>> welcome to "teen kids news." i'm livia. here's our top story for this week. this report is brought to you by a grant from the... >> smoking is not only dangerous to the person who's puffing on the cigarette, cigar, or pipe.

even nonsmokers need to beware of what's called "secondhand smoke." >> secondhand smoke is when somebody is smoking near you. >> [ coughing ] =- you are able to observe it and breathe it in. >> that's correct. just to be clear -- there are two types of tobacco smoke. >> so, firsthand smoke is the effect of the cigarette that you are smoking. secondhand smoke is the effect of someone else's cigarette. >> just like firsthand smoke secondhand smoke can be deadly. >> it kills like a lot of people every year. it's like harmful to breathe in. >> cigarette smoke contains more than 250 chemicals that are toxic and potentially poisonous to you and that is stuff that you're getting into your body, either through firsthand or secondhand smoking. >> the dangers of secondhand smoke are real. you can have health problems from secondhand smoke, just from being around your friends who smoke, being in the car with people who smoke, being anywhere and being exposed to smoke. >> like if one of your parents is smoking in the room and like you get like the smoke in like

it can go to your lungs, too. >> in fact, here's an interesting statistic from the 2013 connecticut youth tobacco survey. middle and high school students were asked if... the best way to deal with secondhand smoke is to avoid it, especially in an enclosed space, like a room or a car. after all, you don't want your own future to go up in smoke. for "teen kids news," i'm katie. >> i'll tell you how teens are using mother nature to help protect mother nature.

>> too many of us take nature for granted. but, as harry reports, mother nature needs us to pay attention and take action. >> these teens are heading out for more than just a hike. they're taking steps to help protect one of our most vital natural resources.

all across america, toxic chemicals from cities and farms are polluting the water in our lakes, rivers, and streams. the nature conservancy is working to do something about that, through its leaf internship program. and it's a program that takes kids in from high school and kind of just brings them straight out of their element and gets them to work on different preserves in different states across the country. >> and once we get that grass layer off a few inches, then we're going to start measuring and i'll show you how we're going to measure down 8 inches with that plumb line and string. >> these interns are learning how to build a "rain" garden. they're preparing the ground in a special way, so the plants they put in can help trap harmful chemicals carried in rainwater runoff. >> so, a rain garden really collects that and it processes it, so that the pollutants are dispersed within the garden and not within the rivers and streams that we rely upon for our drinking water. >> another advantage to this kind of garden is that it's

designed to collect and store rainwater. that means less watering is needed. >> so using a rain garden could definitely cut down your water usage from like pulling out a hose 'cause you're using natural water that's already been given to you. >> there are leaf internships with all kinds of activities for teens who want to learn more about their natural environment. >> the goals for the nature conservancy's youth program is really to empower young people to pursue and care about our natural world, so we're hoping to turn kids on to careers in this field. >> the summer with leaf has definitely shown me that i want to work in the conservation field. my major that i plan to major in in college is geology or earth science. >> i guess you can say the internship certainly helped plant the seeds for her future career. to find out more about the leaf program, check out the link on our website. >> it's time to get your opinion in "speak of the week."

>> okay, imagine this -- you're stranded on a deserted island and could have one person with you. who would it be? >> my best friend. >> it would be my sister. >> my mom and dad. >> ooh, um... [hiss] tough one. probably...my... mom, i don't know. >> that's a hard one. um -- probably my dad, i guess. i don't know. he's a good friend of mine. >> i'd say one of my close friends. >> a soldier. >> personally, i'd pick someone who knows how to build a boat. with "speak of the week," i'm eden. >> here's a statement cat-lovers won't like -- dogs are smarter. scientists say social animals tend to have bigger brains relative to their size.

dogs are more social, so they tend to have bigger brains. well, that certainly gives pet owners "paws" [pause] for thought. >> if worrying about life is keeping you awake at night we'll get some tips on how some simple yoga techniques can help. i'll have that story when "teen kids news" returns.

>> hooplaha's motto is "life with a smile." their website features good news, inspirational stories, cute pictures, and funny videos. sound familiar? since "teen kids news" has a similar mission, we're presenting you with our hooplaha pick of the week. >> [ poignant music plays ] >> hi, my name is monique aven. i'm 18 years old and i row for row new york. >> row new york is a nonprofit organization that empowers youth around new york city through the unique sport of rowing.

a lot of the students do not know about rowing. this is the first time that they're learning about the sport, they're being introduced to it. >> i didn't really know rowing was a sport. like my sophomore year was when i was actually supposed to try out for the basketball team at my school, but then again, my gym teacher that i knew for quite some time, she just came up to me, she was just like "you're trying out for rowing." i'm just like "rowing? what is that?" like "who said i wanted to do this?" and she was just like "i just think that you're a great fit for it," so she took us to the ymca, where they were holding the tryouts and it just so happened that i made the team. i mean, coming from school to go to practice, i would say it's pretty long, but i actually kind of have fun because i'm looking forward to it at the end of the day. like i'm going to see my teammates, rowing boats. 'cause it's not like everybody can say "oh, i row at the end of the day." like i have people that support me, like i have a second family. when i first started it, a lot of my friends were like "why are you rowing? like what's the point of doing it? like you live all the way in brooklyn. like what is rowing?"

like they were asking me so many different questions. now, like they finally actually understand like what i do. they actually really like the fact that i'm passionate about this sport and i really enjoy it. >> monique has been rowing since her sophomore year of high school. she's now a senior. she's really developed over the time that i've known her. this year, as a senior she's really blossomed into a more independent, outspoken, and determined young woman. >> i feel like row new york has done a lot for me, just like academically physically, mentally, so let me focus on something else. if could do this i could do that. it made me put my best foot forward at everything that i do now. >> study after study reveals that teens are sleep-deprived. even when we get to bed early, many of us lie awake for hours. one of the reasons why we don't get restful sleep is called

the monkey mind. emily explains in this week's "yoga & you" report. >> [ serene music plays ] >> we're back again with yoga expert brenda schnable. hi. >> hi. >> so, tell us about what the "monkey mind" means. >> the monkey mind is when you can't shut those thoughts off. you're jumping from thought to thought like a monkey jumps from branch to branch. it's most common when you go to sleep at night. you just can't get that mind to turn off. and so there's a couple things you can do shut that or slow that monkey mind down. one of them is an inversion. would you like to try? >> sure, let's do it! >> all right. so let's turn this way, so that we don't run into each other. this is called rag doll. from back when i was a kid there was a doll called raggedy anne and raggedy andy. so you just bend over, hold those elbows.

[ inhales deeply ] an inversion has a calming effect because the heart is above the head. and then just release those elbows and slowly roll up. the next thing you can do for the monkey mind is balance poses. balances are great because they make you focus and concentrate on something. so we're going to stand on our right foot. this is called tree pose. and we're going to look at a focal point and concentrate on that and put our left foot on our calf and bring the hands to the heart. don't forget to breathe. >> is this eyes closed or eyes open? >> you want to keep your eyes open 'cause you're looking at that focal point. and then come on out. and the third thing you can do is a breathing technique called 3-part breathing. imagine your lungs as a balloon.

a balloon being filled with water goes from the bottom to the top, side to side front and back. and so when you breathe deep and you fill your lungs, your thoughts begin to slow down. so you want to give it a try? >> sure! >> all right, so when you breathe, you close those eyes. and just think of filling that balloon or the bottom of your lungs to the top. and then exhale out. and then breathing from the inside of the lungs to the ribs and then front to back and then you put it all together. and open those eyes. how you feel? >> very good. so when would you do these exercises? >> especially since you feel it

most or you notice it most at night, when you go to bed, i would do it like 30 minutes before you go to bed, to just begin to calm that mind down. >> and then it helps you go to sleep. that's great. thank you brenda. >> you're welcome. >> with "yoga & you," i'm emily. >> visitors in india are going green to get to a famous landmark. the taj mahal looks more yellow than white, these days. the cause? pollution, much of it from cars and buses. so to clean up the air, the government now makes visitors park nearly 2 miles away. they can get to the site by horse-drawn carriages or battery-operated buses. or they can use the cleanest fuel of all -- their feet. >> i'll show you which state flag has a special message for women. plans tonight kevin? yep, going to ryan's house for a party. i guess that's ok. just be home by ten. what, it's friday night. the curfew you have imposed is an egregious infringement upon my social well-being and freedom.

speaking of freedom - it is preposterous to suggest that i must have my homework done before playing video games. i also dispute your contention that i keep my room clean, and the vile task of taking out the garbage is beneath me. i know my rights, and you can't tell me what to do. ryan's party- here i come. thank you kevin. mom, dad, you have thirty seconds for a response. does ery conversation with your teen turn into a debate? call the boys town national hotline at 800-448-3000, or visit parenting.org. trained counselors are on call 24-7 to help with parenting problems - big or small. don't wait for your next debate. be out there! be out there! [female announcer] time was, kids did what came naturally spending free time running barefoot through the grass wading knee deep in streams, climbing to the tallest branch.

but today, american kids are more likely found texting, watching tv, or gazing at a computer screen. they spend more than seven hours in front of electronic media. something essential has been lost. childhood's connection to the natural world. that's why national wildlife federation created the be out there movement. kids moving indoors causes a host of problems from obesity to adhd. but outdoor play can go a long way to improving kid's health, body, mind and spirit. it helps them stay fit enhances creativity and attention spans and could even make them better students. do your part. be a part of be out there. there's a reason why they call it the great outdoors. learn more at be out there dot org. [kids shouting] be out there!

>> every state has one but most of us don't know why they look the way they do. here's "flag facts." >> the first thing you notice about wyoming's state flag is that big critter in the middle. don't call it a buffalo. it's a bison. >> the bison was important out in the wild west, as we all know, but, in particular in wyoming it was verna keyes who designed the flag and she thought it was a great symbol of branding, which cattle ranchers all used to keep track of their animals, but also, the bison was known as the "monarch of the plains" and she thought that was a great symbol for her state. >> the name wyoming comes from a native american word for...

today, it would be considered politically incorrect, but the flag's designer paid tribute to those once called "red men," with the red border. she said the red also signifies the blood of the pioneers who fought to claim the land. we can easily understand why a cowboy and a miner are pictured in the center, but what are those tiny words in the banner? >> the phrase on the wyoming state flag is "equal rights" and this speaks to wyoming's history as a place that was very friendly to women. it was the first territory to give women the right to hold public office and the right to vote, way back in 1869. in order to attain statehood it's necessary to have 60,000 citizens, so the leaders of the territory knew this would help to get people to come live there and, before you know it, wyoming was a state. >> wyoming was way out front on this issue. the u.s. government didn't give women the right to vote for another half-century. with "flag facts," i'm alexa.

>> the first actual awards for the medal of honor went to the surviving members of the... this was a sort of a spy mission that went on in georgia, where a civilian scout and spy named andrews led a group of soldiers and civilians to capture a confederate locomotive and to use it to go up and down the railroad lines to destroy bridges, tear up tracks, and such. the raid, unfortunately, was not successful and many of them were captured, andrews was hanged

and the surviving soldiers once they were returned from captivity, were given the medal of honor. and the first one given out, actually presented was to a soldier named... a very young man about 18 years old. he'd been severely mistreated by the confederates, so secretary of war stanton specifically said to him "i want you to have this medal." >> it's time for "word." >> [ applause ] >> check out these words and match them with the real meaning. what about this adjective? does it mean...? >> [ ring ] >> [ laughs malevolently ] >> just like this game and like the character puck in shakespeare's "a midsummer night's dream." all right, now, try...

a noun. is it...? >> [ ring ] the answer is... as in "the appellation of this apple is golden delicious, not macintosh." here's a word that's fun to say. do you think it's...? >> [ ring ] or evasive, as in "the politician's oblique answer did not reveal her true feelings about the issue." that's "word." > you wouldn't dress like this

to fight a fire. now, this is more like it. coming up...i'll show you what firefighters need to wear. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ in 1988, our dear friend paul newman had a vision. a place where kids with serious illnesses could just.be kids. [bruce] so he founded a camp. and the joy of playing, laughing, and simply belonging had a profound effect [julia] freeing the children to reach beyond their illnesses and discover new strength. [bruce] from that one camp the seriousfun children's network has grown, serving 30,000 kids globally every year. at no cost to their families.

[bruce] please help us continue paul's vision. visit seriousfunnetwork.org. >> it's been said that firefighters "save hearts and homes." they also carry a heavy load the burden of responsibility and, as carina found out the burden of all the gear they must wear. >> [ suspenseful music plays ] >> no question about it -- fighting fires is dangerous business. it takes a lot of training skill, courage, and equipment. when i visited the bergen county fire academy instructor mike o'hagen gave me a hands-on lesson in firefighting fashion and safety. >> firefighters go into extremely hot temperatures temperatures that exceed 1300°, 1400°, 1500°. without that protection of that thermal barrier within your gear, you would just burn up right away.

we have minutes -- seconds -- to rescue people and we need all the protection we can physically get. >> firefighters call it their "bunker" or "turnout" gear and, it turns out, there's a lot of it, as i discovered when i agreed to put it all on. so where do we start? >> well, let's start by trying on some bunker gear. >> okay. >> let's step into our boots and pants. what you want to do is pull these up as you step in. pull on these straps. there you go. >> keep in mind, as you watch this, that real firefighters can gear up in a matter of moments. i needed more time and more help. heavy. >> heavy, isn't it? firefighter gear weighs somewhere between 50 to 65 pounds, fully dressed. >> wow. button it up? >> yeah. before you start with that, just grab that black hood. that's a nomex hood that will protect your neck when you're in a hot, burning building.

>> if you have long hair you have to make sure every strand is tucked in. next comes fastening all the buckles on the turnout coat. >> okay, super. now, what we're going to do is put our breathing apparatus on. >> i'll help you with this. you're going to put this on like it's a coat. >> imagine climbing a ladder into a burning building with this thing on. that's why it has to be fastened securely. it's called a scott pak and it can make the difference between life and death. >> so, the breathing apparatus will give you, probably, somewhere between 20 minutes of air, depending on how hard you're working. so what you're going to do is just push your hair back off your face a little bit and just put this on like this over your face, like that. and what you're going to do -- i'll allow you to do this -- take these tabs here that i have, and pull them straight backwards. >> a few more adjustments to the mask, the hood and the collar and i'm ready for the helmet.

then the ear flaps. and the gloves! but i'm not done yet. >> and then, the last thing we're going to do is we're going to take our regulator, put it into your facepiece. >> [ click ] >> and you're good to go. breathe. >> [ mechanical rattle ] >> take a breath. can you breathe? >> yeah. >> very good. okay so how does that feel? >> how do i feel? i can barely hold up my thumbs. >> it's a lot of work, running up and down stairs, ladders. you'll get tired pretty quickly. >> just standing still made me tired, but i now understand why it's essential for firefighters to train with their gear on -- it's the only way you can build up the muscles and stamina needed to do the job. oh, and there's one more thing. the most important piece of gear is impossible to see. it's guts, because that's what it takes to be a firefighter. for "teen kids news," i'm carina. >> [laughs] we'll see you next time on "teen kids news."

thanks for watching. have a great week. >> here's a shout-out to pr newswire for including "teen kids news" on their big screen in times square new york city.

jack hanna's animal adventures. brought to you by seaworld and busch gardens. for more than 40 years working to preserve the world we share. jack: ..you know...like this. kathaleen: (hi) jack: he's crazy. this guy's crazy, man. kathaleen: despite how gorgeous they are, they're actually pretty mean birds. ♪ music ♪ hi everybody i'm jack hanna here