contest, sponsored by the national road safety foundation. as part of her prize, she got to work with an award-winning director and tv crew to produce her concept for a public service

announcement. the tv spot warns teens about the dangers of drinking and driving. >> this was a real "hands-on" experience. emily worked with the producer to get the props and set ready. >> so, what do you guys want to drink? >> can i have a head-on collision? >> she auditioned the volunteer actors and even had an on-camera role in the psa. >> cool party. >> hey, guys. what do want to drink? >> then it was off to the edit room to create the final spot. >> i mean, i thought that was good, 'cause, i mean, they're not actually drinking it, but it's... >> it looks like... >> they could be drinking it. >> yeah. >> with the spot completed, emily now has to officially present her psa to the people at the nrsf. >> okay, so, here we are about to make the presentation. we're gonna go inside. >> the director gave her some last-minute pointers. then it was showtime. >> hello, everybody. >> hello. >> hi. you know david from yesterday. >> i really enjoyed being able to participate in this contest because it gave me the

opportunity to reach out to teens and show them that even in a bad situation, they can make a good decision. over the last couple of days, i really enjoyed working with alan and his production team and the kids from the high school that came and were our actors, and i really hope you enjoy the psa as much as i do. thank you. >> i'm sure we will. >> all right. [ rock music plays ] >> cool party. >> what do you guys want to drink? >> can i have a head-on collision with a concussion twist? [ tires screech, window breaks ] >> make mine a fatal accident with no survivors. [ tires screech, siren wails ] >> and you? >> a designated driver, please. you know, just a bottle of water. >> awesome! >> you're a lifesaver. >> great. that is fantastic. >> i like it. >> so nice. very, very good. >> it was very well done. >> it's really good. [ laughs ] >> i love it. >> so, you did a good job getting that message across. >> and i liked how you actually

allowed the teen who spoke up to not only speak up and proudly request for the designated driver and get the water, but that she was confident enough to ask for that in front of all of her friends who were drinking. >> a designated driver, please. you know, just a bottle of water. >> so, that's something really good to encourage other kids about. we do know that it is a reality that teens are going to drink. we know that. however, we want to be able to give other teens a voice so that they can get out of those situations, and i think this is a good way to do it. >> from helping set up for the shoot and helping select the kids who were gonna be in the scene, to going to the editing room and working with alan weiss and the full production crew and all the students, it was an amazing experience. >> so, if you want a chance to have an amazing experience like emily, the nrsf has this advice. >> i say go for it. come on, join in, and enter into

our drive2life psa contest that we have annually, and you can find it on our teen lane site, which is teenlane.org, and there you can enter. >> not only could you win an exciting trip to new york city, your idea could help save lives. >> we'll see how a saw and a hammer can help people 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 you 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 habitat for humanity, they hel ed 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 york. i've been doing it there for 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 starting this project. and i was just really excited about it. i was really on board. so, we didn't really know where we were going with it. >> actually, starting the club was the easy part. the real challenge was raising money. events like "pasta & prizes" helped. >> this our major fundraiser of 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, get involved, find out more 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 issues. they can advocate for changes in 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 in a medical emergency. that's why we're bringing you tips on first aid 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 valuable substance that our muscle fibers really need in order to function properly. >> okay. so, what should we do? >> first of all, we want to move that person into a cool area, 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, let's review. to treat heat cramps, the red cross says, get to a cooler place. stretch, massage, and maybe ice the area.

drink half a glass of cool water or a sports drink with electrolytes 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 blues away. >> it's time to play "word." [ applause ] pick out what is real from among what isn't. start with this word -- latent. it means either... [ bell rings ] latent means not seen, but ready

to emerge, as in, "there's some latent fun in this word game." just wait. [ crowd cheers ] now try a rhyme -- blatant. it means either... [ bell rings ] blatant means loud or obvious. it was blatant that that last definition was phony. or did it fool you, too? hey, we're on a roll here, so let's take complacent, an adjective that means either... [ bell rings ] complacent means satisfied or unconcerned. i'll bet you're not complacent 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 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 the 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 then you stew it and smoke it. it's kind of like leathering. and you remove the skull, of 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 here. 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 barack obama, but it's made entirely of gumballs -- almost 13,000 of them. >> all right, stephen. so, we're up to number two. >> we are. >> what is your number-two favorite exhibit? >> they're right over here. 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 these -- 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 yourself into the corner, because... >> i just... >> here you go. >> no, i really don't want to hold it. >> are you 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 about is it running up your hand and up your sleeve. >> i'm just feeling like -- >> 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 stiller 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. >> [ laughs ] well, 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.

- a old west town. we can totally be cowboys. - san diego is steeped in the history of spanish sailors, missions, and the wild west... - and there's, like, two cowboys. ♪ wah, wah, wah - and, more recently, the military. - that's russian? - yeah, see the red star? - why is it here? - but don't think this town is just one big museum. it's packed with outdoor fun. - [yells] how do i sail this thing? - and the west isn't the only thing that's wild here. - look, they're squirming around in there. - swimming together. [singing jaws music] - [laughs] his tongue. - come along and find out how to see it all in... - travel with kids: california. female announcer: this program is brought to you by... homeexchange.com provides travelers the opportunity to experience the destination like a local by staying in a real home. with over 46,000 members in 150 countries, chances are there is a home away from home waiting