The Denver Post •

CK Reporter of the WeekJack Vanourek, Littleton

In my spring enrichment class at Bromwell Elementary School, “Mapping our World,” I learned how to make and read maps, use compasses, and, the most exciting part, how to geocache! Geocaching is using coordinates and a GPS to find a hidden container, usually

pretty small, in a public place. Our teacher took us to find our first geocache, which was part of the Denver

Public Library series. This was a great first cache to get me interested in geocaching.I was so excited about being part of this treasure hunt that I decided to have my

mom download the app and we then went geocaching as a family. The app is really easy to use. You can visit this great website to find out more information: https://www.

geocaching.com/play We located our first cache pretty easily. Then we said “We Found It” on the app, or maybe you would say “It Took a Long

Time.” You also can say “I Didn’t Find It.” This goes to the comments that people look at to help them to find all the caches

they please.

I felt like I was suddenly let in on a huge secret, and that I was a member of a private club of adventurers.

Since finding my first cache in May, I’ve found 15 more and even found some while I was on vacation in the Netherlands and Belgium.

Even though I have found 16, there have been plenty of caches that we haven’t found and ones that have taken longer than others to locate.

What is awesome is that, if you are “stuck” on a cache, you can just text the planter of the cache thru the app and they will give you a hint.

Sometimes the most satisfying caches are the ones that you find in places you pass everyday and you had no idea it was there.

You will need to have a grownup to sign up on the geocache website and download the app.

The premium upgrade which allows you to see all the caches is 30 dollars a year or 10 dollars for three months.

August 6, 2019

Writing Is Fun!How Would You Like To Be A Real Reporter?

Find out about all the cool benefits when you apply to be a Colorado Kids reporter at Colorado NIE.com

or by emailing dplewka@denverpost.com.

A hobby you can take anywhere!

photos/Justin Gersey

By Eve Gersey,8, a CK Reporter from Denver

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The “25 Piece Set Writing Essentials” kit by Scribble Stuff is an impressive collection of pencils and pens!

It will be on sale at Walmart during the back to school season in 2019. The collection includes four highlighters, a push-up eraser, four mechanical

pencils, eight felt pens, and eight gel pens. The highlighters are very bright and colorful, but they do

have downsides.

My first thought on getting them to work was to let the ink seep into the tip, because the tip was white. Then, I discovered that you had to push down on the tip for it to be filled with ink.

You might want to use a tissue when you do this because it splattered onto my fingers when I tried.

I did notice that while you drew, it oozed and bled through the paper. (All of this information was gathered using standard printer paper.)

A cool feature on these is that there isn’t an ink tube, but the bottom of the pen is translucent, so you can see the ink.

There is only one eraser, but it might have been my favorite thing out of the whole set.

It has a pen-like lid and three different cartridges. The only downside with this part is that the cartridges are slippery and may

sink when you push the eraser hard enough. I tested this on colored pencils and regular ones, and the result was best on

graphite pencils. The colored one didn’t erase at all, while the graphite one left almost no trace. It was very easy to use and control.

The mechanical pencils were really neat. They worked like a regular mechanical pencil and the erasers were made of the same material as the push up eraser.

There are three pieces of lead per pencil and there is also a grip on the pencil, which was a good addition.

However, when you run out of lead, there isn’t a marking on the pencil to tell you what the size is.

It is noted on the box, but I think this could be stated on the pencil itself, so that you don’t have to worry about forgetting.

I didn’t notice much wrong with the felt tip pens, other than the caps are a little bit difficult to pull off.

They worked immediately and the colors were bold. Something included that seemed to be useful for artists

was a blackish-gray colored pen. Last, but certainly not least, are the gel pens. These also had a good color variety and grips, much like

the mechanical pencils. There was lots of ink in each tube, so you can use them for a fairly long time.

They didn’t have any breaks or dry spots where they broke off at all, it was very smooth to write with, plus they work instantly.

To conclude, this is a wonderful medley of colorful back-to-school utensils.

If I didn’t already have it, I would buy this for my upcoming school year.

Make your mark in the new school year

By Macy Gardner,14, a CK Reporter from Golden

If I didn’t already have it, I would buy this for

my upcoming school year.

The Denver Post •

Arches National Park is a terrific experience for all ages.

I had never seen a rock arch in person in my life. When we went to Arches National Park, I looked out the window of the car the whole time with my two younger brothers.

First, we hiked to the North Arch and got to climb on it. Then, we went to the South Arch, and my dad took pictures of me and my brother in it.

After that we hiked to the Double Arch, an arch in a

twisty canyon that connects to two arches! That arch was the 3rd biggest in the park.

Later that evening, we went up to Landscape Arch, which is the largest arch in the park.

They said that it used to be small until part of it collapsed about 20 years ago, which caused some of the sandstone to fall.

The next day we hiked to the Delicate Arch, which is the most famous arch in the park. It is so famous because it stands by itself, right on the edge of a cliff.

On this hike, you can see petroglyphs, which are ancient Ute paintings, on a stone wall.

Then, while we drove home through arches, we saw tons of balancing rocks, including the Three Gossips, which look like three women who are gossiping, one of them fat, two of them skinny.

We also saw the Fiery Furnace, a crater full of tall, bumpy rocks that are white on the top, orange in the middle, and red on the bottom, which resemble hot coals.

All of these are accessible by short hikes so people of all ages can see them!

About a six hour drive from Denver, Arches National Park has 2,000 sandstone arches, each made by erosion from wind and water, and if you go there, you’ll never forget the experience.

Arches Nat’l Park beautiful, accessible

Burger King to serve meatless Whoppers nationallyIf you like the taste of meat, but have decided that

veggies are healthier for you, or perhaps feel meat is cruel, or perhaps feel that we use too much land to raise cattle and should use it to grow vegetables instead, Thursday will be a good day to visit your local Burger King.

After testing in a few markets, Burger King has decided to start selling the “Impossible Whopper” in all its restaurants, nationwide, starting this week.

The Whopper in this picture looks like a regular Whopper, and the pickles, tomato, lettuce, onions and mayonnaise are the same as on a regular Whopper.

But that patty isn’t beef: It’s made from soy and potatoes, and Impossible Foods received permission from the FDA to use a special vegetable juice that makes it “bleed” like ground beef and, the company says, taste like it as well.

According to BK’s website, there’s not a huge differ-ence between a regular (no cheese) Whopper and the Impossible version in calories (660 vs 630), protein (28 g vs 25 g) or even fat (40 g vs 34 g), though the regular Whopper has less sodium (980 g vs 1080 g).

But the cattle may feel there’s a difference that they find significant. photo/Burger King/Impossible Foods

Big Nate

By Reese Ascoine,10, a CK Reporter from Golden

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Delicate Arch photo/Grace Ascione Ute petroglyphs photo/Grace Ascione

Book provides keys to working through anxiety

“Hey Warrior,” by Karen Young, is an excellent gift choice for a child.

“Hey Warrior” is a book on what anxiety is, where it starts, and what to do with it.

It is not a chapter book, but it has lots of great illustrations to go with each page.

It starts off teaching kids about where anxiety originates, in a part of your brain called the amygdala.

It even has a page for you to name your amygdala, so that when you feel nervous, you can address it.

It has lots of tips for when you feel nervous. Some of them are to take deep breaths and another

one is to tell your amygdala the truth, i.e. “I can do this!”

It has another page on why you feel the way you feel when you are anxious, like why you might not feel hungry, and it has a page for you to select awesome things about yourself.

This is a book directed at all kids, but even adults like it! Still, it’s really easy to understand, so I think it’s great for younger kids, too.

I loved the activities and naming my amygdala. Most of all, I really enjoyed knowing why I feel

certain symptoms when I get nervous. I think that his is a great book to read, although it’s

a little hard to find, and it makes a great gift. This book is a must-have on every child’s shelf!

By Izzie Intriago,11, a CK Reporter from Aurora

All of these are accessible by short hikes

so people of all ages can see them!

Most of all, I really enjoyed knowing

why I feel certain symptoms

when I get nervous.

The Denver Post •

Komodo dragons are a type of monitor lizard -- a 10 foot long, 200-pound type of monitor lizard -- that

lives only on a small string of Indonesian islands that includes the island of Komodo.

That’s probably a good thing because, without being too judgmental, they are some nasty critters that are not only very fast and strong but are also venomous. ‘Cause why not?

Oh, and they can detect their intended prey from over seven miles away.

Scientists have long wondered how Komodo dragons could be so much faster-moving than most reptiles.

Now researchers from the Atlanta Zoo and the University of California at San Francisco have decoded the DNA of the Komodo dragon and found that this family of lizards has evolved its DNA in a way that gives it nearly the aerobic capacity of a mammal, processing oxygen in a way that greatly increases both its speed and its long-distance endurance.

They also discovered that, yes, it can sense things from a great distance and that it is immune to its own venom, so that two Komodo dragons can quarrel without killing each other.

All of which seem like excellent reasons to plan a vacation on Bali instead of Komodo.

You can’t outrun a Komodo dragon, but now we know why

Ethiopia has set restoring its forests as a goal to help fight climate change and to help the nation’s overall economy, and the

nation came together last Mon-day to publicize the effort.

The Ministry of Innovation and Technology had announced a goal of 200 million trees, as seen on this poster.

But by the end of a 12-hour workday, Minister Getahun Mekuria announced that people across the nation had planted a total of 353,633,660 seedlings, which he said was a world record.

India had held the previous record with 66 million trees.

While that one-day effort was spectacular and helps to promote the nation’s overall plan, it is a drop in the bucket within that plan.

Ethiopia has a goal of planting a total of

4 billion trees by September and has already planted some 2.6 billion trees since May.

Ethiopia, which is about twice the size of Texas, had trees growing over 30 percent of its territory at the end of the 19th century.

However, between deforesta-tion and climate change, only four percent of Ethiopia is for-ested today.

A recent study by an interna-tional group of scientists has concluded that replanting forests is one of the most effective ways to help fight climate change.

“Congratulations Ethiopia for not only meeting our collective green legacy goal but also ex-

ceeding it,” Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed tweeted, while many regular citizens posted pictures on his Twitter page (@PMEthiopia) of their efforts across the nation.

Ethiopia plants 3.4 million trees in half a day

With over 245 national artists in attendance, this year’s Cherry Creek Arts Festival featured every-thing from glass art to pottery and ceramics.

You can find just about anything including statues big and small as well as painted and photographed pieces.

This year’s festival was the 29th annual fair.

Each year over the course of three days, the festival offers incredible art, amazing local food trucks, and live music performances.

The festival spans many blocks, so you have to make sure to bring comfortable walking shoes and sunscreen.

There were plenty of food options for the family, but the lines were often long. My family and I made sure to arrive early before it got too hot and crowded, as the festival is a very popular attraction.

While walking around the festival, I saw incredible pieces of art.

There were woven glass and blown glass booths, hand-made jewelry and clothing.

Looking at the art, it seemed unreal that people had worked on this by hand and had made it using their own designs.

A few things I noticed was that there were a few of the latest trends that could be seen between some of the vendors.

Quite a few of the photography booths were in black and white, a few of the jewelry designers had geometric designs.

If you are looking for art inspiration or just want to look at other artists’ work, this is the perfect place to go!

For those with younger siblings or children, the ARTivity Avenue is the perfect place for the kids to create paintings or crafts of their own.

Along Culinary Avenue, you can find a large variety of local food trucks.

Roughly 330,000 visitors come to the Cherry Creek Arts Festival every July, and it also inspires many students from participating schools to have the opportunity to under-stand and appreciate art more deeply.

The students get a chance to participate as a young “AR-Trepreneur” to represent their school when buying the art using a budget donated by Janus Henderson.

After buying the art, the students then get to present what they have bought to a panel of art experts and the visitors of the festival.

Cherry Creek Arts Festival draws another crowd

photo/Raul654

Above, Ethiopians, includ-ing the nation’s Prime Minister, plant a tree for photographers last Mon-day, while others plant far more trees all across the nation, setting a world record.

(Photo/@PMEthiopia)

By Avery MacKenzie ,13, a CK Reporter from Fort Collins

On this date in 1965, the Voting Rights Act was signed into law, making it illegal to discriminate against minorities and insuring their right to vote. Our answers this week will begin with “F” for “franchise,” which means the right to vote.

1. Opinions are nice, but journalists and researchers must concentrate on these.

2. A baby deer

3. That type of fiber your dentist wishes you’d pass between your teeth regularly.

4. Author of the “Ranger’s Apprentice” series

5. What “soccer” is called in most other countries

6. South Park town noted for its annual burro races, and especially for its monument remembering two burros named Prunes and Shorty.

7. Actress who played Princess Leia in the Star Wars movies

8. Mascot of the Air Force Academy.

9. This Regis High graduate won five gold medals swimming in the Olympics.

10. Inventor of bifocal glasses, lightning rods and an efficient wood stove.

(answers on Page Four)Rules: Every row across, every column down and each of the six smaller boxes must

contain numerals 1,2,3,4,5 and 6, one time and one time only.The solution to this week’s puzzle is on Page 4.

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If you are looking for art inspiration or just

want to look at other artists’ work, this is

the perfect place to go!

The Denver Post •

is produced by Denver Post Educational Services

Executive Editor: Dana Plewkadplewka@denverpost.com

CK Editor: Mike Petersoncoloradokidseditor@gmail.com

We welcome your comments.

For tools to extend the learning in this feature, look under “Youth Content” 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 Services5990 Washington St.

Denver CO 80216(303) 954-3974(800) 336-7678

Stories without bylines were written by the editor.

(see Page Three)

10 right - Wow!

7 right - Great!

5 right - Good

3 right - See you next time!

1. facts 2. fawn 3. floss 4. (John) Flanagan 5. futbol or football 6. Fairplay 7. (Carrie) Fisher 8. falcon 9. (Missy) Franklin

10. (Benjamin) Franklin

Hot Links to Cool Sites!

NASA’s Space Placehttp://tinyurl.com/ckspace

NIE Special Reporthttp://tinyurl.com/ckniereport

Headline Geographyhttp://tinyurl.com/ckgeography

Pulse of the Planethttp://tinyurl.com/ckpulseplanet

How to become a CK Reporter!http://tinyurl.com/COkidsReporter

To read the sources for these storiesKomodo Dragons

Ethiopia’s Tree Planting Record

Impossible Whoppers

go to http://www.tinyurl.com/ckstorylinks

Hyenas aren’t getting such good press these days, what with the new “Lion King” movie and all.

But warthogs don’t really sing, either, and, if you’d like to find out the non-Disney truth about hyenas, the Denver Zoo has two separate clans of these fascinating creatures, which are neither dogs nor cats but in a family all their own.

There’s a lot you can learn about spotted hyenas, and a good first step is to come out to the zoo and have a look for yourself.

One thing you’ll notice right away is that they are very powerfully built. Despite stories about them stealing food from lions, hyenas are very talented hunters and are more apt to get their own meal and then have lions come along and steal from them.

They’re also quite intelligent, and the staff at the zoo has set up puzzles for the hyenas, in part to see how smart they are and in part because it’s better for animals to have something interesting to do.

That is, it’s nice to live in the safe environment of a zoo, but just lying around doesn’t keep their brains active and they’re healthier when they’ve got challenges to face.

In fact, if you spend some time at the zoo, you’ll notice that several of the animals have their food hidden or placed in odd places that require them to do a little thinking in order to get their next meal!

And, BTW, spending time at the zoo is a pretty good way of keeping your own mind active!

Friday, August 9 Biennial of the Americas Festival will launch Empathy Museum’s “A Mile in My Shoes” ex-

hibition on August 9 on 16th Street between Wewatta Street and Wynkoop Street. Exhibit allows you to literally walk in someone else’s shoes while listening to an audio story about that person. Details at https://www.biennialoftheamericas.org/

Friday August 9“Dora and the Lost City of Gold” (PG), live-action adaptation of “Dora the Explorer,” opens

at area theaters. Dora, a teenage explorer, leads her friends on an adventure to save her parents and solve the mystery behind a lost city of gold.

Tuesday August 13Digital Moon, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Gates Planetarium 7pm. Take a

trip to the moon with space scientists to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission. Using the full dome of Gates Planetarium, visit the sites where lunar landers have touched down. Look back through the history of lunar missions and look forward to moon missions to come. Details: https://www.dmns.org/visit/events-and-activities/

Wednesday August 14“The Angry Birds Movie 2” (PG) opens at area theaters. The flightless birds and scheming

green pigs take their beef to the next level.

Thursday August 15Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo opens at Pepsi Center through August 22. Ticket information at

https://centerdenver.com/pepsi/index.php

Saturday August 24Teddy Bear Clinic at the Denver Zoo, in partnership with Children’s Hospital Colorado.

Bring your stuffed animal for special “clinical treatment” and learn how the zoo takes care of its live animals. More information: https://www.denverzoo.org/events/teddy-bear-clinic/

Friday, August 30“Playmobil the Movie” opens at area theaters. Animated feature film inspired by the Play-

mobil brand toys.

Hidden TreasuresThings we think you wouldn’t want to miss.

CK Calendar

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Come for the laughs