Penguin-stylerobots usedto sneak upon colonies *click* “Mama!” *whrrr*

Research on penguins has gone high-tech to solve a problem scientists were having collecting data in penguin colonies.

They had tried strapping sensors to the birds’ fl ippers, but the devices caused irritation and health problems, so they switched to implanting tiny chips under the birds’ skin. Now the problem was getting close enough with scanners to read the data that the chips were collecting.

Enter the robot. The robot in this picture is dressed up to look like a baby penguin to get close to emperor penguins, but other types of penguins are not as shy and it’s not necessary to disguise the robot in order to get in range to pick up the data from the sensors.

Another benefi t is that even penguins who don’t move away from humans still get upset by them, which could change their behavior. The robots don’t seem to bother them. AP photo/Frederique Olivier

2013

ColoradoKids CK ReporterJayden Ponsford,

Aurora

Sci-fi flicK iSn’t JUSt for Science fanSfamily, fantaSy Unite in tenSe thriller

Earth is dying. A virus called the Blight is kill-ing all of Earth’s crops

and people are running out of food.

The new movie “Interstellar” paints a picture of our world’s future fi lled with dust and despair.

As fi elds die and are burned to keep down the infection, huge dust storms block out the sun.

On top of that, oxygen levels are decreasing rapidly and mankind will soon be elimi-nated.

The fi lm’s hero Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) is not satisfi ed to just sit around and wait.

He says, “Mankind was born on Earth, but we were never meant to die here.”

For Cooper and shipmate Dr. Brand (Anne Hathaway) the answer lies in the stars.

This fi lm is full of outer space science and look-ing at the bigger picture.

If you have ever been interested in black holes,

wormholes, singular-ities, or the concept of time this is a great movie for you.

Just imagine what it feels like to orbit a wormhole, and then to dive in!

Even if you are not into science, how-ever, there is plenty of action and a lot of intense topics here.

Imagine your par-ent leaving you and going into the un-known of outer space and having absolutely no idea when they are coming back.

That is what Coo-per’s daughter Murph (Jessica Chastain) has to go through as her father leaves in search of new inhab-itable worlds.

“Interstellar” is rated PG-13, but I would say it’s on the lower side of that rat-

ing. There is barely any swearing and no gore, but it is full of tension and emotional scenes.

If you can, try to watch the movie in an IMAX theater. That is how I saw it and it really made a difference.

A large step towards Mars is scheduled to take

place Dec. 4, when NASA will launch an Orion capsule to test the vehicle planned to one day take astronauts into deep space.

The unmanned capsule will be controlled from the ground on a fl ight that will take it on two orbits, one as far as 3,600 miles above the Earth, or about 14 times farther out than the Space Station.

This fi rst fl ight will test the capsule’s heat shield and make sure it can survive the heat of re-entry.

It will also carry sensors to provide information on sound, heat and other things astro-nauts would experience.

If all goes well, NASA plans to use the same capsule again to check the emergency system that would separate the capsule from a rocket in a launch failure and return it safely to Earth. Illustration/NASA

naSa UnveilS itSmanned marS

SpacecraftBy Asher Hoyt,12, a CK Reporter from Denver

don’t seem to bother them. AP photo/Frederique Olivier

November 11, 2014

Wartime novel touches the heart

“A Horse Called Hero,” is Sam Angus’s sec-ond novel after her

highly praised book, “Soldier Dog.”

The novel is set during one of the most emotional times in British history, the Second World War.

It focuses mainly on the deep love of a boy named Wolfie and his horse, Hero.

Wolfie and his sister, Dodo, both grew up in London, but, when World War II begins, they are forced to leave behind everything they’ve ever known and move to the coun-try.

All the men, including their father, are turned into soldiers while women and chil-dren must move to safer places.

Wolfie has always dreamed of having a horse of his own, and during his stay in the country, he

miraculously finds and rescues a small grey colt whose mother had died giving birth.

Wolfie begins to raise the colt and names him Hero.

Hero and Wolfie become inseparable, but when a few ponies suddenly go missing each day, Wolfie gets anxious and begins to watch them closely, trying to catch the thief.

Then one day, after a big storm, Hero disappears along with the rest of the ponies.

Wolfie’s life turns up-side down as he searches for Hero each day in vain.

He becomes empty, over-whelmed by increasing sadness, and feeling noth-ing as the years drag by, seeming endless to him.

Will Wolfie ever find Hero and feel happy again?

“A Horse Called Hero” is an epic story of a boy and his horse’s deep passion for each other.

Readers of all ages, especially

horse lovers, will fall in love with this sad tale.

The story always keeps you interested and guessing at what would happen next.

As I read it, the pages seemed to fly by and I felt like I was watching a movie because of Sam Angus’s great use of imagery.

When I read about how Wolfie searched in agony, tears sprang to my eyes.

I could feel the overwhelm-ing pain that Wolfie was feeling when he lost Hero.

I loved “A Horse Called Hero” and I think that it can soften the hardest of hearts.

ck Kids and adults can find live links to information about stories in Colorado Kids at www.ColoradoNIE.com

Today’s story about the Berlin Wall recalls a time when our nation sometimes felt it was on the brink of war.

Look through the rest of today’s paper for a story about a conflict that could become serious if nothing happens to make things better. Write a brief essay about how you think the problem could be solved without violence.

Beyond these four pages

A

CD

Home is where the heart is, and the turkey If you are trying to find a CK

reader this Thanksgiving, we can pretty much tell you where to look: Right at home.

When we asked about plans for the holiday, we expected a little bit more variety in the answers than we received!

In the most lopsided response we’ve ever had to a question, a full 76 percent of CK readers who answered our question said they’ll be spending Thanksgiving

at home.Here’s what we asked you, and

what you told us:Thanksgiving is about a month

away. How will your family cel-ebrate the holiday?A. Home-cooked meal here in town, with family & friends. 76%B. Cook’s holiday: We’ll go out for dinner. 0%C. We’ll travel to visit family 22%D. We’ll help out at a soup kitchen or other public event. 2%

Now here’s our next question:Winter is on the doorstep.

What are you hoping for?A. Lots of snow! That’s

what winter is about!B. I like winter, but mix in

some mild weather.C. Snow on the ski hills,

but not on my lawn.D. Palm trees. Well, you

asked!To answer this question, go to

www.nextgen.yourhub.com

we asked, you answered

By Natalia Goncharova,12, a CK Reporter from Fort Morgan

Colorado Kidsis produced by

Denver Post Educational ServicesExecutive Editor: Dana Plewka

dplewka@denverpost.comCK Editor: Mike Peterson

coloradokidseditor@gmail.comWe welcome your comments.

For tools to extend the learning in this feature, look under“eEdition lessons” at:

www.ColoradoNIE.com

eEditions of the Post arefree of charge for classroom use.Contact us for information on all

our programs.

Denver Post Educational Services101 W. Colfax Ave.Denver CO 80202

(303) 954-3974(800) 336-7678

Stories without bylines werewritten by the editor.

Sam Angus Photo/Nick Harvey

When World War II end-ed in 1945, Germany was occupied by the

victorious Allies: The United States, the Soviet Union, France and Great Britain.

Each country was responsible for a section of Germany, and they also each had their own por-tion of Germany’s capital, Berlin, to keep watch on as the world re-covered from the war.

The Soviet Union, however, did not want to completely end its occupation when the other na-tions were ready to turn Germany back over to the Germans, and so the nation was divided into West and East Germany.

West Germany was allied to the western nations, and East Ger-many was one of several nations in Eastern Europe so closely tied to the Soviet Union that Winston Churchill said they were being kept behind an “Iron Curtain.”

West Germany made Bonn its capital, because not only was Ber-lin now in East Germany, but it was still divided among the Allies.

At one point, things between

the Soviet Union and the West-ern nations became so un-friendly that West Berlin had to get its food and other supplies from military airplanes, because trucks were not permitted to pass through East Germany.

Then, on August 13, 1961, Ber-linners woke up to find a wall being built by East Germany be-tween the two halves of their city, with barbed wire and soldiers to keep people from crossing from one side to the other without go-ing through armed checkpoints.

For 28 years, the Berlin Wall was a symbol of the distrust between West and East, and of the distrust of East Germany of its own citizens. About 100 East Germans were shot and killed trying to cross the wall.

By 1987, however, things had changed enough that President Reagan could say to the Soviet Union’s president in a speech in Berlin, “Tear down this wall!”

Two years later, on November 9, 1989, the gates were opened, and soon joyous Berliners were de-molishing the hated Berlin Wall.

25 years ago this week, a wall tumbled down

BrainteaserToday is Veteran’s Day, so our questions this week will be about the armed services.

1. Veteran’s Day marks when this war ended in 1918, at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

2. Members of this branch of service are called “leathernecks.”

3. On D-Day, Allied soldiers fought on the beaches of this nation.

4. What branch of the service was founded September 18, 1947?

5. What type of ship is called a “flat top”?

6. Founder of the American Red Cross, she was a battlefield nurse in the Civil War. Name her.

7. What kind of flowers are in the poem, “In Flanders Fields”?

8. Name the fight song of the United States Naval Academy.

9. What kind of military vehicle is a “Chinook”?

10. This branch is “always prepared” for rescues at sea.(answers on Page Four)

Teachers!It is time to register for the Colorado Literacy conference!

February 4 - 7, 2015Denver Marriott Tech Center

Choose from 375 sessions • 25 Invited Speakers15 Authors • Exhibits • Special Events

Go to www.CCIRA.org to register today!

Register for our session #386 and meet some CK Reporters

Visit us in the exhibit hall!

President John Kennedy stands on a platform looking over the wall into East Berlin, June 26, 1963. AP Photo

That day, in a famous speech, Kennedy said, “Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is ‘Ich bin ein Berliner!’... All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words ‘Ich bin ein Berliner!’”

What would you do if you were told that you would only live

for two more years?

In 1963, at the age of 21, Ste-phen Hawking faced this pre-diction when he was diagnosed with motor neuron disease, later renamed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

The diagno-sis happened shortly after he came up with a theory on the beginning of time.

“The Theory of Everything” is an outstand-ing film that will leave viewers speechless.

But it also has several funny moments, like when Jane ex-plains Stephen’s theory to their dinner guest, Jonathan Hellyer, her church choir conductor.

She refers to Einstein’s theories as potatoes and to quantum theory as peas, then describes how Einstein does not like peas.

One can learn a lot from the film, like the fact that black holes don’t last forever.

Or, for instance, that the simi-larity between white clothes

washed with certain detergents and dying stars is that both glow in ultraviolet light.

The actors delivered great performances. Felicity Jones (as Jane Hawking) wore the most beautiful dresses and actually made it seem like she treasured Stephen Hawking and was his wife, caring for him and helping him every step of the way.

Eddie Redmayne (Stephen Hawking) really looked like Stephen, and made me feel he

was truly try-ing to survive against all odds.

Charlie Cox (Jonathan Hellyer) was memorable, and I could feel his desire to help the Hawkings.

It was as if I was there and watching their actual interac-tions.

In the end, the most amaz-ing thing about this biographi-

cal movie is Stephen Hawking. It is astonishing that someone

who can’t dress himself, speak for himself, or even walk, is the smartest person on the planet.

It is also remarkable that he is still alive, despite all odds.

But, most of all, after every-thing he’s been through, it’s miraculous how Hawking is still able to joke about life.

I highly recommend this PG-13 film to everybody eleven and up.

Smart film, Smart man

BrainteaserSolution

(see Page Three)10 right - Wow! 7 right - Great! 5 right - Good

3 right - See you next time!

To find out this week’s answers, sit down with a veteran, go over the questions and have a

conversation about them.

By Leslie Wilburn,13, a CK Reporter from Denver

“The Graveyard Book” a graphic novel based on Neil

Gaiman’s novel, is the story of Owens, Nobody Owens.

A baby named Nobody walks away from home after hearing a crash in the house.

He never real-izes it, but there is a murderer in his home.

After walk-ing up the hill, Nobody Owens stumbles upon a graveyard.

When No-body crawls in, he’s in for a big surprise: ghosts, and ghouls, and witches to be found.

A pair of ghost parents adopt the baby, but, when they find that they can’t take on the responsibility of raising the boy, the mysterious Silas becomes his guardian, saying, “It’ll take a graveyard.”

This graphic novel by P. Craig Russell is unique, because Gaiman’s story was originally a standard text novel and didn’t have many pictures.

The graphic form, being all comics, is most likely a better choice for a person who likes to do less reading.

The original novel is only one volume, but the graphic version is divided into two volumes.

These books are also unique because the first book is split into five sections and the sec-ond book is three, each section with its own illustrator.

This makes each section have a similar, but different, look to the characters.

From read-ing both books, I would have to say that you do have to read them in order, because the first book leaves you hanging.

These books are interest-ing because they have a lot of adventures, but always turn up back at the graveyard.

My only warn-ing is that there are some bloody

pages, but I thought this story was great and it really keeps you on the edge of your seat.

So what are you waiting for? Pick up this wonderful book

and have a great time reading the stories of Nobody “Bod” Owens in “The Graveyard Book, Volumes 1 and 2” by P. Craig Russell and Neil Gaiman.

Gaiman’S ‘Graveyard’ novel GoeS Graphic

By Anders Wolle ,11, a CK Reporter from Arvada

Youth-written stories that appear here also appear on

C , !