>> welcome to "teen kids news." i'm livia. here's our top story for this week. >> this special road buzz report is brought to you by the national road safety foundation. >> for new drivers, one of the most challenging things to deal with is... >> definitely left turns.

>> making a left turn. >> turning left, for sure. >> yeah. >> turning left. >> definitely left turns. >> left turns. >> left turns. >> definitely left turns. >> you know, turning...left! >> okay, so lets look at the right ways to turn left. here's the situation. you're the driver. you've stopped at the stop sign, and you're looking for an opening in the traffic to turn left. and this is what you're dealing with... >> come on, dude! let's go! >> we're gonna be late! >> hurry up! >> my grandma drives faster than you. >> what are you doing?! just go! >> turn already! >> as if that's not bad enough adding to the pressure is the impatient driver behind you. [ horn honks ] >> go already! [ horn honking ] >> come on, dude! >> what are you doing?! just go!

>> go! >> what are you doing?! just go! >> turn already! >> it's pretty clear how you need to handle this. >> you tell everyone to... >> be quiet. >> just zip it. >> shut up. >> and just ignore the honking. >> yeah. i mean, you're the driver. you're responsible for everyone's safety. >> guys, let me focus. >> that's why the experts say... what else makes turning left difficult? >> looking at the cars. >> coming from the left. >> and being able to judge... >> if you have enough time... >> to make the turn. >> judging speed and distance of an oncoming vehicle is one of the most difficult driving skills to master. and teens are at a unique disadvantage. experts say our brains haven't yet developed the internal connections needed to make the more than 100 location distance, and speed calculations required to judge how quickly a vehicle is approaching.

that's why you should err on the side of... >> caution. >> far better to be... >> safe... >> than sorry. >> remember... this next situation can be particularly dangerous, so much so that we decided to show it to you a little differently. with the help of students at scotch plains-fanwood high school, we turned the school cafeteria into an intersection. brown paper was laid down to make the road. and different colored tape was used. white to create the lanes... gray for the sidewalk... and green for a center divider. and we're using some unusual vehicles. say you're the driver in the red car and you want to make a left turn. the minivan to the left has

slowed down and is about to turn right. it seems that it's safe for you to enter the intersection and turn left. but is it? the minivan is causing a blind spot. so you can't see there's an oncoming car on the far side of the minivan. if you enter the intersection, this could happen. but here's one more thing to remember -- you need to check traffic in both directions before making your turn. there could be a similar blind spot here if the minivan were to turn left. [ crash ] that's why it's extremely important to always keep in mind... >> when in doubt... >> all: wait it out! >> literally, words to live by. reporting for road buzz news i'm jacelyn. >> all: whoo! >> coming up, i'll have another tip in my "yoga & you" series.

>> it's no secret that american teens need to get healthier, but that can be a challenge, especially because a lot of us like eating at places where food is fast and cheap. nicole tells us why some fast food can be a fast route to health problems later in life. >> i like cheeseburgers and fries. >> i have to say french fries. [ laughs ] i like french fries. >> if i could find a really good hamburger. >> my favorite fast food would be onion rings because they're just really delicious. >> it tastes great, and it's pretty affordable. so, what's the problem? >> well, there is a problem but only if we're eating too often in fast-food restaurants or we're making choices that aren't as healthy for us in a fast-food restaurant. yes, notoriously fast food can be high in fat, calories sodium, and missing some other great nutrients. colleen thompson and ellen shanley are dieticians -- experts in nutrition -- especially when it comes to fast food.

they even wrote a book about it -- "fueling the teen machine." >> we thought that teens were at a point where they're really inquisitive about things, and food and nutrition happens to be one of them. they're asking lots of different questions. we thought it was important to write a book geared to the teen, addressed to them, telling them the facts. >> just what is fast food? >> fast food is really anything we grab and go, right? you're running on the go, you grab something that's convenient, that's quick and usually affordable. could be a burger and fries, could be a tall latte and a muffin, could be a humongo gulp and hot dog. >> so, what are the top four things we need to beware of? >> we think of number four being sugar, specifically added sugar. when teens go to fast-food restaurants, most frequently they buy soda, and soda is loaded with sugar. lots of empty calories. so not really a good choice. >> what's number 3? >> the next one's fat. we all know that fast food does

have a lot of fat in it, especially saturated fat, and that's the unhealthy kind of fat. so, watching out for how much fat you have at lunchtime, at any meal, and certainly fast food is one culprit. >> okay. what's next? >> number two is really fruits and vegetable, and it's the lack of fruits and vegetable. if you eat a meal at home with a family, you're most likely having a balanced meal. when you go to the fast-food restaurant, there aren't many fruits and vegetables offered. >> and public enemy number one is...? >> it's probably the portion right? supersizing. everywhere you go, americans are being, and teens included, are being pressured, i think, to choose the value meal. for just a few dollars more, you get a lot more food, but that's a lot more calories, a lot more fat, a lot more than you need. so the solution may be to share your portion with somebody else. make your best friend save a dollar. >> look, no one is saying that you can never have fast food. eating it occasionally can be

a reward. but eating it regularly could be a risk -- a health risk. for "teen kids news," i'm nicole. >> as our teachers pile on the homework, we often find ourselves sitting at our desks for hours. and that can lead to stiffness and loss of concentration. in this week's "yoga & you" report, emily learns an easy technique to deal with that. [ soothing music plays ] >> brenda schnable is a yoga therapist. hi. >> hi. >> okay, so when i'm sitting at my desk for a really long time studying bio and then spanish and then history, i start to get really tight. what can i do for that? >> it's very common to get a tight back and tight hamstrings when you sit for a long time. so the first thing you need to do is just get up out of that chair and gently stretch those muscles. what you can do is what i call "rag doll." >> all right.

>> lift those arms up, bend those knees, and just roll down through center. >> mm-hmm. >> and then slowly roll back up. and then roll down to the right. and roll back up. and roll down to the left. and you can do this as many times as you'd like till you start to feel those muscles start to get unstiff and loosen up. and then you can come into a forward bend. keep those legs nice and straight and just fold forward for that nice hamstring stretch. and you can bend one knee and the other. do this a couple times. and then we'll go into our twist for that low back. so come and sit down with the legs crossed. and we're going to take that left hand to the right knee. and we're going to reach around and twist. and then we're going to do it to the other side.

>> okay. >> and then come back. how's that low back and hamstrings feel? >> feels really good! i'll definitely have to keep these in mind for when i do my homework tonight. thanks, brenda. >> you're welcome. >> for "yoga & you," i'm emily. >> don't go away. we've got lots more still to come on "teen kids news." we'll be right back.

>> if you think that all it takes to be a good babysitter is to turn on the tv, then you'll really need to pay attention to eden's report. >> joining us again is author and babysitting expert dr. connie hebert. hi. >> hi. thanks for having me on your show again. >> our pleasure. dr. connie, in your book "the teachable minute," you write that devices aren't babysitters, teens are. can you explain? >> sure. well, when you're babysitting, you don't want to use devices that are in the home or that you bring with you as

babysitters. kids want you to be their babysitter, and that means that you'll want to catch teachable minutes with them as often as possible. >> okay, so are you saying good babysitters never let kids watch tv or play on the computer? >> no, not at all. kids like to watch tv, and they like to play on computer, but it shouldn't be for very long. and when they are watching tv or they're on computer, you want to be there with them to engage with them, using that device. remember that devices are devices, but they can't replace you. you're the babysitter. they want time and attention from you. >> so, how can we turn devices into teaching tools and teachable minutes? >> that's a great question. when you're watching tv with kids, a good time to catch teachable minutes is during the commercials. you can mute. use your remote and mute the program, and then during the commercial time is a time to ask kids some questions.

and getting good at asking questions is important. you could ask them things like "what do you think will happen next?" or "why did the boy leave the room crying?" ask questions that will help kids to think. good babysitters get kids to think. >> how can i get kids to think when they're on the computer? >> well, so, go over to the computer with kids, and you don't want them to just keep playing games. you want to introduce them to some really cool things on the computer. like, "let's look up the house on google earth and see if we can find where we're at. let's look up a 10-day forecast, a weather forecast of anywhere in the world. let's go on wikipedia and look up some really interesting words." there's a lot of things you can do to turn those devices into teaching tools, but it takes you, the babysitter, to get that to happen. >> excellent advice. thanks, dr. connie. it was really great talking with you. >> thanks for having me. be a great babysitter.

>> as dr. connie said, sometimes it's okay to let kids watch tv. here's a babysitting story from monique coleman. she's been on "the suite life of zack and cody." she also played taylor mckessie in the "high school musical" movies. monique says... of course, you don't have to be able to sing like a professional to be a good babysitter. the trick is to participate with your kids, rather than just sitting them in front of the tv. >> the purple heart is actually the military order of the purple heart, and george washington

developed the ribbon, and it was awarded to three soldiers during the american revolution. in 1932, chief of staff of the army general macarthur was able to persuade congress to establish a new award called the purple heart. and those soldiers who were in world war i who were wounded received wound chevrons on their sleeves, and so all those soldiers later received the purple heart. and today the purple heart is awarded to any service member who is wounded or killed in action. >> coming up, i get to spend the day with some knights. i'll tell you all about it. i'd like to drop out of high school and get a meaningless job that makes me feel bad about myself. i'd like to fall victim to the old boys' network. i don't want anybody to notice me.

i just want to fly under the radar. i want to splatter against the glass ceiling. i don't have an opinion. i want to be a straight "c" student. i'm going to be a biomedical engineer. [ girls laughing ] i mean, i want to succumb to peer pressure all of my life. i'm going to be a best-selling novelist and win the national book award. i'm going to be a marine biologist. wait! i take mine back. i'm going to be a biomedical engineer. i think i'll be the president. i'm going to be secretary of state. world-class chef right here. race-car driver. artist. paleontologist. film director. surgeon. teacher. scientist. olympian. i'm going to be the boss. i'm going to change the world.

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or log on to seeabettertomorrow.org to learn about glaucoma and macular degeneration. >> in the days of old, when knights were bold and tv hadn't yet been invented, lords and ladies would spend the day watching jousts and swordplay and considered themselves contented. if you've ever wanted a taste of what of it must have been like to live during the middle ages, carina can show us faster than you can say "king arthur." >> it has all the trappings of a royal tournament in 11th-century spain. knights on horseback proudly displaying their colors, as they prepare to compete in tests of skill and valor. welcome to medieval times in lyndhurst, new jersey. >> i play the green knight. his name is don temple, and he is the most arrogant and probably the best knight there is. >> it's a unique kind of dinner theater. guests don't just come to dine. they come to be transported back

in time. >> they will experience horses knights fighting, knights jousting. they will get to eat with their hands. they get so much. they'll get to see kings, a princess, everything. >> wait. did he say "eat with their hands"? [ tape rewinding ] >> eat with their hands. >> visitors have to eat with their fingers, because in the 11th century, utensils were tools of witchcraft. so to not eat with your fingers was kind of a sign that you were a witch or a wizard or something like that, so you'd probably be burned at the stake. so we kind of encourage people to eat with their fingers at all times. >> that's certainly good to know. anyway, while you're eating, you're being entertained. and although these knights are actors, the physical demands of the role are very real. >> it takes a lot of hard work and effort to be a knight at medieval times. you have to train for a period of usually 6 to 8 months. you got to learn how to ride a horse, got to learn how to fight with all the weapons, as well as joust.

>> jousting is one of the hardest skills to master. only the most experienced riders get to do it. the rules are rather simple. two fully armored knights face each other, and when the signal is given, they charge at each other with lowered lances. >> basically, it is the first man to be dismounted off his horse by the other guy hitting him. >> then there was also how much you broke of your lance on their shield. the bigger a hit on them, the more your lance broke, and you got points as you went through the tournament. and you ended up winning by the amount of points you had or if you knocked your opponent off the horse. >> sword fighting, even when carefully rehearsed for the show, isn't for the faint of heart, either. >> it's the most interesting point of our job, is to fight hand to hand with swords, you know. and it's dangerous, but we're all well-trained, and we do it to the best of our ability not to hurt each other. >> they're real swords, but they are made with a modern metal called titanium. so they are a bit lighter than real steel swords would be.

you can see that when they spark together when they hit. >> andrew explained that their costumes are specially designed with safety in mind. >> we have gauntlets and gloves that are used for protection but they're not what they would have had in the medieval age. our belts are a thick-gauge leather so that we can hit each other in the belts at certain points of the show, and the thicker the leather, the less we're going to hurt each other. >> i asked juan if he could teach me a few sword-fighting skills. >> first step, you need a sword. here you go. all right. that is an espada, one-handed sword. i have one, as well. to begin, feet, shoulder width apart. bend the knees. sword extended just so we cross. all right. now you're gonna step forward with your left leg. i'm gonna step back with my right. now take your sword out behind you and swing for my shoulder. step. and step at the same time. yep. good. try to get the edge turned a little better. now you're gonna take it up my sword.

take it to the other side and come here and step. aha! again. >> okay? >> do it again. now switch. step. >> whoa! >> good job. did well. >> thank you. >> so, now you've learned the basics of sword fighting. if you ever do get into a sword fight, you have some skills to use to defend yourself. >> thank you! >> congratulations. good job. coming up, we'll get up close and personal with a knight's weapons of war. n't focus. i was always interrupting my t eammates. earlier in my career my coach approached me. he had some questions for me and, you know, first question was, do i ever have, you know, growing up did i have focus problems? and i said, "yes, coach, you know i obviously suffered from adhd as a kid." i felt like i've outgrown it. and he said, "i think that you know sometimes i don't feel like you're focused." so the next day i went and saw a doctor.

i had no reason to be embarrassed, no reason to be, you know, ashamed of having adhd. you know, that's why i'm here telling my story. if you were diagnosed with adhd as a kid you might still have it. find out more. take a quiz at ownitquiz.com to help recognize the symptoms like inattention, impulsivity, hyperactivity, then talk with your doctor. seek help. don't be afraid. it 's your adhd. own it.

[ dramatic music plays ] >> we're back at medieval times, where juan is giving me a behind-the-scenes tour. this is the armory for the show. everything is modeled after weapons that were really used during the middle ages. i was surprised to learn that some of these weapons didn't actually start out as weapons.

>> now, the axes and flails were actually -- these were tools first. i mean, axes are used to chop wood and everything else, and eventually they became weapons out of necessity and then eventually got changed into actual war items. this was to really do damage to people. it has a spike on the end for killing, on the top. so, you wouldn't chop wood with this. then we have the bola, or flail. now, this came from a threshing tool for grain. but it would be a stick on a chain, and they'd just thresh grain to separate the wheat from the chaff. but then they added a chain to a heavy ball and spikes, which this one doesn't have for safety, and it became a weapon of war. though you did have to be well-trained to use this since it can come back and hit yourself, as well. >> the next weapon was one i had already used -- the sword. i learned that there are many different kinds of swords. >> this is more like a broad sword in the sense that you have a sharp edge on both ends. so you can stab with it, and

you could cut and slice with it. and the largest version of that would be the mandoble, or the two-handed sword, because you can now use a two-handed grip with it. or if it wasn't too heavy, you can still use it with one hand. and you see it's definitely longer, and there's been swords, especially with scottish claymore, which could be basically about almost six feet. some of the swords could weigh anywhere from 10 to 50 pounds. >> whoa! thank you. whoa! >> a little heavier. even though these are titanium they still have some heft to them. >> by "heft," i guess he meant "heavy." and it really was. next came the shields. >> these were used for jousting. they're a little longer, and they have the emblem of the knight on them so that you recognize their standard. >> that was important because few people could read in the middle ages. so designs were used to identify the knight. >> when you have a helmet on you all look the same. the designs not only told you who the knight was, but what rank he held in society. >> it all gave different information and things. so someone could look at it

and go, "i knew exactly who that was and where their standing was in the social hierarchy." >> the designs were often woven into a coat the knight wore over his armor. it was called a coat of arms. what makes this knight different from all other knights? it's me! experiencing history has never been so much fun. and that's the "point"! at medieval times in lyndhurst new jersey, for "teen kids news," i'm carina. >> [ chuckles ] we'll see you next time on "teen kids news." thanks for watching. have a great week.

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