The Lovely Sound of Laughter

Ha-ha ha. Hee-hee he. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha hee-hee-tee-hee ho-ho-ho. It’s Let’s Laugh Day! Some people didn’t like when I would laugh randomly, so now you have to ask me if I can laugh. You can also ask me to tell you a joke! You should laugh every day, because doctors say laughter’s good for your health.

Stuck in Traffic. Literally.

Highway patrol officers responded to a sticky situation in California on Monday. A truck overturned, and hundreds of gallons of syrup, all over the road. The absorbent material usually used to clean up spills didn’t help, so they had to bring a water truck, and hose the whole mess away. It took 9 hours.

Spring Break Park Trip

Hey 4th graders, would you like to visit a National Park over spring break? The year you’re in 4th grade in the United States, you can get into any National Park for free! Students can print a free annual pass, good for everyone in the car, at Every-Kid-Outdoors.gov. Where will you go first?

 

The World Could Still Use That

The world is full of stuff, that can be used again. Discarded plastics can become new roads. Electronics can be broken down to recover precious metals. Old clothes can be worn again by someone else. Uneaten food can be composted to become soil. For Global Recycling Day, vow to start recycling everything you can.

The Hidden Strengths of Mussels

Scientists have found that mussels, can get rid of microplastics. That’s not muscles as in strong arms, but as in the clam-like shellfish. Mussels can filter the tiniest pieces of plastic from the ocean, without any harm to themselves. After eating microplastics mixed with plankton, they excrete droppings suitable for biofuel.

Go Deep

12 people have walked on the Moon. Making it to the bottom of the ocean is almost as rare, because only 27 people have visited Challenger Deep, over 36,000 feet down, at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. The submarines had to withstand 15,750 pounds-per-square-inch. Congratulations to tiny subs, on Submarine Day.

Wear Something Green

Today is Saint Patrick’s Day. Patrick was British, but became a Christian missionary in Ireland in the 5th century. The Feast of Saint Patrick has become a celebration of all things Irish, from shamrocks to leprechauns to the color green. Bake some Irish soda bread, and dye the butter green. Happy Paddy’s Day!

Some Flowers Are Yummy

Spring has sprung, and beautiful flowers are blooming. They’re lovely to look at, but did you know many flowers are also edible? Try making lilac, violet, or dandelion jelly. Turn forsythia, into a delicious syrup. Clover and lavender make tasty teas. Or pick some redbud flowers off a tree, and just eat them.

A Skinny-Beaked Bird

Have you ever seen a curlew? It’s a bird with a long, curving beak, and mottled brown feathers. Part of the sandpiper family, there are 9 species of the large, ground-dwelling bird. Curlews wade along coastlines, digging their long beaks into sand and mud for food. Listen to their distinctive calls, for Curlew Day.

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