Download this issue as a PDF littleclickers-apr19-eggs

1. How many chicken eggs does an ostrich egg equal? About 16 or so, and yes, it is possible to have one for breakfast. Here’s what it looks like to cook one, at https://youtu.be/pN7s_ZmYXG4

2. Where do most of the eggs we eat come from? Most likely, the egg you ate this morning came from a caged chicken. But not all egg farms are the same. Let’s have a look at a modern “free range” chicken farm, at http://bitly.com/2FKXZ5G

3. How many eggs does a chicken lay in it’s lifetime? The average hen will produce about 265 eggs a year and most hens have two productive egg laying years. That means about 530 eggs. http://bitly.com/2WIbklZ

4. What is the world’s most famous egg? According to CNBC a photograph of a single brown chicken egg has become the most liked post on Instagram. See what it looks like, at https://cnb.cx/2WEO5JB

5. What’s the difference between an egg white and a yolk?  A happy, well fed chicken produces a healthy egg with a well-defined yellow part, or yolk. Here’s what is inside of a chicken egg. http://bitly.com/2FKwmtF

APPLICATION: COOL EGG TRICKS
How can you tell if an egg is hard boiled? If it spins like a top, the egg is hard boiled, because the inside is solid. Here’s some other fun egg tricks.

1. Onion Skin decoration. Easter is a time when many people decorate eggs. Did you know that you can use onion skills to make a beautiful brown shell? http://bitly.com/2FKh1Jr

2. Make the perfect hardboiled egg.  Steam them… don’t boil them. Here’s how http://bitly.com/2UavTtN

———————————————————————————————————————————————— LittleClickers.com (this page and the associated web site) is sponsored by Computer Explorers. Neither Children’s Technology Review (publisher of LittleClickers) or Computer Explorers has any vested interest in any of the sites listed on this page. Librarians and teachers are permitted to copy this page for non-profit use. To report a bad link, use this form, or contact us. Copyright 2018, Children's Technology Review.

Librarians/Teachers: Download this page as an easy to print one page PDF

An aquarium lets you bring a small underwater world right into your room.

While tiny fish are hard to pet or take on a walk, they can be fun to watch, and can even have babies. Let’s learn more!

1. The most popular freshwater fish is the Guppy. How long can one Guppy live?
According to PetMD a guppy can live up to three years. They are an ideal starter fish for any fish tank, and the male can grow a beautiful, flowing tail. A female guppy can have live babies every 30 days.

2. What’s the biggest fish ever to live in a fish tank?  Can you imagine having a 40 foot long fish in your fish tank? Obviously you’d need a pretty big tank. At http://www.seethewild.org/whale-shark-facts/ we learn about the world’s biggest fish — the Whale Shark, and the world’s largest fish can grow up to 40 ft. There are several living giant aquarium tanks around the world.

3. What country has the world’s biggest aquarium?  Is it
a) The United States
b) United Arab Emirates
c) Japan

Answer:  According to http://bitly.com/2kPMDp5 the largest fish tank in the world is located in the The United States. Thanks to donation by one of the owners of Home Depot, the Georgia Aquarium’s tank can hold 6.3 million gallons, which is big enough for two Whale Sharks. It’s far bigger than the 2.64 million gallon tank — the second largest — found in a shopping mall in Dubai.

4. How much should I feed my fish? When should I change the water?
At Seaworld http://bitly.com/2jBpNMV you learn all sorts of useful things about getting started with an aquarium. You should only feed the fish as much as they can eat in 2 minutes. And you should change 1/4 of the water every month.

5. What about snails? Clams… and Crayfish?  Can they live in your fish tank? Yes, but you have to be careful because they can eat the fish or create other problems. Visit http://www.aquariumcarebasics.com/freshwater-snails to learn more.

APPLICATION Can you name the fish?  Visit the Australian Fish Museum site, at http://bitly.com/2keQ3P1 and see how many fish you can identify.

APPLICATION Buy a fish tank for about $55. Here’s a link to a starter set with a 5 gal. tank, filter, LED light and pump. That’s everything but the water and fish. One that gets high ratings is the Marineland ML90609 Portrait Aquarium Kit, 5-Gallon. http://amzn.to/2kpSnF1

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcBVHzUUEKwm4SN0mhfIACYAJKvQEarC6&jct=1st2V149pWYADgNU0ynbjSPOcTO1vw

———————————————————————————————————————————————— LittleClickers.com (this page and the associated web site) is sponsored by Computer Explorers. Neither Children’s Technology Review (publisher of LittleClickers) or Computer Explorers has any vested interest in any of the sites listed on this page. Librarians and teachers are permitted to copy this page for non-profit use. To report a bad link, use this form, or contact us. Copyright 2018, Children's Technology Review.

They say “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”  Is it true? Do you know how many varieties of apples are there, or how Apple computers got their name? Let’s find out!

Download this page as a PDF

1. How many varieties of apples are there? Which is the most popular? At http://bit.ly/1OdLQb8 you will learn that there are over 2000 types! To see the most popular 11 types, check out http://bit.ly/2dvMyTZ (the top three are the Cortland, Red Delicious and Golden Delicious)

2. T/F is it true that “and apple a day will keep the doctor away?” Apples actually can help your health. Apples are low in calories and free of fat, sodium and cholesterol. Eating apples has been associated with lower risk of a variety of cancers, stroke and diabetes. Learn more at http://bitly.com/2cMMLSv

3. Where did the first apple come from? Apple trees have been feeding humans for a long, long time. Visit the History Channel to learn more about how apples came to the United States. http://bitly.com/2dlxgSW.

4. What is the largest apple ever picked? We found an apple in Japan that grew to be the size of a small pumpkin, at just over 4 pounds. Here’s the source http://bit.ly/2cWsgAT.

5. Why did Steve Jobs pick an Apple to name his company? It happened when he was trying an all fruit diet, and had just come back from an apple farm. He thought the name “Apple Computer” sounded “fun, spirited and not intimidating.” http://bitly.com/2dqyjx8

Application

1. Do you like to cook? Here are some apple recipes. http://bit.ly/2d3mWLe.

2. Do you like to make crafts? Here are some ideas http://bit.ly/2d3oGUG

3. Have you ever bobbed for apples? It looks a lot easier than it is! http://bit.ly/2dlMRxd

———————————————————————————————————————————————— LittleClickers.com (this page and the associated web site) is sponsored by Computer Explorers. Neither Children’s Technology Review (publisher of LittleClickers) or Computer Explorers has any vested interest in any of the sites listed on this page. Librarians and teachers are permitted to copy this page for non-profit use. To report a bad link, use this form, or contact us. Copyright 2018, Children's Technology Review.

Download as a one page PDF.

We all can make sounds with our body. We can sing, hum, clap or stomp. But, what about those noises our bodies make that we feel like we can’t control. Those funny, sometimes embarrassing noises. Read on to learn why we make those noises, and just maybe how to stop some of them.

1. Why does my stomach  growl? Click on  http://bit.ly/1tpRUxL to learn several reasons why your tummy might be making noises.

2.  What is that popping sound my joints make? Is it dangerous to crack your knuckles? Sometimes when we move a certain way, we hear a ‘pop’ from our bodies. Click here   http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-makes-the-sound-when/   to learn just what this sound is, and whether or not it is truly harmful.

3. Where does a sneeze come from? Check out this link   http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/sneeze.html  to read all about the art of the ahhh…chooo!

4. What makes us burp?  Click on http://www.livescience.com/32404-what-makes-us-burp.html to learn just why you burp.

5  Sometimes I snore when I sleep. Why? Check out http://nbcnews.to/1dvcdYZ  to learn why you may snore, and what you can do about it.

6. What causes farting? Click on http://bit.ly/1LFX2qV to read all about this embarrassing noise.

———————————————————————————————————————————————— LittleClickers.com (this page and the associated web site) is sponsored by Computer Explorers. Neither Children’s Technology Review (publisher of LittleClickers) or Computer Explorers has any vested interest in any of the sites listed on this page. Librarians and teachers are permitted to copy this page for non-profit use. To report a bad link, use this form, or contact us. Copyright 2018, Children's Technology Review.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcBVHzUUEKwl57R-kjivyk1btD1FCOoXv

Spring is a good time to plant a garden, but how much do you know about how they grow? Here are some links to sites and videos that will help you learn more about plants and gardens.

>>>>Download the 1 page PDF<<<

1. What is the largest vegetable in the world? At Seed to Feed Me http://bit.ly/10CD4UG you can see pictures of the largest fruit and vegetables in the world like a 100 pound head of lettuce, a 268 lb watermelon, or a 1689 lb pumpkin that weighs as much as polar bear!

2. What is the oldest living seed in the world?  At National Geographic http://bit.ly/XstbxC you can learn about some 32,000 year old seeds found buried beneath the ice in Siberia, that were still alive. When they planted, they grew into delicate white flowers.

3. What’s the difference between an annual and a perennial? At The Permaculture Research Institute of Australia  http://bit.ly/10RIUTK you’ll learn that nearly all garden plants — like tomatos, carrots and pumpkins are annuals, meaning they die after one season. Perennials, like potatoes, rhubarb and asparagus, come back year after year.

4. How long does it take to grow a radish, and how deep do you plant the seed? At Cornell University’s vegetable growing guide, at http://bit.ly/ZeOJyK you can look up specific seeds, and learn that radishes grow in about 30 days, but you’ll need 70 days for a zuchini. You can find specific facts about almost any seed you might plant in your garden, in case you lose the instructions on the seed packet.

APPLICATION

Make a rainbarrel! Did you know that over 600 gallons of water falls on a 1000 square foot roof during a storm? Every drop could be used to water your carrots. Here’s are step by step instructions on how to make a rain barrel, visit “Store the Storm” for more.  Here are the instructions: http://www.hws.edu/fli/pdf/rain_barrel_manuel.pdf

Grow a flower in a cup- at http://www.kidsgardening.org/node/3914 you will fin

At http://www.serengeti.org, the official site of the Serengeti National Park, you can start your journey in the photo gallery. The pictures of the land, the animals and the people are amazing. Click on Discover Serengeti to begin.

A new tree frog has been discovered on the Serengeti plains.At http://www.calacademy.org/research/herpetology/frogs/serengetifrog.htm you can read about how a young boy made this important find.

Next, you can try your hand at being a wildlife photographer at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/serengeti/multimedia/serengeti-game.html. Drive your vehicle around the plains to find and capture animals on film. Make it back to safari camp before dark and you can watch a movie of your photos.

Want to know more about the people who live in the Serengeti?

Go to http://www.maasai-association.org/maasai.html to see pictures and read an article about the Maasai, one of the tribes that lives in this area.

For more fantastic photos, visit http://www.jao.com/africa/serengeti. Here you’ll view 16 pictures of lions, giraffes, antelope and more.

Lions live in the Serengeti, and there’s a big research project there to help us learn more about the “King of the Beasts”. At http://www.cbs.umn.edu/lionresearch_2 you can find answers to frequently asked questions on the Serengeti lions.

How much do you know about snakes? Here’s a collection of web sites that will help you learn more about these long, limbless, flexible reptiles. Don’t worry, this page won’t bite.

1. Is the creature pictured below a worm?
http://www.amonline.net.au/wild_kids/reptiles/blind_snake.htm
Answer. No, it is actually a blind snake that doesn’t bite. But it might try to jab you with a tiny barb in itstail. Image from http://www.kingsnake.com/

2. Yes or no: Do snakes have eyelids?
http://www.icon.co.za/~mvdmerwe/snake_fc.htm
Answer: No. Instead, they have clear scales that protect their eyeballs from getting scratched.

3. How many kinds of posionious snakes are there?
http://www.kidsplanet.org/factsheets/snakes.html
Answer: There are about 2,700 species of snakes, of these 375 are venomous. In the United States, sevenspecies are listed as endangered.

4. Can snakes fly?
http://ecologyasia.com/verts/snakes/paradise_tree-snake.htm
Answer: There is a type of snake, the paradise tree-snake of South-East Asia, that can glide from tree to treeby flattening its body and springing off of a branch.

5. Can a snake kill an elephant?
http://www.antiguanracer.org/html/racer/snakef.htm
Answer: Yes. The venom of the king cobra, the world’s largest poisonous snake, is strong enough to kill an elephant.

6. Can you name three ways that snakes move?
http://www.columbusszoo.org/animalareas/reptiles/snakfact.html
Answer: The three most popular way that a snake travels are sidewinding, concertina movement and caterpillar movement.

7. What is the longest snake in the entire world? How long is it?
http://www.extremescience.com/BiggestSnake.htm
Answer: Beleive it or not, but somewhere out there is a snake that is 33 feet long, and it is a python.
While that is impressive, the anaconda, found in the jungles of South America is fatter. It can weigh a
much as a grown man!

8. What animal is the biggest predator of snakes?
http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mnh/nature/snakes/sfacts.htm
Answer: Herons, hawks, foxes, raccoons and bears all enjoy a tasty snake snack, but according to the NovScotia museum, the biggest predator of snakes is the domestic cat.

9. Are there poisonous snakes in my backyard?
http://www.backyardnature.net/snakes.htm
According to natralist Jim Conrad, if you live in the United States, the chance of having a poisonous snake in your yard is very remote, unless you live near a natural or wooded area. Even if you see a snake, it probably won’t be venomous.

One of the best things about a visit to the beach is that you never know what the sea is hiding. For example, one day in 2002, some beachcombers stumbled upon a squid that measured 60 feet long! That’s longer than a school bus. You can read the news coverage at http://archives.cnn.com/2002/TECH/science/07/22/australia.squid/. For this issue of LittleClickers, we answer some common questions about the wonders of the sea using the Internet. Have a look!

What are the world’s largest fish?

Visit http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/faq/fishfaq1.html and http://www.elbert.k12.ga.us/showcase/sreid/home/fish.html.
Answer: The whale shark — which is a fish and not a mammel like a whale — can grow to be moe than 50 feet long. Coming second place is another member of the shark family, called the Basking Shark, which feeds on plankton by straining water through large comb-like structures in the gills. Both fish are harmless to humans.

What animal has the largest eyes?
A) an elephant
B) the giant squid
C) a horse

Visit http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/giant-squid.html where you’ll learn that the giant squid is a meat-eating mollusk that is actually related to a snail. It has a beak-like mouth that is strong enough to cut through a steel cable, and because it lives in very deep, dark water, it needs large eyes that can grow up to 10 inches in diameter. That’s the size of a plate!

How tall is the world’s largest standing sand structure?

A) 5 feet

B) 10 feet

C) over 20 feet

See the photos at http://www.harrisand.org/guinness_world_records.htm where you can learn about a sand-building contest where the winners sculpted a 21-foot-tall Christmas Tree is 86 hours.

How long is the world’s largest ship?

Visit http://www.ayrshirescotland.com/ships/jahre.html and http://www.vincelewis.net/viking.html. The oil tanker Nock Nevis (also called the Jahre Viking and Seawise Guant) is really big. It was built in 1981 in Japan, and it is 1,504 feet long with one giant propeller that is 30 feet wide! By comparison, the Titanic was only 882 feet long.

T/F: Do fish talk?

It turns out that they do, if you count snaps, clicks and grunts as talking. Fish also use chemical odors (or pheromones) and electrical signals. Have a listen for yourself, at http://www.fishecology.org/soniferous/sound_demo.htm (click on “sample” under each drawing for the sound that fish makes)

With the crisp fall weather comes the joy of fresh apples. And, we’re not talking about computers. so, this month’s Internet scavenger hunt will let you learn more about a fruit that we often take for granted.

How many kinds of apples are there, and which is the most popular?

Find out at http://www.allaboutapples.com/varieties/index.htm. From the Albany Beauty to the Zestar, you might be amazed to learn that there are about 7500 varieties of apples grown around the world. Over 2000 of these grow in the USA, and they go by names like Pineapple, Horneburger Pancake, Rambo, Red Baron and Smokehouse. The most popular Apple type is (drumroll) the Red Delicious.

What country and state grows the most apples?

Find out at http://www.fas.usda.gov/htp/Hort_Circular/2002/02-11/Apple.htm. Back in the 1980s, farmers in China planted millions of apple trees, to overtake the United States as the world’s leading apple producer. The top five apple producing U.S. states are Washington, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania and California.

How long is the world’s longest apple peel?

Find out at http://www.nyapplecountry.com/funfacts.htm. The world’s longest single continuous apple peel was created — very carefully — by Kathy Wafler Madison (age 16) on October 16, 1976. It measured 172 feet, 4 inches long.

How big is the world’s heaviest apple?

Find out at http://www.tinyurl.com/32lk9n. According to Guiness Book Of World Records, in 2005, Chisato Iwasaki of Japan grew an apple that weighted just over four pounds. That’s the size of a pumpkin!

Does apple skin contain wax?

Yes, according to http://www.bestapples.com/facts/facts_waxing.shtml. Apples have their own waxy skin for protection which is why they shine so nicely. But that wax can be washed off, so many growers add more artificial wax — about a drop per apple — to help them stay fresh longer. This wax is called carnauba or shellac and is non-petroleum based, so it won’t hurt if you eat it.

How do you make applesauce?

Cooking with apples can be easy. We found this recipe at http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/recipes/recipes/applesauce.html:
1) Peel two apples and cut them into pieces.
2) With the help of a parent or teacher, put the apple pieces, along with 2 spoonfuls of lemon juice into a blender; blend until the mixture is very smooth.
3) Pour the mixture into two small bowls and stir in some sugar and cinnamon.
4) Enjoy!

If you’re looking at these words right now, you’re using your eyes. How do these amazing organs work? we turned to our favorite place for finding fun facts — the Internet — to answer some common eye questions.

What is the white part of our eye callled?

Visit http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/body/eye_noSW.html and you’ll learn that the white of your eye is the sclera (say: sklair-uh), a tough material that has the important job of covering most of the eyeball. To learn more about parts of the eye, visit http://www.stlukeseye.com/Anatomy.asp.

How big is the human eye?

At http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/bigeye.html you learn that the human eye is about 2.5 cm in length and weighs about 7 grams. Six bands of muscles attach to the eyeball to controll the ability of the eye to look up and down and side to side.

Do you know what to do when you meet someone with vision loss?

Find out at http://www.99main.com/~charlief/vi/meeting.html where you’ll learn that when speaking to a person with vision loss, don’t omit words like, “see” or “look” .. People with visual impairments are not offended by these word

What animal has the largest eye?

According to http://www.funtrivia.com/askft/Question32949.html, the Giant Squid has the largest eye of any animal — living or extinct — with an eye that measures 15 inches in diamenter. By comparison, a whale’s eye is 4.7 inches, and an adult human eye is .94 inches. You can also learn more at http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/people/motani/ichthyo/eyes.html.

Want to look inside an eyeball?

At http://iknow.net/CDROMs/eyephys_cdrom/index.html you can see what it looks like inside an eyeball, from the inside out!