Kids News - Articles for Grades 4-5

On Sunday, August 31st, 352 kitesurfers made their way to the pristine beaches of Tarifa, a small town on the south coast of Spain, to attempt a new Guinness World record for the largest en masse kitesurf, over one nautical mile....

Last week, scientists waited in anticipation for two massive solar flares that were scheduled to hit the earth's magnetic field on September 11th and 12th, respectively. While the outbursts were not expected to be as powerful as the ones experienced in 2012, it was the back-to-back occurrence that had experts concerned about the damage they could cause to our satellites, electric grids and GPS systems....

Dandelions have long been considered a nuisance weed by most gardeners. However they, along with the rest of the world, may soon start treating the annoying plant with the respect it deserves. That's because the white milky sap of their taproot contains particles of rubber of such superior quality, that Dutch biologist Ingrid van der Meer, refers to dandelions as the future of road transport....

If you are like most people, you probably do not recall the last time you performed a random act of kindness even for a family member, leave alone complete strangers. But that is exactly what 99-year-old Lillian Weber has been doing every day, since 2011....

Death Valley National Park in California's Mojave Desert is known for many things - Its extreme temperatures, varied altitude that ranges from 282ft. below sea level to 11,000ft. above, beautiful rugged terrain and most of all, 'rolling' or 'dancing' stones. The phenomenon whereby large boulders, some weighing as much as 500 lbs, move several hundred yards in a straight line or zigzag patterns, has confounded experts for years....

Though dinosaur finds are revealed on a fairly regular basis, very few result in as much excitement as the latest two. On Thursday, September 4th, a team of scientists led by Kenneth Lacovara, an associate professor at Philadelphia's Drexel University unveiled the Dreadnoughtus schrani, which they believe is the biggest known land animal to have ever inhabited Earth. While dinosaur fans were still digesting the facts, on September 11th, came news of the re-discovery of the Spinosaurus aegyptiacus, the only known semi-aquatic dinosaur....

On September 18th, the residents of Scotland (16 and older) will head to the polls to say Yes or No to the question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?". The answer to this simple question will decide whether Scotland will become the world's newest independent nation or, continue its 307-year-old alliance with Britain....

September 11th, (2001), or 9/11 as it is commonly called, is remembered as one of the most tragic days in modern American history. That was the day when the lives of 2, 977 innocent Americans were brutally cut short by a series of well-orchestrated terrorist attacks on US soil. Within less than two hours, life as we knew it, changed forever - not just for the people that lost a family member or friend, but for every single person across the globe. However, it is also the day when Americans came together as one nation, regardless of caste, creed or color, to stand up against unspeakable evil....

What do Lil Bub, Princess Monster Truck, and Venus the Two-Faced Cat have in common with tigers? They are all kittycats! That is why when Greenpeace was looking for a way to spread the word about the rapidly dwindling population of tigers in the wild, they turned to these celebrities for assistance....