Articles

Time Off

Meet Our Kid Reporters

September 13, 2017

This year’s TFK Kid Reporters were chosen from 300 applicants in a nationwide competition. The crew will report on local and national news for TFK. Here are some fun facts about our newest reporters. Want to be a TFK Kid…

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Science

Uncovering the Past

September 13, 2017

Dinosaurs are long gone. But scientists keep finding new types of the creatures. Two recent discoveries are helping experts better understand North America’s distant past. In May, a 110-million-year-old fossil went on display at the Royal Tyrrell Museum, in Alberta,…

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World

TFK Explains: North Korea

September 12, 2017

North Korea has been in the news lately. The country’s leader has been testing weapons. Here’s what you need to know about what’s happening. North Korea recently tested weapons. Why? North Korea has one of the world’s largest armies. The…

Science

What's Up, Dog?

September 11, 2017

A 3-year-old pit-bull mix named Ninja trots into the lab. She sees the MRI, a coffin-like machine. She leaps happily onto the table. Ninja has been trained to sit still in the MRI. This lets neuroscientist Gregory Berns peer into…

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Text Sets

From Apollo 11 to Now Video

September 9, 2017

Watch this video to introduce the Space Exploration Text Set

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Text Sets

Tracing The Journey Video

September 9, 2017

Watch this video as an optional extension activity for the refugee text set.

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Opinion

Guard Your Privacy

September 7, 2017

Jay Stanley works on the speech, privacy, and technology project at the American Civil Liberties Union. Here, he explains why we must protect our privacy when using new technology. Many new toys and products include microphones and cameras. They can…

Technology

Helping Others

September 6, 2017

If you see a problem, you should find a solution. That is what Alex Knoll, 12, from Post Falls, Idaho, thinks. One day, he noticed a man struggling to open a heavy door. The man was in a wheelchair. “I…

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United States

Surviving the Storm

September 1, 2017

Houston is the fourth-largest city in America. It is home to 2.1 million people. And it is underwater. Hurricane Harvey roared out of the Gulf of Mexico on August 25. It made landfall in southeast Texas. It hit as…

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Protesters gather in Boston on August 19 to rally against white supremacists and racists

United States

Marching Against Hate

August 21, 2017

Thousands of counterprotesters marched through Boston on August 18. It was in response to a “free speech” rally that took place one week after deadly clashes erupted at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. That rally was organized to…

Arts

For the Love of Reading

August 21, 2017

Andrew Clements achieved success as an author in 1996, when his first children’s novel, Frindle, was published. Since then, the book has sold more than 6 million copies and won more than 20 awards. Clements has written dozens of additional…

Science

Why Total Solar Eclipses Are So Rare

August 17, 2017

A solar eclipse will cross the continental United States on August 21, from Salem, Oregon, to Charleston, South Carolina. Millions of people will witness the spectacular space event. They won’t show up just because solar eclipses are extremely beautiful. They…

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World

Mummies Revealed!

May 5, 2017

New tools help scientists look inside mummies without damaging them. If you visit the new Mummies show at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), in New York City, don’t miss the mummy called the Gilded Lady. Her case is…

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Arts

Music Maker

May 5, 2017

In many ways, Alma Deutscher is like other 11-year-olds. She climbs trees, dances, reads, draws, and skips rope. But Alma, who lives in Dorking, England, can claim some very special accomplishments. She composed a full opera and brought it to…

Science

Bright Lights, Big Ideas

April 28, 2017

Researchers are looking to glowing nature for new ideas. Imagine a world where everyday objects produce their own light. Bright trees illuminate city streets. Crops light up when they need water or are ready to be picked. Street signs gleam…

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Health

The Best Medicine

April 21, 2017

A new study hopes to scientifically prove the benefits of physical activity. Doctors have long known that diet and exercise are the best ways to stay healthy. But few people get enough exercise. Only 20% of Americans get the recommended…

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United States

Slime Business

April 21, 2017

Nadia Abadzis has been making slime for a few months. "My favorite was a velvety purple color," she says. "It looked really pretty." The sixth grader from Union City, New Jersey, has created glossy slime, clear slime, and fluffy slime.…

World

Wild Medicine

April 14, 2017

Veterinarians in Africa are working to save gorilla species—one patient at a time. Of all the mountain gorillas that veterinarian Mike Cranfield has treated in the past 18 years, Ijabo stands out the most. When Ijabo was three days old,…

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Opinion

Should Communities Limit the Use of Plastic Bags?

April 14, 2017

For most Americans, plastic bags are a necessary part of any shopping trip. Many of us give little thought to the bags' impact on the environment. But plastic bags that end up in oceans and on beaches are harmful to…

Environment

Water Works

April 14, 2017

In a small village in Thailand lives a girl named Wanjai. She and her family make their home on the Khao Laem Reservoir. Wanjai and her friends play in the water. Her family bathes, cooks, and cleans with it. They…