ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • DECEMBER 18 - 24, 2014 A15

Music can inspire you to do many things and feel a variety of emotions, but did you know it can improve your brain activity? Many scientific studies, including one at Stanford University in August of 2007, have found that music can improve memory and concentration. As your brain detects patterns in the music, it stimulates the brain waves.

Furthermore, learning to play an instrument has even more benefits than simply listening to music. The 2007 Stanford study found that people who played music had a larger vocabulary and could handle multiple tasks simultaneously.

Music has also been proven to enhance exercise—fast paced beats inspire runners to keep pace, upbeat tempos encourage

participants to enjoy the workout and continue moving, and slow tempos allow for an effective cool

down and stretch session to enhance flexibility.

For A Video About the Effect of Music on the Brain, Visit: http://ed.ted.com/

lessons/how-playing-an-instrument-benefits-your-brain-anita-collins.

Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction text for main idea and supporting details.

Use the newspaper to complete the following activities.

Activity One — Giving Directions: Choose a partner for this activity. Select a news story you would like for them to read. Give them directions to reach the article (e.g., section B, page 6, three lines down, two columns to the right). Did your partner find the correct article? Read the article together and summarize the main idea and supporting details.

Activity Two — Natural Disasters: Collect news articles about natural disasters. Locate the geographic location on a map and determine the cause and effect.

Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can follow directions. I can determine cause and effect.

The St. Louis American’s award winning NIE program provides newspapers and resources to more than 7,000 teachers and students each week throughout the school year, at no charge.

AFRICAN AMERICAN PHYSICIST, EDUCATOR, AND JAZZ MUSICIAN:Stephon Alexander

Stephon Alexander was born in Trinidad and moved with his family to the Bronx in New York when he was 8 years old. He first became interested in physics when he took apart a used computer to see how it

worked. Alexander attended De Witt Clinton high school, where his love of science was recognized and encouraged by a physics teacher. The same teacher also cultivated his love of jazz music and Stephon began to play the saxophone.

In 1993, Alexander received his bachelor’s degree in physics from Haverford College in Pennsylvania. Seven years later, he received his doctorate degree in physics from Brown University. He continued to follow his love of music and used it not only as a form of stress relief, but as a means to help him understand difficult concepts. In an interview with National Geographic, he stated, “For me, playing and composing music can help my mind relax, the way a muscle would relax, and allow me to think more freely.” Alexander also uses music to explain difficult concepts (such as the Big Bang Theory) and has produced music professionally. He states, “By connecting physics with music, I want to inspire young people and open their eyes to new possibilities.”

Alexander served as an assistant professor of physics, astronomy, and astrophysics at Penn State University before transferring to Haverford College as a physics professor. In 2012, he joined Dartmouth College as a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. He was elected as a National Geographic Emerging Explorer.

Stephon Alexander’s Homepage Is Found Here: https://www.haverford.edu/physics-astro/alexander/.

To Listen to His Music, Visit: http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/19576-rioux-stephon-alexander-here-comes-now/.

Learning Standards: I can read a biography about a person who has made contributions in the fields of science, math, and technology.

Teachers, if you are using the St. Louis American’s NIE program and would like to nominate your class for a Classroom Spotlight, please email: nie@stlamerican.com.

SCIENCE CORNER

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT SCIENCE STARS

DID YOU KNOW?

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Background Information: In this experiment, you will be creating a model that displays the rings of Saturn. Note: The rings of Saturn do not go in alphabetical order.

Materials Needed: • Small Styrofoam Ball (about 1.5 inches in diameter) • CD • Permanent Markers • 4 Colors of Sequins or Glitter • Glue • Dowel • Modeling Clay • Paper • Protractor • Compass • Ruler

Procedure:q Cut your foam ball in half and

place one piece of it on the CD.

w Trace around the foam ball with a magic marker. (You will glue the foam ball to the center of the CD later).

e The D ring will be created first. In reality, the D ring is 4600 miles across. Mark a point that is about 3 mm from where you outlined the planet. Use a compass to help you draw a circle that is 3 mm thick. Place white glue inside this area and sprinkle one color of sequins or glitter on the glue to represent the D ring. Let it dry.

r The C ring will be created next. It is larger than the D ring—over 10,000 miles wide in real life. In your model, use your ruler and compass to create a circle that’s 7

mm thick. Cover the circle in glue and place a different color of sequins or glitter. Let it dry.

t The B ring will be created next. In reality, it is 15,000 miles across. In your model, it will be 1 cm thick. Measure this area, cover it with glue, and place a third color of sequins or glitter.

y The A ring comes next. In reality, it is 9000 miles wide. Make a circle that is 5 mm thick. It has a gap 2/3 of the way across the width of the

ring. Make a thin black circle here to show the division, and then add white glue and glitter to the rest of the A ring.

u On the outside of the rings, draw another black line about 2 mm thick. Leave a small space after the last

black line.

i The F ring is the smallest and final ring in this model. A sliver of the shiny CD will serve as the F ring. Color the rest of the CD black.

o When the glitter and glue has dried, glue one half of the foam ball to the top of the CD. When that is dry, glue the bottom of the ball to the bottom of the CD. When everything has dried, place a dowel into the bottom of the Styrofoam ball and position it at a 27 degree angle. Use your protractor to find the angle.

Learning Standards: I can follow sequential directions to create a scaled model.

SCIENCE EXPERIMENT

MATH CONNECTION

If every star in the Milky Way was the size of a grain of salt, they would fill an Olympic sized swimming pool.

A bolt of lightning contains enough energy to toast 160,000 pieces of bread.

MAP CORNER

This special Newspaper In Education initiative is made possible, and delivered to classrooms, through The St. Louis American Foundation and its NIE Corporate Partners:

Lucas Crossing Elementary School 4th grade teacher Michael Frueh works with students Ebony Taylor, Jaylen Greenlee, and Alyssa Rainey on how to use the newspaper for information on health care. Lucas Crossing Elementary School is in the Normandy Schools Collaborative. Photo by Wiley Price/St. Louis American

Photo courtesy John Sherman, johnshermanphotography.com

An equation used in physics is F=MA (Force=mass times acceleration). Use the formula to solve the following math problems.

z If a 6 kg soccer ball is traveling at a rate of 1.4 m/s, what is the force on it? __________

x I am a roller skater with a mass of 115 pounds. If I am accelerating toward a wall at 3.7 m/s, what will be the amount of force at which I hit the wall? __________

Make a Model of the Rings of Saturn!

The B enefits of Music!

Equations & Physics!

Because of thermal expansion, the Eiffel Tower is 15 cm taller in summer.

Albert Einstein said, “If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.... I do know that I get most joy in life out of my violin.”

c How much force must be applied to a toy car that has a mass of .28 kg to achieve an acceleration of 2.6 m/s? __________

v How much force is needed to move a 0.2 kg snowball at a rate of 16 m/s upward? __________

Learning Standards: I can add, subtract, multiply, and divide to solve a problem. I can

apply a mathematical formula.

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • DECEMBER 18 - 24, 2014A14

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Nutrition

Healthy KidsHealthy KidsNEWSPAPER INEDUCATIONPlanting the Seeds for Success!

PRESENT:

Healthcare Careers

And...

The weekly Healthy Kids page provides health tips on nutrition, exercise and more.

Rice Cake SnackIngredients: 8 mini cinnamon rice cakes, 1 ½ Tbsp natural peanut butter, 4 banana slices

Directions: Top four of the rice cakes with a layer of peanut butter. Top each with a banana slice and the other rice cakes.

Where do you work? I work at BJC HealthCare.

Where did you go to school? I graduated from St Louis University High School and received a BS in Marketing from SIU Carbondale.

What does a senior talent acquisition specialist do? I search for, interview and hire talented professionals to fill roles that are needed in our organization. I also meet with managers to discuss job openings and the kind of professionals needed for the roles.

Why did you choose this career? My cousin, Rod Campbell, recommended it to me. He has worked in the industry for quite some time and thought it matched up well with my background in sales and marketing.

What is your favorite part of the job you have? I enjoy being able to offer jobs to candidates that will make a big impact at BJC HealthCare. I also enjoy knowing that I play a key role in making sure BJC has talented professionals who help us accomplish our mission.

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

Dossie Jennings III, Sr. Talent Acquisition Specialist

Healthy Snacks

Nutrition Challenge: The holidays bring parties, family time, plays, concerts and more. Many of these events also include food! Let’s review some ways to eat smart during these fun times.

> Eat a healthy snack before attending such an event — this way you won’t be tempted to overdo it.

> Remember to fill ½ of your plate with fruits/vegetables.

> If you want to try a special treat, just keep it to a taste.

> Be sure to drink plenty of water!

> What are other ways to eat healthy during the holidays?

— BONUS — Healthy eating helps your body fight off winter colds and other

sickness.

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 3, HPE 5, NH 1, NH 5

Holiday E ating!

Choose one leader from your group of friends. Everyone should line up behind the leader and follow him or her throughout the house, yard or playground. The leader will do a variety of actions using their arms and legs: jumping,

skipping, clapping, etc. Do what the leader does until they change to a new action. Take turns being

the leader and creating more difficult, interesting and fun activities along the way.

Following the leader is a great way to stay active, increase your heart rate and burn calories throughout the day. Have fun!

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1

FollowThe

Leader!

NEVER, ever play with any kind of gun. Even if you think the gun isn’t loaded, or maybe it looks like a toy — it isn’t worth taking a chance. Immediately

tell an adult if you find a gun. And remember that many kids are killed each year by a gun that they thought was unloaded.

Learning Standards: HPE 5, NH 5

N oG u n s !