?? >> welcome to "teen kids news." i'm veronique. let's begin with our top story for this week. ?? in many parts of the world today, being born female means you'll probably spend your life in hardship and poverty. emily tells us about one woman who's working to change that. >> the problem is huge. for millions of girls and women around the world, every day is a struggle just to survive. but there are things we can do to help make their lives a bit better.

the book "100 under $100: one hundred tools for empowering global woman." welcome to "teen kids news," betsy. >> thanks for having me today. it's great to be here. >> why are so many girls and women living in poverty? >> well, around the world, we have about 2 billion to 3 billion people that live on just a couple dollars a day. that's in asia, africa, latin america. and the main factor is that a lot of those cultures are very male-dominated. and girls and women are not considered equal citizens, and therefore, they're discriminated against. >> what are the biggest issues they face? >> a huge issue for girls in the developing world is just getting to school at all. and they spend a lot of time on chores every day that you or i just use manual tools for, but they don't have any of those tools. no electricity, no water -- no running water. so they spend a lot of time on

them to get to school at all. and they also lack healthcare. it's much more common, if boys are sick, they take care of the boys. if girls are sick, sometimes they overlook it. and in many of these places, they marry girls off when they're young teens, like 12 or 13 years old. so they don't go to school anymore, of course. and then they have babies when they're just young teenagers. everybody stays impoverished -- men and women. >> how can your book help these >> there are lots of solutions that are very affordable and really smart and will help girls and women do their jobs faster so that they have more time for school and that will improve health and that can get people basic things, like electricity. imagine living without electricity. >> you call these things tools. let's talk about a couple of your favorite tools. tell us about the water roller.

assigned the task of carrying water. if you don't have a tap like most people do in our country, then you have to go to where the water is, and the water might be really far away. it can be a mile or two away. if you don't have a well, you would have to go to a stream or the river. and generally, it's carried in a jerrican. i can lift this because it doesn't have water in it, but once it does, it has 44 pounds of water. so, imagine carrying that. and children, particularly girls, are often doing that job. and it takes a lot of time and a lot of physical strength. cynthia koenig has developed something called the water roller. and the water roller has a volume that is twice this, so that means that it takes only half the amount of time to carry the same amount of water, because you're carrying twice as much. and you're rolling it, so

push it. and it's much faster. it will cost about $30. and it turns out that boys like to do it because it's kind of fun. it feels like a game, like you're pushing something. >> but just getting the water home isn't enough. in many areas, the water isn't safe to drink. and that brings us to the other tool. >> safe drinking water is something that we take for granted, because our water is purified before we turn the tap on. that's not true. everybody has to do it for their own household. it's a lot of work, and a lot of people don't know how to do it. and that's why they get sick a lot. and then, when they get sick, everybody else gets sick, because they catch it. so if you can purify water, you're helping people's health enormously. one way to do it is called solar disinfection, and it is really as simple as a two-quart plastic bottle. the plastic bottle -- you just

been treated with any chemicals or anything to purify it. and you put it in the sun. and the light shining in on this closed bottle will raise the temperature inside to 147 degrees, and that is what you need to purify water. and it's just a plastic bottle. >> how do you know for sure that the water is purified? >> that is a huge problem, because people that understand that pathogens in the water will make you sick don't quite believe that just sticking a plastic bottle in the sun is going to solve that problem. so some scientists in austria designed a gauge. this is called the helioz, and it fits onto the bottle. they have three different bottle-top sizes. depending on where you are, they use different sizes. and the sun shines into the register here, and it has four

and when the temperature is hot enough, according to this gauge, a smiley face comes up, and then you know that the water is safe. and you could put this on one bottle but have 10 or 15 other bottles, and they're all in the sun at the same time. so that improves people's confidence that their water is safe. >> wow. that's pretty amazing. just with a plastic bottle. when we return betsy will show us one more tool. "teen kids news" will be right

?? >> we're talking with betsy teutsch, who showed us some really cool tools to get and purify drinking water. now we're moving on to another bright idea. tell us about a tool called a liter of light. >> a liter of light is really clever. it's a way to get light into a house that's dark duri t because it has no windows. and it is simply made out of a plastic bottle filled with water. and it's going to go right in the roof. people in the developing world, that live in warm climates, have fairly flimsy houses, and they often just have a sheet of metal for a roof. and if they're all in a row, they don't have any windows on the sides, because they're right

a hole in a piece of metal. you put the bottle of water in it, and cut a hole in the roof, and you stick it right up there. and the sun comes in during the day, and it gives the equivalent of 60 watts of light that will light up that house with no electricity or oil or kerosene or any fuel. it's just from the sun and water and a plastic it was developed by a man in argentina because he had a factory and the lights were always going out during the day. the grid was unreliable. and he came up with this solution, and it has spread all over the developing world, from continent to continent. >> that's awesome. how can we teens in america help girls and women around the world live better and safer lives? >> there are many, many tools

many more that i included in my book. and for each tool, i've also included something that you, a reader, can do. it might be organizing with your friends at school, doing a service project, if you're in scouts. if you're in any kind of a service club, you can focus on water, you can focus on education, you can focus on health. and you can raise money and raise awareness. you can write to your congressman when these things come up, that, "should we fund these things?" you can get involved through the united nations. there are many different avenues. so you first figure out what the problem is and what the solutions are, and then you get on board to try to help. >> thanks, betsy. this is incredibly inspiring. >> great to be here. i love telling people that there's actually good news in the world. >> over the coming months, we'll get more suggestions from betsy on other tools that don't cost a lot but can do an awful lot of

>> if you want to achieve a healthy weight, all you might need to do is wait. you see, when your stomach is full, it sends a signal to your brain, but that signal takes more than 10 minutes to arrive. so, during that time, if you continue to eat, it's not because you're still hungry. it's just that you think you are. and that's why waiting is important. it gives your brain time to get the message that your stomach is full, and that will save you from eating more than you should. my advice? don't wait to try waiting to improve your wait. got that? >> coming up on "make the grade," tips for studying in a flash. "teen kids news" will be right

>> as you're about to see, a state flag can have a lot to say. here "flag facts."

>> california's state motto is "eureka!" which is greek for "i found it!" the motto dates back to the gold rush of 1949. california had gained independence from mexico the year before, but it was not yet a state. ironically, though, it already had a flag. >> what i find to be most unique about the california flag is how it came into existence. it was actually the product of a rebellion. there were pioneers out there, trying to settle the land. there was an attack on a fort at sonoma, and the american settlers were able to take the fort. and a fellow by the name of william todd got himself a white bedsheet, a couple of cans of paint, and he painted the original bear flag, which is still today the flag of the state of california. >> that revolt became known as the bear flag revolt. the bear symbolized strength. the star was a reference to the lone star of texas. the californians saw texas as an ally in their struggle with mexico.

during the san francisco earthquake of 1906. however, early photos of it still existed, and a slightly modified version became the official state flag in 1911. by the way, william todd -- the pioneer who drew the flag on a bedsheet -- was the nephew of mary todd, abraham lincoln's wife. with "flag facts," i'm eric. >> it's time for "make the grade." here's christin. back in the old, old days, when our parents we didn't have all the technology we have. they couldn't text, e-mail, or easily surf the web. but they did have an old-fashioned way to study that is still useful. they made flash cards. yes, i know flash cards are easy to get through sites and apps like quizlet, but there's something to be said for grabbing a pen and index cards and creating your own flash cards. the simple act of writing out the cards helps to improve your recall of the information.

have diagrams, it's often easier to draw those yourself. so, while these flash cards are pretty old-school, they're still pretty cool. of course, i'd never admit that to my parents. i'm christin, here to help you make the grade. >> if you're a new driver, there's a lot to keep in mind. that's why we're bring you another important message from the national road safety foundation. ?? [ cellphone chimes ] ?? >> so, how was your drive? >> interesting.

>> we've got to take a short break, but don't go away, because "teen kids news" will be

>> there's a new approach to teaching that's turning the education process upside down. scott tells us more. >> it's called a flipped classroom, and it's being tried out in schools across the country. one of those schools is new york's eastchester middle john blaser teaches sixth, seventh, and eighth graders there. welcome. >> hi. it's a pleasure to be here. >> and it's great to have you. so, just what is a flipped classroom? >> well, a flipped classroom is where you do the classwork at home and the homework in class. >> okay. so, how exactly does that happen? >> well, what we do is record screencasts, or videos, of me teaching the class. we put them online so that you

all ready to do the assignment once you're here. >> so, this is actually a combination of two ideas, then. it's a flipped classroom, but it's also online learning. >> yes, because the videos of me teaching the class are online, and you go to the website where they are, and that's where you view the videos. >> why did you decide that this was such a good thing to do? >> well, i wanted the students to be able to work at their own some students, some of you like to go faster. some of you like to go slower, take more time on an assignment. and it also gives me more time to work with you individually in class. >> well, have you seen any improvement in students' work? >> oh, yes. first of all, everybody is much happier in class when they're working, because they're able to work on the assignment that they want to be working on, and it also allows the students to spend more time on an assignment

get the assignment to be of better quality. >> and i guess that there's less homework, in a way. >> yeah, in a way, and a lot of people would rather watch a video than do the worksheet at home. >> so, nationally, is this becoming a trend? >> yes. it started out in colorado with a couple of high school teachers and has just spread. and now there are many teachers on all different grade levels trying it. >> so, what do you think is the best thing to come out of this idea of both the online learning as well as the flipped classroom? >> i really think the best thing is that students are able to work at their own pace and they're able to spend the amount of time on an assignment that they want to spend. >> terrific. well, sir, thank you very much for joining us. >> oh, it was my pleasure. >> let's get reaction to this flipped-classroom idea from some of the students. >> i think it's, like, a really beneficial way of teaching, because it kind of teaches us to

and, like, as we mature and go to higher grades, i think we're gonna be faced with more independent studies. >> it helps to explain things to -- you know, things that you wouldn't normally think of, and it helps with, like, research -- stuff like that. >> i think it really benefits the students and, like, it helps them learn more, in a way, because students are usually pressured by asking questions and learning, and this just helps them have less pressure and learn more. >> instead of, like, teaching you in person, he teaches you about an assignment on a video. so, if you have trouble with something, you can always go back to the screencast, look for answers for your questions that you have, and that would help you on your assignments. >> we're doing more work in school, so we more free time to relax at home. >> and it makes homework easier

your assignment and see what you need to do. >> while flipped classrooms are still fairly new, it seems that the idea is catching on, and the students we talked to think it's a good way to learn. ?? >> if you're ever in new york city and want to say hi to someone on the street, don't do this. first of all, because it's silly. but more importantly, it's actually against the law to greet people by. and i quote, "putting one's thumb on the nose and wiggling the fingers." glad i know now to be careful of ever doing that in the big apple. not that i would, but still. >> hooplaha is a website that gathers really cool videos from across the country. we'll show you one of them when "teen kids news" continues.

or joining a club or even about to apply to college, there's no doubt that honing your leadership skills will be a big help. our hooplaha pick of the week shows us a place where you can do just that. ?? >> the best part of summit was meeting all these new people from all around the world and getting to talk to people that you usually wouldn't talk to. i got to make friendships that last outside of summit and really got to know people and build close relationships. everyone at summit is super happy, super you can make eye contact with someone, and they'll smile at you, introduce themselves. it's really amazing, and it's unlike anything else. >> what's different about the summit weekend is, i think, the community that kind of gets built. the skill builders and staff, everyone works so hard to make sure that you belong and you matter. >> my experience as a f.i.t., facilitator in training, were absolutely amazing. i'm in university, and, well, i just really needed a change of pace.

you're gonna feel there, the level of belonging, the level of love is just amazing. it's -- you're not gonna find anywhere in the world like the summit, where you can just feel so loved and cared about by all of your friends and peers. >> the summit helped me with my transition into university, because i became more social. and i just know how to communicate with people better and understand them on a different level. >> you can never, ever stop learning to be a leader. are, whether you think you're at the pinnacle of your existence, the learning curve to becoming a leader is never-ending. being able to get out of my shell and seeing how my opinion can actually make a difference, that was wonderful. >> i liked listening to all the speakers and hearing about their life stories. >> everybody comes from such different backgrounds, and they have such different life experiences, and it's so cool, learning about them and kind of growing with them at the summit. >> i came into the summit not

knowing so many people. and i really got to, like, connect with people within the three days, and they felt like family by the end. >> the hardest thing was saying goodbye. i didn't want to leave. >> it's just an organic mixture of incredible individuals that each person has something special to share and bring along. and i find myself learning more about people, about the world. to be given this opportunity to be here at summit, to be able to experience and meet all these rewarding, and i'm truly thankful for the opportunity that i've been given. >> count me in! >> count me in! >> count me in! ?? >> for more information on the count me in leadership summit, you can follow the link on our website. for "teen kids news," i'm daniella. >> that wraps up our show, but we'll have more "teen kids news"

- [host] take a look all around us, and you'll find that nature can be very sticky. - things like spiders, flies, we all see them climbing around and just sticking to the wall. - there are pesky plant burs that became the inspiration for velcro. a fish that's the animal kingdom's very own suction cup. and the gecko, which has inspired tech in many ways. (squealing) i'm danni washington, marine conservationist, biologist, and thrill seeker. and this week we explore how when it comes to stickiness,