Recently I read the book Flip. I chose to read the book because I liked the title and the story line sounded pretty intresting. Flip is about a kid who found these disc that tranform him in to anyone. (with a disc).  The other main character is his sister Taylor and his friend Ellis. The main theme in the bppk is characters with special talents and avanced machines. One reason I wouldn't recommend the book was bcause it started out pretty slow.  Other than that Flip was a pretty good book.

Try it out!

Ready to google? If you’ve never used the Google search engine before, give it a whirl.

Type in your name, for example. Or you could type in a question you’ve always wondered about.

There’s much more to Google than just its search engine, though. Try one of these other fun features, and see what you can learn!

• Google Earth


• Google Sky


• Google Maps


• Google Doodles


• Google Translate

If you think your school library has a lot of books, wait until you learn about the Library of Congress!

Have you ever wondered…

• Where is the largest library in the world?


• When was the Library of Congress built?


• How many books does the Library of Congress have?

Did you know?

Do you ever have trouble finding a particular book or resource in your school library? It’s OK if you do. Most libraries have tons of books, and librarians are there to help you find the things you need.

If you think your school library has a lot of books, though, wait until you learn about the world’s largest library. Its amazing collection of books and resources will blow your mind!

What library are we talking about? The Library of Congress, of course! Built in 1800 in Washington, D.C., it’s the largest library in the world in both shelf space and number of books.

The Library of Congress is the official research library of the United States Congress. It’s also considered to be the national library of the U.S. It currently consists of three buildings in the nation’s capital.

When it was first started, the Library of Congress was housed in the U.S. Capitol. It stayed there throughout most of the 1800s until it moved to its current site.

Most of the library’s original collection was destroyed during the War of 1812. Thomas Jefferson replenished the library’s collection, though, by selling his entire personal book collection — over 6,000 books! — to the library in 1815 for $23,950 (that was A LOT of money way back then).

Over time, the Library of Congress continued to expand. Eventually it came to consist of the three buildings it is housed in today. Its main purpose is to research issues for members of Congress.

The Library of Congress is open to the public, but very few people are allowed to check out books. These privileged few include library employees, members of Congress, Supreme Court justices and other high-ranking government officials.

The Library of Congress holds much more than just books. Its various collections include more than 150 million items on over 800 miles of bookshelves. These items include over 34 million books, over 3 million recordings, over 13 million photographs, over 5 million maps, over 6 million pieces of sheet music and over 66 million manuscripts!

Among these millions of items are some of the most interesting and rare books in the world. In fact, the Library of Congress has over 700,000 rare books, which is the largest collection in North America.

The smallest book in the Library of Congress is Old King Cole. Measuring 1/25 inches by 1/25 inches, it’s about the size of a period at the end of a sentence. Its pages can only be turned using a needle!

The largest book in the Library of Congress is a 5 foot by 7 foot picture book featuring thousands of color images of the country of Bhutan. The Library also has one of only three perfect copies of the Gutenberg Bible, which is one of the most valuable books in the world.

Try it out!

Ready to check out your local library? It may not be the largest library in the world. In fact, it might be quite small. But that’s OK. Even the smallest library can offer valuable information and exciting adventures.

If you don’t already have a library card, ask for one! A librarian will be happy to get you signed up, so you can take advantage of your local library’s resources.

If you don’t know the depth of offerings available at your local library, ask for a tour. A librarian can show you that there’s so much more than books available.

Many libraries have music and movies to check out, as well as computers to use. There may also be special events, including story times and even arts and crafts classes.

So get to know your local library! Where else can you borrow great books, beautiful music and interesting movies for free?

Wonder words to know and use:

• particular


• resource


• librarian


• collection


• Congress


• Capitol


• capital


• research


• manuscript

Still wondering?

Visit EDSITEment! to learn more about the Folger Shakespeare Library, a British research institution that contains authentic editions of Shakespeare’s works!

I think the book is very important because it makes it easier to save information. Since the invetion of books and scrolls people can easily acess historic records and crimanal records. I think the book is important because it lets people communiccatre through words. It also lets people learn more about other countries and time peorieds. Without books we might not no anything about wars the titanic and our own family. Books are peices of paper tyed together and held together with harder peices of paper. All books have a page number a title and a author. The first book was created by the romans. The first book was called a Codex

 cool cats          

How to get an awsome background:

1. Go to  http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/downloads/personalize/wallpaper-desktop-background

2. select the get it now under your favorite picture

3. A full size image will come up right click the picture

4. select the set as backgound button

I Did A 5K In 34 miN=http://!!!

Grab your pillow and head to Wonderopolis. We’re having a slumber party!

Have you ever wondered…

• Do you sleep at a slumber party?


• What do you like to do at a slumber party?


• How can you make your slumber party great?

Did you know?

Whether it’s for a special occasion, such as a birthday party, or just to spend quality time with friends, there’s nothing quite like a slumber party. Sometimes called pajama parties or sleepovers, slumber parties are usually more party and less slumber!

There’s no end to the things you can do at a slumber party. Here are just a few things that many kids look forward to at a slumber party:

• making delicious snacks, such as cookies


• watching movies


• listening to music and singing along with your favorite songs


• playing card games or board games


• painting your fingernails and toenails


• trying out new hairstyles


• making craft projects


• staying up as late as possible sharing secrets

The list could go on and on! That last part, though — staying up as late as possible — is always a fun part of any slumber party. Staying up past your bedtime is fun, but doing so with your friends is even better.

Even the hardest slumber partiers eventually give in to sleep. So slumber is actually a part of a slumber party, but it’s usually a very minor and often very short part of it!

Sometimes slumber parties start off away from the house. You and your friends might decide to go out to a movie or to go skating first before heading home to stay up as late as possible. And slumber parties don’t actually have to be inside the house either. You can have them in a tent in the backyard too!

You’ll want to make sure your friends bring some stuff from home with them, so that they feel comfortable at your party. For example, they might want to bring their pajamas, a pillow and maybe even a sleeping bag. They might also have movies, music or games they would like to share.

Just beware that lack of sleep can make children grumpy the next morning. Here are a few tips you can use to make sure that everyone — including Mom and Dad — have a great experience at your next slumber party:

• Invite just a few friends for a slumber party. Too many people can be hard to control.


• Let everyone know the rules before you get your night started. If Mom and Dad say bedtime is midnight, then let everyone know that’s what’s expected of them.


• Plan a quiet day for the day after a slumber party. Let everyone sleep in as much as possible and plan any activities for later in the day. You might want to set aside a mandatory “nap time,” too!

Try it out!

Ready to plan your own slumber party? Having friends over for a sleepover can be lots of fun. But it takes a little planning to make it extra special.

First, you’ll need to decide who you want to invite to spend the night. Choose just a few close friends and then make some homemade slumber party invitations to give them all the details.

Be sure to include the date, the time you want them to show up, what time they’ll go home the next day and what they need to bring. You should also probably ask them have their parents call your parents to make sure it’s OK to sleep over.

When your guest list and invitations are completed, it’s time to think about fun activities you can do at your party. Do you want to have a theme slumber party? For example, you could have a scary movie marathon, have a staycation with friends, or plan a scavenger hunt!

Your slumber party can be as fun as your imagination (and your parents!) will allow. Fun activities can include listening to music, watching movies, painting your fingernails and toenails, doing your hair and fixing delicious snacks in the kitchen.

We hope you have a WONDERful slumber party! If you want to tell your Wonder Friends all about it, share photos and memories from your slumber party on https://www.facebook.com/wonderopolis" target="_blank">Facebook!

Wonder words to know and use:

• slumber


• occasion


• quality


• pajama


• sleepover


• delicious


• grumpy


• mandatory

Still wondering?

Playing games is one fun thing to do at a slumber party. Check out Illuminations’ Concentration interactive to play the classic game of Concentration.

Wonder what’s next?

If you check out tomorrow’s Wonder of the Day, we think it’ll come back to you over and over again!

This spring break I am going to the mountains with my hamster and my family. I am so happy. Right before we go I'm also doing an eatser egg hunt.

Yahoo for spring

My favorite non-fiction topics are ocelots. I'm really intrested in ocelots cause I got to visit the zoo and see one. I'm also feel very sad for ocelots scientest think these bigcats may die out before I get to college. Another reason I like learning about ocelots is there beautiful coat patterns. I already know that ocelots look like very large house cats with stripes and spots all over. Ocelots live near dry areas they usually eat small mammals in their habitat. One reason these cats are so endangered is their beautiful coat patterns. There are many plaes that try to help ocelots one is the local Carnivore Preservation Trust I hope that people can help save ocelots instead of killing them.

Narwhals are white and gray whales that live in the artic ocean. These 10 foot long mammels have one long tusk sticking out of their mouth. Scientest have learned that nawhals can dive up to 500 feet into the artic ocean. People say this tooth is used for defense and breaking through ice. Royalty used to belive that the tusk could block poisen and chemicals. The narwhal feeds on fish and other animals. I think that getting a better knwledge are Narwhals may help people understand how animals adapt to the cold far north. I'm really intrested in narwhals because of their cool horns.

Spiral- is a curly shape like a cicle

Whale- medium to large animal living in the ocean.

Inuit- An indian tribe that lives in the far north.

Time to hit the Mother Road! Let’s get our kicks on Route 66.

Have you ever wondered…

• Where was the Mother Road?


• How long was Route 66?


• What led to the decline of Route 66?

Did you know?

Today’s highways and interstates allow us to get from one place to another quickly and efficiently. Long ago, though, highways themselves were a destination. Back when automobiles were just starting to become popular, the open road called to adventure seekers who drove miles and miles just for the sheer pleasure of taking a drive and seeing the sights.

One of the most famous highways of all time was Route 66. Inspired by the old trails used by the first explorers, Route 66 was born on November 11, 1926, in Springfield, Missouri, as one of the original U.S. highways.

Although it would not become completely paved until 1938, the Chicago-to-Los Angeles highway quickly became one of the most famous roads in America. Its original route ran 2,448 miles from Chicago, Illinois, through the states of Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, before ending in Los Angeles, California.

The popularity of Route 66 stemmed from the unique circumstances of the time. As automobiles began to become more popular, more people were able to drive to see places they’d never been able to visit before. Historical factors played a role, too.

In the 1930s, severe drought forced many farming families to move west to look for farming jobs in California. Many of these people simply followed Route 66 west to what they hoped would be better times.

The small communities along Route 66 also began to grow and prosper. Many people settled in these areas and opened small businesses, such as gas stations, restaurants and motels (called motor courts back then), to serve the increasing number of travelers along the highway.

During World War II, Route 66 was a popular route used by the military to move supplies west. After World War II, many young Americans, optimistic about their futures after the war, sought adventure and new experiences in the west. Route 66 became the main highway for those heading to sunny California and the excitement that awaited them in places like Los Angeles.

Traveling Route 66 became a uniquely American experience. The road took travelers near significant tourist spots, such as the Painted Desert, the Grand Canyon and Meteor Crater.

As tourist traffic increased on Route 66, entrepreneurs began to develop a wide variety of roadside attractions to lure travelers to stop and spend their money. From motels shaped like teepees to souvenir shops to reptile farms, you never knew what you might see along Route 66.

Some people also credit Route 66 with the rise of the fast-food industry. Red’s Giant Hamburg in Springfield, Missouri, was the first drive-through restaurant. The first McDonald’s restaurant also opened near Route 66 in San Bernardino, California.

Route 66’s popularity was memorialized in a hit song recorded by the Nat King Cole Trio in 1946. It was also the subject of the popular Route 66 television show.

Over the years, it became known by several nicknames, including the Great Diagonal Way, the Main Street of America, the Will Rogers Highway and the Most Famous Road in the World. Its most famous and iconic nickname, though, came from author John Steinbeck, who called Route 66 the “Mother Road” in his classic novel The Grapes of Wrath.

Unfortunately, Route 66 eventually fell into decline. Motorists increasingly wanted faster, more efficient routes. Military considerations and the growing trucking industry led to the development of the Interstate Highway System.

As interstate highways were built, they bypassed older highways like Route 66. Route 66 was officially removed from the U.S. Highway System on June 27, 1985, when it was decided that the highway had been fully replaced by interstate highways and was no longer relevant.

After it was decommissioned, many sections of Route 66 lived on as state and local roads or as business loops that are alternatives to interstates. Other sections became private drives and some were abandoned altogether.

Today, it’s no longer possible to drive Route 66 all the way from Chicago to Los Angeles without interruption. However, with careful planning, much of the original route is still drivable.

Various groups exist today for the purpose of preserving sections of the original Route 66. Some parts of the original road have been designated a National Scenic Byway with the name “Historic Route 66.”

Try it out!

Ready to get your kicks on Route 66? No, you don’t need a car and you don’t need to drive. You just need a computer!

The World Monuments Fund has developed the Route 66 Virtual Reality Tour, which you can download to your computer to take a virtual ride along a section of Route 66 in California. You can also take a virtual tour via photographs of Route 66 in all the states it passes through.

Route 66 was known for a wide variety of oddities and interesting roadside attractions. Here are a few you can check out online:

• The Blue Whale in Catoosa, Oklahoma


• World’s Largest Concrete Totem Pole near Foyil, Oklahoma


• Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas


• Leaning (Water) Tower of Britten near Groom, Texas


• The Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, Arizona

Wonder words to know and use:

• decline


• route


• highway


• interstate


• efficiently


• destination


• sheer


• popularity


• drought


• optimistic


• tourist


• entrepreneur


• roadside


• attraction


• souvenir


• nickname


• diagonal


• iconic


• bypassed


• decommissioned

If you believe the best part of the week is the end, then this is the Wonder for you!

Have you ever wondered…

• Who invented weekends?


• When did weekends begin?


• What fun things do you like to do on the weekend?

Did you know?

Woo hoo! It’s the weekend in Wonderopolis! That means no school for two whole days. For many adults, it also means two days off from work.

What will you do? Spend time with family and friends? Play sports? Read a book? If there’s one thing there’s no shortage of on the weekend, it’s possibilities!

But have you ever stopped to wonder who invented weekends? Who came up with the idea of working five days and then taking two days off? Why didn’t they make the workweek two days and the weekend five days?

If you think about it, a two-day workweek wouldn’t give us much time to accomplish all the things we need to get done. How much could you learn if you only went to school two days each week? How many cars would be built if factories were only open two days per week?

As much as we love weekends, would you believe that they’ve only been around for less than 100 years? It’s true! For most of history, the workweek has been six or seven days long.

For much of history, taking one day of rest each week has been very common. This stems from various religious traditions. For example, Muslims traditionally took a day of rest on Friday, while Jews observed a day of rest on Saturday and Christians did so on Sunday.

It wasn’t until the Industrial Revolution of the late 1800s that the concept of a two-day “weekend” began to take shape. At this time, large factories that produced consumer goods were beginning to transform the traditional farming economy into an industrial one.

As farmers began to take jobs in factories, they often disliked working certain hours, since they were used to setting their own schedule on the farm. They also did not like the fact that many factory owners forced them to work seven days per week. They began to complain and ask for time off with their families.

Getting time off to worship on Sundays was fairly easy, since observing Sunday as a day of rest was a longstanding Christian tradition. Due to a large number of Jewish immigrants in the late 1800s, factory owners also had many workers who wanted Saturday — the traditional Jewish day of rest — off instead.

Over time, factory owners realized that it would be most efficient to let workers off on both Saturday and Sunday. But Jewish and Christian factory workers weren’t entirely responsible for the invention of the weekend.

A prominent factory owner — Henry Ford — also played a big role. Even though the federal government didn’t begin to limit companies to a 40-hour workweek until 1938, Ford began to give his factory workers a two-day weekend in the early 1900s.

Why did he do this? He wanted to sell the cars his workers were making. He realized that his own workers were some of his best customers. If he wanted to sell more cars, he decided that his workers needed time off to be able to drive and enjoy them.

So the next time the weekend rolls around and you want to thank someone, thank the labor movement that existed in the factories in the late 1800s. And thank Henry Ford, who recognized that the economy gets a boost if workers have a couple of days off each week to purchase goods and enjoy using them!

Of course, when you go out on the weekend, you see people working everywhere you go. Not everyone works a traditional Monday through Friday workweek with Saturday and Sunday off. So that businesses can be open on the weekends, many people work flexible schedules that give them time off on other days of the week.

Try it out!

Are you ready for the weekend? We sure are!

Do you have big plans this weekend? Or no plans at all? Either way, don’t worry. We’re sure your weekend will be great.

How do you like to spend your weekends? Sleeping in later than usual? Playing sports? Watching television? Playing video games? Having fun with family and friends?

If you’re looking for some fun ideas for things to do on a weekend, try out some of these inspired ideas:

• Go to the zoo! Find a local zoo and spend the day with your family amongst the animals. Visiting zoos is a fun way to spend any weekend day, and it can be very educational, too!


• Visit a museum! Look online to see what museums are in your area. From art and history to science and children’s activities, there are many different types of museums to choose from.


• See a movie! What’s playing at your local theater? A rainy weekend can be the perfect time to head indoors to check out a movie on the big screen or to curl up and watch one on television.


• Head to the woods! Explore a local park or state or national forest. Go hiking. Learn about local wildlife. Maybe even try something new, like canoeing!


• Go camping in your backyard! You don’t need to go far to have fun on the weekend. Pitch a tent in the backyard, cook out on your patio and enjoy your neighborhood in ways that you don’t take advantage of during the week.

Wonder words to know and use:

• weekend


• shortage


• possibilities


• workweek


• accomplish


• tradition


• factory


• industrial


• revolution


• transform


• economy


• complain


• longstanding


• worship


• immigrant


• efficient


• labor


• exible

Still wondering?

On Monday mornings, many teachers will ask their students what they did over the weekend. ReadWriteThink’s Weekend News! A Weekly Writing Activity lesson teaches children how to respond to this question in writing.

Wonder what’s next?

When it comes to tomorrow’s Wonder of the Day, the proof is in the pudding!

Join us in Wonderopolis today as we learn about a special type of alphabet!

Have you ever wondered…

• Can you speak in code?


• Why were spelling alphabets developed?


• When was the international radiotelephony spelling alphabet finalized?

Did you know?

We hope you think today’s Wonder of the Day is Golf — Romeo — Echo — Alfa — Tango! Can you decipher our code? If you can, you’re already doing G — R — E — A — T!

When airplanes started to fly in the skies, pilots and military officials quickly realized that a special code was needed. This would ensure that radio communications would be clearly understood. As a result, they developed spelling alphabets.

For example, some letters — such as “n” and “m” and “b” and “d” — sound similar. When communicating via radio, static and interference can make it easy to confuse these letters. So instead of saying these letters, pilots would use specific words that begin with those letters — such as “November” and “Mike” and “Bravo” and “Delta” — to make their communications clear.

After World War II, various spelling alphabets in use at the time were combined. It made it easier for all the countries in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance to use one standard spelling alphabet.

On March 1, 1956, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) finalized the international radiotelephony spelling alphabet (also known as the NATO spelling alphabet). The letters and their corresponding code words are:

A – Alfa

B – Bravo

C – Charlie

D – Delta

E – Echo

F – Foxtrot

G – Golf

H – Hotel

I – India

J – Juliett

K – Kilo

L – Lima

M – Mike

N – November

O – Oscar

P- Papa

Q – Quebec

R – Romeo

S – Sierra

T – Tango

U – Uniform

V – Victor

W – Whiskey

X – X-ray

Y – Yankee

Z – Zulu

Sometimes, variations are made to this standard spelling alphabet. For example, “Delta” is often replaced with a different word, such as “Data,” “Dixie” or “David,” at airports in the United States where there are many Delta Air Lines flights.

“Lima” is usually replaced by “London” in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. In several languages spoken in those countries, “lima” means “five.” This could definitely lead to confusion in radio transmissions!

Try it out!

Think you can memorize the international radiotelephony spelling alphabet? Study the code outlined in today’s Wonder and then put yourself to the test by taking this online quiz.

When you’re finished, try to come up with your own unique version of a secret spelling alphabet. For example, instead of starting with Alfa, Bravo and Charlie, you might come up with an animal-inspired spelling alphabet that starts with Anteater, Badger and Chimpanzee!

Care to share? Post your unique spelling alphabet on https://www.facebook.com/wonderopolis">Facebook, so all your Wonder Friends can see what you come up with. We can’t wait to see how creative you are!

Wonder words to know and use:

• international


• radiotelephony


• alphabet


• decipher


• communication


• static


• interference


• treaty


• alliance


• consolidated

Still wondering?

In National Geographic Xpeditions’ Crack the Code activity, children use a map to plot geographic coordinates given on a list.

Wonder what’s next?

Tomorrow’s Wonderopolis weather forecast looks cloudy. Better bring an umbrella!

•  


• Tags: aviation, code, international rediotelephony spelling alphabet, NATO

What time is it? Time to travel to Wonderopolis, of course!

Have you ever wondered…

• What time would you travel to?


• Is time travel possible?


• What is a paradox?

Did you know?

From classic books like A Wrinkle in Time and Time and Again to classic movies like The Time Machine and Back to the Future, children and adults alike have been fascinated by the concept of time travel for hundreds of years. But is it even possible? If it was, where — or when? — would you go?

The concept of time travel sounds simple: you just move back and forth between different points in time like you would between different points in space. You could jump forward into the future, or you could jump back to sometime in the past.

Exactly how would this be done? Most artistic works that feature time travel accomplish it with the help of a special device usually called a time machine. The time machine features whatever technology has been developed to transport people successfully to other points in time.

But is time travel merely the stuff of science fiction? Or could it really happen? Some scientists believe that parts of Albert Einstein’s theories of special and general relativity might allow for the possibility of time travel.

These theories are complex and very hard to understand. They involve exotic astronomical things like black holes and wormholes. Traveling faster than the speed of light might also be required!

To date, there are only theories and ideas…and hopes and dreams. Modern technology, as great and advanced as it is, has not yet begun to approach the level of sophistication that would allow humans to defy the laws of physics and travel through time.

It doesn’t hurt, though, to think about what the ability to time travel might mean. Would you go forward to the future or back to the past? Would you rather see what things are going to be like or how things were long ago?

It can also be fun to think about what problems might be presented by time travel. Some scientists and philosophers are quick to point out that traveling backwards in time to the past creates the potential for paradoxes.

A paradox is a situation which appears absurd or self-contradictory. For example, let’s say that you travel back in time to the day your parents met. Some people believe your very presence in the past could alter events.

What if your presence in the past did alter events? What if your showing up on the day your parents met caused a ripple in time that led to them not meeting? If they never met and got married, you were never born. If you were never born, how could you ever exist to travel back in time to cause the problem you just caused?

If that doesn’t twist your brain in knots, we’re not sure what will! As confusing as it sounds, we hope that any scientist who ever manages to make time travel possible works out these paradoxes in advance!

Try it out!

Ready to design your own homemade time machine? If you have plenty of spare parts and a big garage, feel free to make a life-size time machine that you and your friends can play in. If space is limited, you can use your art supplies to design a time machine on paper.

Will your time machine look like the contraption in the movie The Time Machine? Or will it look more like the sleek DeLorean car in the movie Back to the Future? Personally, we think a DeLorean would be a pretty sweet way to travel back and forth in time, but you might come up with an even cooler design.

When you’re finished, be sure to share your creation with the rest of your Wonder Friends. Post a picture of your creation on Facebook, so that everyone can see what you’ve come up with. We can’t wait to hitch a ride through time with you in your new machine!

Wonder words to know and use:

• paradox


• fascinated


• concept


• artistic


• plot


• accomplish


• device


• technology


• transport


• relativity


• exotic


• theories


• wormhole


• astronomical


• sophistication


• physics

Still wondering?

In National Geographic Education’s Crossing the Atlantic: Then and Now activity, children use a map to compare and contrast transatlantic travel during Colonial times and today, including changes in travel time and comfort.

Wonder what’s next?

Yo! Tune up your vocal cords, because tomorrow’s Wonder of the Day will make you sing!

•  


• Tags: Einstein, paradox, relativity, time, travel

How would you rate this Wonder of the Day?

 (4 votes, average: 3.75 out of 5)

We don’t mean to toot our own horn, but we think today’s Wonder is simply magical!

Have you ever wondered…

• What is a narwhal?


• Is a narwhal horn really a horn?


• Where do narwhals live?

Did you know?

If you love unicorns — and, really, who doesn’t? — then you’re going to love learning about “the unicorn of the sea.” No, it’s not an underwater horse. And it doesn’t sparkle. But it’s a magical creature all the same.

What are we talking about? The narwhal, of course! Sometimes called “the Arctic unicorn,” narwhals are small whales (about 15-16 feet long) that live in the icy waters of the Atlantic and Russian areas of the Arctic Ocean, near Canada and Greenland.

Narwhals are most closely related to the beluga whale. Male narwhals feature a unique, defining physical characteristic: a long protrusion from the upper left jaw that looks like a tusk or a horn. In medieval times, people believed that narwhal tusks were the horns of the legendary unicorn.

In reality, though, a narwhal tusk is not a unicorn horn. In fact, it’s not a horn at all. Would you believe it’s a tooth? It’s true!

Male narwhals have a left incisor tooth that grows outward straight through the left side of the upper jaw. It can grow up to almost 10 feet in length with a distinctive spiral shape. Female narwhals also have a similar tusk that’s much shorter and straighter.

A narwhal’s right incisor is normally small, but occasionally it also grows out. These “two-horned” narwhals are very rare.

Scientists aren’t completely sure what purpose narwhal tusks serve. At one time, people believed they might be used to break ice or spear fish. Further study has shown, though, that they’re most likely used in mating rituals to impress females or battle rival males.

Narwhals feed on fish that swim deep under the Arctic ice. In fact, narwhals are known for making some of the deepest dives of any marine mammal. Narwhals have been known to dive to depths of over 2,500 feet over 15 times per day, with some dives reaching as deep as almost 5,000 feet!

Today, they’re still hunted legally by the Inuit peoples of Canada and Greenland. Known for their ability to use all parts of the narwhal, the Inuit peoples eat narwhal meat, harvest their tusks to use as tools and even eat their skin, which is a good source of vitamin C.

The name narwhal comes from the Old Norse words nar (corpse) and whal (whale). Narwhals were likely called “corpse whales” because of their pale, mottled coloring that made them look like drowned sailors!

In the Middle Ages, people believed narwhal tusks were unicorn horns with magical powers, such as the ability to render poison harmless. As a result, traders could sell narwhal tusks for many times their weight in gold. Royalty bought these tusks to make cups they believed would keep them from ever being poisoned.

Try it out!

Ready to dive deep to have some fun with narwhals? First, check out this fantastic video of narwhals migrating during the summer through cracks in the melting Arctic ice.

Think you know what a narwhal looks like in the wild? Put your skills to the test by assembling this fun online Narwhal Jigsaw Puzzle!

If you love narwhals as much as we do, you’ll have tons of fun putting together a crafty Narwhal collage or diorama. When you’re finished, be sure to email us a picture of your creation or post a picture on https://www.facebook.com/wonderopolis" target="_blank">Facebook. We can’t wait to see it!

Wonder words to know and use:

• narwhal


• unicorn


• whale


• Arctic


• protrusion


• tusk


• incisor


• spiral


• mating


• Inuit


• corpse

Still wondering?

In EDSITEment!’s Unicorns, Dragons, and Other Magical Creatures lesson, children explore images of magical creatures from around the world.

Wonder what’s next?

Tomorrow’s super Wonder of the Day will take a look at some humans that look a bit like zebras

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Its almost spring hhhheeyy in your face ground hog. What are you doing this spring? I'm probably just gonna be complaining about the heat. Yahoo yahoo  Spring ios coming. I am  so excited.

My hamster is now 3 mouths olds hhhheeeeeeyyyyyy=http://=http:// Mousey is the cutest hamster ever (no ofensse to Olive) She is so nice=http:// It will be sad when she dies. Tell me as much as you can on your pets!!!!

Cats love catnip like dogs love bones. Catnip is actually part of the mint family. There is almost 250 speices of catnip in the world. Amazingly catnip can grow from two to three feet tall and it can have flowers from blue to pink. The leaves and stems contain an oil called nepetalactone cats rspond to this product fresh and ground up (which it usually is). Some cats are effected by this at all only 50 to 70 percent of cats respond to catnip. Even some bigcats go crazy over it.

• feline- Cat including bigcat and domestic cat.

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Vocabulary

Mousey is having a great New Year. She got a new set of tubes for christmas. Mom fought she was dead one day when she found her in her tubes. She loves them. Happy New Year! squeak!

During Christmas in Argentina the weather is warm. The locals in Argentina use christmas trees just like American but there is a very large variety other than the common fir.  People in Argentina like putting cotton balls on their trees. They do this to repersent snow.  The average dish ate around Christmas is roasted turkey and pudding. Like the Chinese, locals in Argentina use Chinese lanterns on Christmas Eve. Another tradition is to watch fireworks at night. I wish I could hang lanterns and watch fireworks it sounds really cool.The main languge spoken in Argentina is spanish. With that in mind Feliz Navidad!

Mousey is doing fine she loves running and playing. But one time she pooed on my bed.

 The book I am reading tells different stories about George Washington and other spys during the Revolutionary War. It talks about some of the devices the spys used and how they used them. When I read this book I also learned about some of the battles and missions that happened during the war. I like this book because it potrays the characters really well. I also liked learning about how the spys used their devices. There was many pictures that showed orignal documents like letters and paintings. I would recommend this book to anybody who likes adventures with lots of details.

When I did the "How Am I Smart," sheet I scored highest in naturalist. At school for a progect, I could apply this by bringing in animals, then writing about what behaviors I noticed. I could also do a project and plant a garden for the school since I know so much about plants. I would be able to recognize the plants and find out which ones do best and would thrive here. I know a lot about how to take care of plants and animals which would make it easy to do any of these things. Currently my class and I are working with animals. We even have a class pet. There is a lot of cool projects I could involving science and nature.

I got a different hamster named Snowflake. She has large ears so I call her Mousey. I am so excited this is only my first week with her but I am already holding her.

I finally got a new hamster his name is pumpkin. he is a Russain draf hamster.

I relly think Smartville was agood idea it looks as though can work on you  strongest parts the most but also try other things. My favorite part of Smartville was the shop I like it the most because you can relly feel like an adult. My least  favorite part was the bakery because it looked like the teacher was running everything. I really wish we could do this at voyager.

When I did the how are you smart quiz I scored highest is  musical smarts. This means that I am good at singing and paying istruments. I started piano when I was only eight and I have been really enjoying it since then.

I am also good at naturlist smarts. This means that I am good with animals and plants. I've always loved the outdoors. I'm really good with a lot of different animals. When I take hikes i love looking at the beautiful plants around me.

After mounths of waiting i am going to get my hamster next weekend. I'm really excited  that i am finally going to get a pair of baby winter white hamsters. This weekend I am going to get all the supplies. in two weeks on the 28th all tell you how they're doing.

I haven't posted anything for sooooo long. I found out for about cats; Number 1 kittens chase their tales just like dog. This is a more important fact; don't buy a cat unless your ready, you would be suprised at the number of things they break. lastly always rember no matter what a cat does there always well make great pets.(learn more about the egxact cat you are getting so you know how much attention they need)

Welcome to Nevada, a state filled of wonderful attractions. You can look at hot water spray out of a gyser in the black rock desert. Or you could also look back at the many people you came through Nevada during the californa gold rush. Rember to bring water with you for whatever you do Nevada is the driest state in the us.

Are class got a hamster if you want to see the you have to come over during dissmisal

 This Halloween I have no idea what to be. If you have advice please post or also post about what your being

i have already chosen a animal and breed. i plan on getting a Chinese drawf Hamster. If you have any tips plese post them.

In this book Harry must get over many hurdles to finally master self defense. To make matters worse a new teacher named professer umbridge has joined the staff at hogwarts. She dosen't teach th estudents any magic. Recently Harry has ventured into the dempartment of  mysteries. There he must battle death eaters in order to protect a specail prothecy. But in the end Harry may lose something more important than anything else. 

 This mouth I am going to get a new pet. It will either be a hmaster, a ghinea pig, or a rat. If you have any suggestions about an animal ao breed please post it as a comment or tell me during school.

I have so many great friends at Voyager Academy. I would hate to ever have to leave. I am having a lot of fun here and I can't wait to learn more this school year. Have a great year at Voyager every body.

I am so excited about the Read-a-thon. Lat year I got second place in 4th grade. this year I hope to read the most. Good luck to everyone.

i am happy to tell everyone who reads my blog. That are class pet a young chineese hamster has finally gotte4n a name. Our new pet has recently been named Olive.

are class is also thinking of get getting fish! If you have any name or breed suggestion other than pirannas please post it as a comment 0r tell me at school

As you can see by my picture in the corner. I really like Calvin and Hobbes.This book is about a young boy with wild ideas about what to do. With his best friend, a tiger named Hobbes they get into a lot of trouble.

One thing you got to no about cats is to never vacum around them they will go crazy. Next detail is to not get a pet bird if you have a pet cat. lastly always eat vegtables around cats trust me my cat will do anything for turkey. check my blog for more about these amazing felines.

Right now i am reading the Harry Potter seires. It is a really great set of books.

you should read them this school year. plus watch the movies.

This weekend I am celebrating David's birthday. Plus there is an important day also coming up

on the 11th. I hope every one has a great weekend.

Are class got the cutest hamster ever. But we do not have a name. If you think of one post it as a comment.

Hi, my name is Ellen. I am really excited about making blogs.

At home I have a nice cat, named Julia, who I love.

When I'm not at school, I like to play 

piano, sing, and play tennis.