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Math Puzzler

Find Puzzler answers; Win a prize

This is the second month for Young Saint Louis.com's Math Puzzler contest. We want you to have fun with math...and maybe win a prize.

Each month, we'll publish a series of six Math Puzzlers. These are for your entertainment. This is not a class assignment. But, we hope you'll have fun figuring out the answers.

Using the form below, you can submit your answers. We'll publish next month the names of those who answered all these questions correctly. We'll also get an explanation of the correct answers. (For results of the September Math Puzzlers, click here.)

We're offering an ADDED BONUS. We'll put all the correct entries into a hat and draw for up to three $10 gift certificates from Borders Book Stores.

A note: We've made these Math Puzzlers pretty challenging, especially for younger kids. We don't mind if you get help from a parent or older brother or sister. We encourage you to make this a family activity, if you'd like.

Here's how to enter:

1. Print out the following entry form.
2. Fill out your name, address and telephone number.
3. Give your answers to the six Math Puzzlers.
4. Put your completed entry into a stamped envelope.
5. Mail your entry to:
   
   Math Puzzler Contest
   Young Saint Louis.com
   7733 Forsyth Blvd., Suite 1450
   Clayton, MO 63105
   
   
6. All entries must be postmarked by the 15th of the month to be eligible for a book prize.

-------------------- Clip here to make entry --------------------

Entry for October, 2001, Math Puzzler Contest

Name: _____________________________________

Address: ___________________________________

City:_____________________, State:______ ZIP___________

Contact phone no.(____)____________________

The Math Puzzlers
(Oct. 2001)

1. What is the sum of the spots on the left side of the stack of dice?

Answer:___________

2. What is x?

Answer:___________

3. What is the total of these six fractions?

Answer:___________

4. Suppose you have two egg timers, a five-minute and a three-minute. How can you use these two measuring devices to time an egg that would be boiled for exactly two minutes?

Answer:___________

5. Add arithmetical symbols (+, -, x, ÷) between the numbers on the left side of the equals sign to make the equation true.

Answer: 1 _ 2 _ 3 _ 4 _ 5 _ 6 _ 7 _ 8 _ 9 =100

6. Timothy is riding a bicycle on a road that can be thought of as having four equal parts. On the first fourth, which is level, he pedals at 10 kilometers per hour. On the second fourth, which is on an upslope, he pedals 5 kilometers per hour. On the third fourth, a downward slope, he goes 30 kilometers per hour. On the final fourth, which is level again but with a tailwind, he goes 15 kilometers per hour. What is Timothy's average speed?

Answer:__________

Answers to September Puzzlers

We didn't have any kids who answered all of the September Math Puzzlers correctly. We had a couple get five of six answers correct.

Below, Mr. Math Puzzler, Wayne Hesse, has given the right answers together with explanations of how to find those answers.

As we mentioned, these Puzzlers can be difficult. But, we hope you had fun trying and we hope you will encourage your friends to try the October puzzlers. In fact, why don't you work with your friends and then each submit an answer.

Remember, all those answering all the Puzzlers correctly will have their names listed next month. And, the winning entries will be put into a hat and up to three $10 Borders book certificates will be awarded.

Answers to the September, 2001, Math Puzzlers

1. Which of the following is the odd one out?

Answer: B

Explanation: Except for Square, the other figures are all three-dimensional.

2. If you divide 552 by 1/4, and then divide the result by half of the original figure, what is the result?

Answer: 8

Explanation: When dividing by a fraction, you multiply 552 by 4. Then, you divide that number [2208] by one-half of 552 [or 276] to get the answer.

3. What is the answer if, from the numbers below, you multiply by five the number of even numbers that are immediately followed by an odd number?

4 7 8 5 3 1 9 7 8 4 4 7 8 9 2 3

Answer: 25

Explanation: There are five even numbers that are followed by odd numbers. Then, five times five is 25.

44. What number should replace the question mark?

 5----4    6----7    8----4    9-----3
 |    |    |    |    |    |    |     |
 | 27 |    | 40 |    | 71 |    |  ?  |
 |    |    |    |    |    |    |     |
 7----6    9----7    5----9    5-----4

Answer: 34

Explanation: This is a tough one. The secret is to find relationships between the four numbers on the outer corners that lead to the interior answer. In this Puzzler, you multiply the numbers in the upper left and lower right corners (9 x 4=36) and then subtract the lower left number from the upper right (5 - 3=2). Then, you subtract 2 from 36 to get the correct answer.

5. Find X.

    8 x 7
------------- = X
  2/7 - 2/1

Answer: 392

Explanation: Like the answer to Puzzler No. 2, this deals with division of fractions. Multiply 8 x 7 to get 56 above the line. Then, 2/7 - 2/14= 1/7. To divide 56 by 1/7, you get 392.

6. Find the secret number by using the six clues.

Answer: 4039

Explanation: You can solve this problem by turning it into an algebra problem where you seek the unknown numbers. The one number you do know is 4-or-greater. Therefore, you start by giving a letter designation for the four digits (_a_, _b_ _c_ _d_) and develop algebra formulas to determine the digits.

Clue B: a>=4, Clue C: b+d=9, Clue D: 2c=2+a; Clue E: b/5+2d/3=6; Clue F: c=a-1.

Then, you use substitution formulas to determine what the first, second, third and fourth digits are in the answer

Lifestyle

Kennerly School kids show "respect"
with disaster fund drive

Kids and their families at Kennerly Elementary School have given new meaning to the school's character word "respect." They used it to raise $3,000 for aid to victims of the World Trade Center disaster.

Last year, the Lindbergh School District school was one of only 10 schools in the U.S. to earn a National School of Character award. That honor recognized the school's total program of character education.

Each month, the character program centers around a special word. The character word for September was "respect."

The school decided to raise money for the Salvation Army's relief efforts. Kids brought in donations of their own and from their families.

Eleven-year-old Samantha Harris said, "We wanted to show respect for the people who died there."

One special effort saw Kennerly kids hand-make small patriotic pins and flags out of string and beads. These sold in the halls for 25 and 50 cents and brought in $120.

The overall $3,000 was accomplished in just one week's time. These fund-raising efforts fit right into the school's regular program of character education.

The normal program includes a monthly all-school assembly where kids present a skit based on the character word of the month. Also, three kids from each classroom develop a project to demonstrate the meaning of the word.

There's also a Friendship Circle. Kids who have arguments stand in the circle and work out non-violent answers to disagreements.

Once a month, the whole school plans some way show others what the month's word means. For instance, in the past, the kids demonstrated the word "respect" by giving each bus driver a gift of a cookie or donut.

There are school-wide "Hero Parades" where kids dress up like some person they admire.

Ten-year-old Frank Albenesius admits he used the Friendship Circle to settle an argument with some friends. "A couple of my friends wouldn't let me play tag with them on the playground," the fifth grader said.

"We stood in the classroom Friendship Circle where we could see the playground where we had the argument," he said. Frank said, after a calm discussion, "they let me play tag."

The Friendship Circle has four parts to it. First, the kids who had an argument each get to explain their side of the story. Second, they practice "madness management" where they have to listen quietly.

Third, they have a "caring" discussion. Finally, they have to decide how to handle the argument without having a fight.

Another part of the character education is when kids get up in class to demonstrate what the month's word means. Last year, nine-year-old Matt LaGrotta made a talk in front of his class about the December word "caring."

"I made a paper heart and then wrote on it something that made me sad. Then, I told the class that people calling me names hurt my feelings," he said. After saying that, he ripped up the paper heart to show how he felt.

The fourth grader said he enjoys the character education activities. "When you do things for each other, it makes you feel good about yourself," he said.

Ten-year-old Bria Williams said her social studies class made American flags to show respect for World Trade Center victims. The flags were posted on school walls, she said.

About the character activities, the fourth grader said, "The program helps us show how we should have character all the time, not just when the teacher is watching."

Evidence of the character education program is everywhere in the school.

At the main entrance, there is a Beacon of Character. That's a tall, home-made lighthouse that kids see every day when they come to school.

The character words for each month are stenciled on the walls of the school gym. There's also a character billboard on the wall where pictures of the school assemblies are kept.

Samantha Harris said she thinks the program "helps to keep disagreements between students down." Concerning her relations with his younger brother, Nicholas, she said, "We get along most of the time."

But, Frank Albenesius admits he still has difficulties with his older brother at home.

News

Marissa (Ill.) students send experiments into space

Some Marissa (Ill.) High School science students have studied outer space since seventh grade. And they've had their experiments aboard NASA space shuttles.

And, this year, they're joining high school students from Queensland, Australia, in another space experiment to be launched later this year.

Their Project Aria experiment this year will involve sending sunflower seeds and yeast into space. When the samples get back, the students will compare them to other seeds and yeast that stayed on Earth. Project Aria is supervised by Washington University.

Special note: In a recent exchange of e-mails, students from Deception Bay High School in Australia sent condolences for the recent terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.

When this year's samples return from space this fall, the Marissa students expect help from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. An agriculture professor will assist the students in making comparative tests.

A year ago, the kids sent corn, lettuce and bean seeds into space and kept a duplicate set on Earth. When the space samples got back, they tried to grow plants from both sets of seeds.

They found some big differences.

Senior Melanie Dickey said none of the lettuce seeds from space germinated while the "earth" seeds all grew into lettuce plants. The corn seeds from both samples germinated but the plants from "space" seeds started to tassel when only a foot high.

Juniors Amy Hagen, Chelsea Kinzel and Alyssa Lewis are doing a follow-up experiment on lettuce seeds this year. They'll try to duplicate the rapid, severe temperature changes in space to see if that's what killed the seeds.

Science teacher Fred Lewis said, "Our theory is that the temperature fluctuations as the space shuttle rotated the Earth was the equivalent of putting the seeds through 180 winters and summers in 11 days."

This year, the lettuce experiments will all be earthbound. The students will alternate the seeds between the cold of dry ice and the warmth of a space heater to duplicate the temperature changes in space.

Hagen, Kinzel and Lewis will present their findings to a adult science symposium at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale next spring.

That's just one of the neat experiences the kids have gotten out of their space work.

Senior Gina Gilley said her favorite experience was when kids got to go to Florida last year to watch a shuttle launch. "It was neat that we got to see our stuff going up in space," she said.

Alyssa Lewis said she liked the opportunity to build from scratch all the containers for the experiments. For instance, the carrier for seeds in space was a cabinet built out of old stop signs and plastic fencing used for crowd control during the Pope's visit to St. Louis.

Some of the seed containers were used plastic Sunny Delight orange juice bottles. Despite the odd mixture of parts, NASA checked each in advance to make sure it could withstand space travel.

Teacher Lewis said, "They even checked the labels on the seed vials to make sure the glue would hold up to the temperature changes."

Other equipment the students helped to build included "grow labs" at school where the seeds were germinated. Also, they hooked up plastic bottles and tubing so seeds could be grown without soil. This is a process called hydroponics.

Senior Lindsey Erb said her favorite experience was the opportunity to work "with a big group like NASA that was interested in what we were doing."

Chelsea Kinzel said she's always been interested in outer space. And, she thought it was a "big deal for me to get involved with NASA."

Senior Renee Sellers admitted she didn't know much about space science when she started. "But, I liked learning from NASA. That taught me lots of stuff."

Renee said her work on the space science experiments has her considering aeronautical engineering as a possible career field.

Chelsea also is looking for a science career but it's going to be on solid ground. She's considering a career in forensics, where she would work in a lab to help solve crimes.

Melanie Dickey's career interest is more in social sciences, "probably psychology." She's looking at a couple private Christian colleges, Huntington College in Indiana and John Brown College in Arkansas. She said she has friends from Marissa who have gone there.

Gina Gilley is looking at a career in nursing while Amy Hagen hopes to pursue a law degree at either University of Illinois at Champaign or Washington University in St. Louis.

Food

St. Louis kids learn cooking as art

The kids at COCA's first Saturday cooking class last month were all boys.

COCA stands for Center of Contemporary Art. Usually, kids take lessons in such things as dance, music, theatre, photography and painting.

But, cooking skills are known as culinary arts.

Chef Mike Johnson of Cafe Mira led the first Saturday class. He said he was surprised the six students in the class were all boys.

But, he had three good recipes and he let them use some artistic touches while preparing the food.

After all, it's hard to miss when the recipes include smoked turkey wraps, homemade pizza and "no bake" brownies. (If you want to try these recipes at your home, just look at the sidebar below.)

The pizza making gave the boys the most opportunity to use their artistic ability.

Eleven-year-old Max Jewett made his pizza in the shape of a flag, complete with a cheese star on top. Thirteen-year-old Thomas Lawrence decorated his in the shape of a face, complete with spinach for the hair and mustache.

But, 11-year-old David Human might have captured the best theme. He called his creation, "Pizza Mountain." That meant he got to pile a whole bunch of pepperoni in the middle of his pizza.

Then, there was nine-year-old Garrett Finazzo who made a dessert pizza will strawberry jam, banana slices, blueberries and M&M candies.

Sixth grader Jewett said he's been cooking at home since he was six years old. "If my Mom's gone, I cook for the family," he said.

That includes his twin, Sam, and an older daughter, Polly, who is 13. About his sister, Max said, "She cooks a little but I'm better." His favorite home-cooked dish is tortellini, in which he puts a bit of basil and oregano.

Fifth grader Lawrence said he cooks pepperoni pizza at home. Asked about his future, he said, "I'd like to be a famous chef like they have on TV."

Eleven-year-old Jared Hampp also said he wants to be a chef when he grown up. In making his pizza in the cooking class, he used a sliced bagel as the base instead of a pizza shell.

The sixth grader said his favorite recipe at home is spaghetti.

Ten-year-old Alex Slavin said, "I really like to cook a lot. And I took this class because it will be good if I learned a little more about it."

The fourth grader said his favorite home recipes are lasagna and different types of pasta. He said his spaghetti sauces include bits of tomato and ground beef. "I cook with my Mom," he said.

Fourth grader Finazzo said his favorite dishes to cook at home are potato pancakes and a special potato sauce. The sauce includes cooked potatoes, butter, ketchup and mustard.

He said you can mix the sauce into potatoes while they are cooking or use it over the top of either mashed potatoes or potato pancakes.

Chef Johnson started the class with the Southwestern Style Turkey Wraps recipe. It was the easiest in terms of handling the food. He had pre-mixed the sauce that included creamed cheese, mayonnaise and a mild salsa. He also had fried up the bacon strips.

But, the kids got to put in the lime juice and also to pit and skin the avocado.

Then, it was up to them to put the ingredients on to the soft tortilla shells and wrap them tight enough to hold together. After they were wrapped, they cut the filled wrap into bite-sized pieces.

The kids then got to be more creative with their pizza making. This was capped off by putting the individual pizzas onto a cooking sheet so they could be baked about 15 minutes in a 350-degree oven.

Although the brownies were billed as "no bake," there was some cooking involved. The kids put in the brownie mix, milk and margarine into a saucepan and stirred it over a medium heat until the mixture was boiling.

Then, they mixed in oatmeal while the mixture was cooling. The kids also mixed in crushed Butterfinger bars. Those had been broken into bits by hitting the bars with a big spoon while they were still in the wrappers.

For more information about COCA's cooking and other programs, you can log on to www.cocastl.org or call (314) 725-6555.

Southwestern-Style Turkey Wraps

Ingredients:

• 8-inch soft tortilla shells
• 1/2 cup creamed cheese
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup mild salsa
• 1 lime (juiced)
• 1/2 lb. sliced smoked turkey
• 1 handful raw spinach, chopped
• 8 strips of cooked bacon
• 1 avocado

Directions:

Mix creamed cheese, mayonnaise, salsa and lime juice in a pan. Spread mixture on tortilla shells. Add turkey slices, bacon, avocado strips and spinach. Roll tight and slice.

Homemade Pizza

Ingredients:

• English muffins, bagels or pizza shells
• Pizza sauce
• Mozzarella cheese slices
• black olives
• pepperoni slices
• red pepper

Directions:

Place pizza sauce on the bread products. Then use other ingredients to make various designs, such as flags, faces, etc. Bake in 350-degree oven for 15 minutes. (For dessert pizza, substitute strawberry jam, banana slices, blueberries and candies.)

"No Bake" Brownies

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg Pillsbury Rich and Moist Brownie Mix
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup M&M's
• 2 Butterfinger bars, crumbled
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a saucepan, combine brownie mix, milk and margarine. Cook on medium heat until boiling. Remove from heat, stir in rolled oats, peanut butter. Then, stir in candies. Drop tablespoons of the mixture on paper, cool, serve.

Books

This Month's Book Reviews

Young guitarist from New England competes in music contest in New Orleans

Whitney Stewart, who wrote "Jammin' on the Avenue," lives in New Orleans with her acoustic guitar playing husband and electric guitar playing son. Her paperback details the experiences of teen-age electric guitar playing Eric Wieman, who travels to New Orleans to compete in the national Quickfinger Guitar Contest. Eric is the guest of a New Orleans family, all the members of which can't wait to show the sights of New Orleans to a boy from Massachusetts.

The family that Eric stays with is the Woo family, an Asian American family. A close friend of the Woo family is Lashley Moran. Lashley just happens to be a gorgeous blond that is Eric's age. In addition, she is a gifted guitarist and will be competing in the same contest with Eric. She and Eric find out that they complement each other when they perform together to entertain the guests at a party held by the Woo and Moran families.

Another contestant in the national contest is a teen-ager from Washington, D.C. named Jordan Brooks. He tries to "psych out" Eric and even resorts to sabotage in his attempt to win the contest. So the story does have a "bad guy" to help complicate the plot. The big question is who will win the Quickfinger contest? An expensive guitar and a music scholarship are the prizes for the winner.

If you like music and like to read about good food and the sights of historic New Orleans, this is the book for you.

How a big, ugly dog with a grin
changed people's lives

India Opal Buloni appears to be about ten years old as she tells her story. She is the daughter of a preacher who has just moved with her to Florida. Her father calls her Opal, and the name "India" was the result of his having been a missionary in India at an earlier time in his life. Her mother had run off and left her and her father when Opal was much younger.

Opal is a lonely young girl. So when she goes to the grocery store and finds a big, dirty, ugly dog causing a lot of problems in the store, she tells the manager that it is her dog. When asked what the dog's name is, she can only think of "Winn-Dixie," which is the name of the grocery store. Anyway, she takes the dog home and manages to talk her father into letting her keep him. She cleans up the stray dog and he becomes her best friend. He has two special talents - he listens very well when she talks to him and he seems to be grinning all the time.

Much to her surprise, other people like Winn-Dixie, too, and Opal starts to make a lot of interesting new friends as she walks around town with her dog. These friends include old people, as well as kids Opal's age. She and some of her new friends plan a party that brings together many people, including Opal's father. During the party, Winn-Dixie disappears. While the search goes on, everybody starts to realize how important Winn-Dixie had been in bringing the group together. They especially realize how important he is to Opal. Luckily, Winn-Dixie turns up in a surprising place, and the story goes on to have a very happy ending.

In modern India, a young girl finds herself in an arranged marriage that takes her from her home

Koly is only thirteen and still feels like a child. She is happy with her home and family, even though they are poor. Her parents, however, have arranged a marriage for her with the son of a family in a distant village. They have scraped together a dowry large enough to secure a husband for her. Since this is the custom in India, Koly has no choice but to obey her parents.

After the marriage, Koly discovers that her new husband is ill and hasn't long to live. She also finds out that his family has arranged the marriage in order to obtain the money that Koly brings with her as her dowry. Her new mother-in-law treats her badly, and on the death of the young husband, cruelly abandons Koly in the holy city of Vrindavan. Koly wakes up among hundreds of other penniless widows who have been taken to the holy city, where they are forced to live on the streets and survive on charity.

Koly is unusual among young Indian girls in that she had been taught to read. She has a talent for embroidering original and beautiful designs on scarves and quilts. She uses her talent to make her living in the strange city. She meets a hardworking young man who befriends her. She helps him learn to read. After returning to his village and buying some farmland with money he had saved, the young man returns to ask Koly to be his wife.

There is much more to the story than the bare outline presented here. The reader is introduced to an ancient culture and its customs. In the book, Koly shares the Indian poetry that helps her keep her spirits up and overcome the hardships that are forced upon her.

For the young reader who likes
books based on movies

"Spy Kids" is a paperback based on the plot and characters from the new motion picture of the same title. Many of our most popular movies today contain a lot of special effects - explosions, crashes, people flying through the air, and bad guys that are so evil they are almost funny. "Spy Kids," the movie, fits that description. "Spy Kids," the book, tries to do the same thing using words alone, although there are a few color pictures of the "good guys" and the "bad guys."

Juni Cotez is only eight years old and his sister, Carmen, is just ten. They fight a lot like brothers and sisters tend to do. To their surprise, their Uncle Felix comes to stay with them when their parents are called away to do some kind of a job. What the kids didn't realize was that their mom and dad were super spies who had been retired for almost nine years. Because of a threat to the entire world from the evil techno-wizard, Floop, the two super spies had been called back to duty.

Their Uncle Felix finds out that Mr. and Mrs. Cortez had been kidnapped by Floop, before they could even get started in stopping him. Felix, who turns out to be another secret agent and not really their uncle, alerts the two kids and tells them they now are the only hope to stop the evil Floop. He sends them off in backpack transporters to a safe house. At that point the special effects take over. It just one wild adventure after another for the two kids from then on.

Outdoors

Illinois kids find upkeep of
native prairie is big job

Kids at Douglas Elementary School in Belleville will have their hands full taking care of the native prairie they planted on the school grounds.

Last spring, the school's prairie project was awarded a Gateway Region Environmental Excellence award. The award was for developing a small prairie that included native Illinois plants that flourished when pioneers came to the state.

The school's prairie also featured nesting sites for four orphaned kestrels, which are small falcons. The kids got to watch when baby kestrels hatched.

Dozens of toads gave birth to tadpoles in the prairie's little pond. And colorful Monarch butterflies made their home there because of plentiful food.

Eleven-year-old Tiffany Koehler was one of the kids who did planting last spring. "I liked planting the flowers,." she said.

But, with the start of school this fall, the kids are faced with problems in their prairie. Many of the prairie plants and grasses have grown too big. Teacher Stephanie Jacob said, "The prairie has gotten a little wild around here."

Kids like sixth graders Jessica Glatz, Emily Brabenec and Scott Johnson chipped in this summer to start the clean up.

Eleven-year-old Emily said, "Someone from the school called and asked for volunteers. We worked about 2 1/2 hours one day this summer."

Eleven-year-old Jessica was another of the volunteers. She said, "I pulled weeds and then clipped tall plants that were drooping over the pathways."

Scott Johnson is another of sixth graders who did summer cleanup work. "I used clippers and pulled weeds too," he said.

The school's native prairie project is actually five years old. Planning for the prairie started in 1997. The first planting was done the following year.

Don Kniepkamp of Belleville is an Illinois master gardener. He worked with the kids to plant the prairie. He'll be coming back this fall to help them reorganize it.

The school got four orphaned kestrels from the Treehouse Wildlife Center. Kids put nesting boxes on two light poles near the prairie. The kids got to watch when baby kestrels were hatched.

But, after five years, the kids need a new plan for their prairie. For one thing, wind-blown weed seeds have taken root in the garden. Then, some of the native grasses have gotten so big they dominate other prairie plants.

There are some problems with just cleaning out all the plants. For one thing, sometimes plants that look half-dead might still be valuable to animal and insect life in the prairie. For instance, some flowers lose their bright petals but the brown seeds are food for birds and insects.

Also included in the planning this year will be putting in more learning experiences for future kids. Printed signs to identify different plants will be added. Also, lessons that show the growth cycles for plants as well as animals and bugs will be added.

The prairie project has encouraged kids to take more interest in home gardens.

For instance, Tiffany, Jessica, Emily and Scott have different sorts of family gardens at home.

Tiffany and Scott have vegetable gardens although Scott admits he doesn't like vegetables very much. Tiffany said tomatoes were her favorite from the home garden. But, Scott said, "We have tomatoes but I don't like them. I don't eat tomatoes."

Jessica said her family has two ponds and a flower garden. "One of the ponds has a pump to circulate the water but the other doesn't," she said. The family keeps goldfish in their ponds.

Emily said her family's gardening now consists of flowers around trees in their yard. She said, "We had a big vegetable garden but then we got a boat and camper. Now, we park them where we used to have the garden."

(To learn more about different outdoor education projects, go to the St. Clair County education website at www.stclair.k12.il.us. Then click on coills and splashd.)

Enrichment

Learning Labs this fall offer
fun and new knowledge

Have you ever wondered how detectives figure out clues at a crime scene? Or who scientists build a robot?

Or maybe you'd like to learn how to paint a watercolor picture even if you're not great at drawing figures. Or learn to play chess.

These are just a few of the interesting subjects to be explored during six weekend Learning Lab sessions during October and November. The sessions are open to all St. Louis-area kids who like to stretch their minds and have fun at the same time.

Attention Girls: One session is especially for 6th through 8th grade girls who might like to see what it takes to break into the male-dominated career field of engineering. This lab is open only to the first 10 girls who apply.

Forty-five different subjects will be explored at the Learning Labs. They are sponsored by the Gifted Resource Council. That's the group that sponsors each spring the Academic Challenge Cup competitions in math, language skills and creative problem solving.

The fall Learning Labs will be held on six consecutive Saturdays on Oct. 13, 20 and 27 and Nov. 3, 10 and 17. The 1 1/2 hour labs will be at Wydown Middle School, 6500 Wydown Blvd. That's near Washington University.

The Learning Lab sessions will be offered at two different times each of the Saturdays. The first ones are 9:30 to 11 a.m. while the second sessions are 11:10 a.m. to 12:40 p.m.

For a complete description of the Learning Lab program, log on to www.cybam.com/grc.

If you miss the fall sessions, the Council will offer winter learning labs in February and March, 2002.

A total of 270 kids took part in the Fall 2000 sessions and 300 more in Winter 2001.

Ordinarily, tuition for the Learning Labs is $75 for the six-week series.

However, Susan Flesch of the Council said some financial aid is available. To inquire, call the GRC at (314) 842-0666.

The GRC finds outstanding leaders to work with the kids.

For instance, the Crime Scene Investigation lab will be lead by Judy Joerding. She's one of six teachers who are finalists for the Missouri Teacher of the Year award. She's a math and science teacher in the Ferguson-Florissant School District.

This first-time lab will help kids solve a crime in which each of the participants is both a suspect and a detective.

The Watercolors a la Monet sessions will be taught by Marla Dell. She's not only an accomplished artist but chairman of the Lindbergh School District.

She'll help kids develop colorful watercolors without being a skilled drawer. This is another first-time offering in the Learning Lab series.

The Back to the Future with Robots lab sessions are being repeated because they have been popular in the past. This series included a final class at the St. Louis Science Center where kids design and program a robot in the Lego Mindstorm program.

Of course, the Learning Lab schedule wouldn't be complete without The Harry Potter Connection. This exploration of the Harry Potter book series will have a special appeal this fall because of the upcoming release of the first Harry Potter movie.

There are two different labs on chess. Lots of kids recently have been taking up this old-time game. There's a Checkmate series for kids in Grades 1-4 and another one for kids Grades 5-8.

The teacher for this lab is Stephen Randoll, the president of the St. Louis Chess Foundation.

The Learning Lab sessions are designed to challenge kids both academically and creatively. But, the sessions are also geared to having fun while learning new skills. Sessions are small so there's plenty of interaction between the instructor and the kids.

There are chances to learning a new language such as German, Spanish or Aramaic. That's the root language for both Hebrew and Arabic languages. Or what about learning how to have fun with math.

Or you might like to learning how to build a car using the spring from a mousetrap as the engine. This session ends with competition between kids to see who has build the best mousetrap car.

There's still time to enroll. Why not check it out today, either on the web or by calling the GRC.

History

Lewis and Clark project asks kids to look at history and math questions

How did Meriwether Lewis and William Clark transport the lead shot and black powder they'd need on their Missouri River expedition 200 years ago?

What did the frontier area north and west of St. Louis look like in the early 1800s? Who lived there?

How does that same area look today? Who lives there now?

The University of Missouri-St. Louis' College of Education has designed a history project that asks kids to help find answers to these and other questions. It's all part of a Corps of ReDiscovery program now taking shape.

Schools all along the original Lewis and Clark Expedition route are invited to take part. That includes schools in the St. Louis metro area as well as all along the Missouri River.

One of the schools that's already signed up is the St. Joseph's Indian School. That's a Catholic boarding school for Lakota Souix on the Missouri River near Chamberlain, S.D.

Jim Sturm is an enrichment teacher at Wydown Middle School in Clayton. He is working to enlist schools to take part in the UMSL project. Last summer, he visited St. Joseph's to sign up the school.

Sturm said, "Every town along the route has a story to tell. When we come to town, we want to find kids and teachers who will tell the story of their towns."

He said, "That will let people know about other parts of the country. Our country is so big that sometimes we don't know about other Americans."

UMSL wants a whole lineup of schools ready when the 2003-2005 Lewis and Clark Bi-Centennial Expendition is launched. That's a re-enactment of the original trip. Men in period costumes will begin from Washington, D.C.

By that time, UMSL's Corps of ReDiscovery website (www.urbanachievement.org/lc/) expects to carry daily reports and pictures of the expedition's project. The reports will be sent to the website via satellite on a daily basis.

You can get a taste of that now. The website includes pictures and diary of a test voyage last summer on the Missouri through South Dakota. Clayton teacher Scott Mandrell was acting as Meriwether Lewis. He wrote his journal entries in the style of Lewis.

Sturm said the website also will carry examples of interesting science and math lessons that are based on the Lewis and Clark journals.

He's already has some math students at Wydown Middle working on an unique problem.

The original expedition was faced with transporting a lot of supplies all the way from the East. Two of those were black powder and lead shot for their rifles. Lead is heavy. So they wanted to know how much powder they'd need to fire all the lead shot.

In order to keep the powder dry on the trip, Lewis and Clark decided to carry it in lead containers. That way, as they went along, they would melt down a container to make rifle shot while using the powder from that container to fire the shot.

The students got from an Internet website what was supposed to be the amount of powder on the expedition. They wanted to figure out what size lead containers were needed to have enough lead for shot but be big enough to store all the powder.

But, when the students figured out the volume of lead and the volume of powder, they didn't match up with the size of containers on the expedition.

Sturm said, "Then, one of the students found the correct amount of powder in the actual Lewis and Clark journals. We then ran the revised figures and they did agree," he said.

"That proved to be a good research lesson. You need to use the original research sources whenever possible," Sturm said.

He said St. Louis area kids also will learn some fascinating history by studying the St. Joseph's Indian School. The school has about 200 students who have been sent there because of childhood hardships.

Founded in the 1920s, the school has withstood drought, a plague of grasshoppers and a fire that nearly burned down all the buildings.

Now, the main campus near Chamberlain houses kids in first to eighth grade. There are living units in town for high school students. Also, other units are in nearby Mitchell, S.D., where college-age students attend Dakota Wesleyan College and Mitchell Vo-Tech.

If you'd like to learn more about the Indian school, you can log on to its website at www.stjo.org.

Sports

Check out St. Louis Sports
Commission's Sports for Kids

In November, St. Louis youth coaches and kid athletes can attend a free Youth Sports Clinic on basketball.

They also can ask for free tickets to Cardinals or Rams games and other sporting events.

Or maybe your sports team needs money to fix up its athletic field or community center.

These are all parts of the St. Louis Sports Commission's Sports for Kids program. Many of these services are available just by asking or applying.

The St. Louis Sports Commission gets a lot of public attention for efforts to bring major sporting events to St. Louis. A good example was last year's Women's Final Four national basketball tournament.

But, the commission and its St. Louis Sports Foundation also has a strong program to improve sports opportunities for local kids.

Troye Frank is the director of the St. Louis Sports Foundation. He looks after the Sports for Kids program. And he's the guy you and your team coaches can contact to get involved in program activities

You can reach him at (314) 992-0689 or e-mail him at tfrank@stlouissports.org. The commission also has a website at www.stlouissports.org. Then, click on Sports for Kids.

(Note: To see how Commission efforts with major sports events help the Sports for Kids program, see the other sports story in this edition.)

Here's a rundown of the Sports for Kids program:

1. Youth Sports Clinics:

The next free sports clinic will be in November at University of Missouri-St. Louis. Youth coaches and athletes will get instruction from well-known area college basketball coaches. The clinics focus on proper techniques and sportsmanship.

Troye Frank said the commission plans to expand the number of sports clinics. Regular ones have been for football, baseball, softball and soccer. But, he wants to add ones for tennis, lacrosse and field hockey.

2. Gifts and Grants:

Gifts and grants from $500 to $4,000 are awarded by the Sports Foundation for such things as equipment, uniforms, travel and coaches training. These awards go primarily to non-profit youth sports organizations.

A recent award went to the Beyond Housing organization of St. Louis for a baseball camp. The foundation also supported CPR and first aid training for Special Olympics of Missouri.

For details, contact Troye Frank. Gifts and grants are awarded in February and April each year so there's plenty of time to apply.

3. Tickets for Kids:

Area teams and event organizers donate tickets to youth organizations in St. Louis. Over 50,000 tickets have been given out since the program started seven years ago.

4. Facility renovation:

The foundation will be financing the renovation of a baseball diamond at the Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club in the City of St. Louis.

Money was provided to refurbish the gym at the Greeley Community Center in the City of St. Louis. That included sanding and refinishing the floor and installing new wall tiles. Former St. Louis Cardinal great Ozzie Smith helped during the re-opening ceremony.

5. St. Louis Sports Career Day:

In February, 2002, the foundation will hold a free event for high school students. This will introduce the teenagers to professionals in areas of sports such as marketing, medicine, media, administration and management.

There's a whole range of sports occupations beyond just being a player or coach.

6. Coaches' Victory Dinner:

The commission will hold a dinner Friday, Oct. 19, to honor youth sports coaches for their outstanding work with kids during the year. Former St. Louis Cardinal catcher Darrell Porter will be the featured speaker. He was the 1982 World Series MVP.

For information about the banquet, contact Troye Frank.

Last summer, State Games of America held its national amateur championships in St. Louis. That group said it expects to leave some profits behind to support local kids sports activities in the months ahead.

The national competitions drew 5,386 athletes from across the country to St. Louis July 10-12. The amateur competitors were winners of state meets such as the Show-me Games in Missouri and the Prairie Games in Illinois.

Last month, Young Saint Louis.com carried stories about local kid athletes who competed in the national games.

One was a health story about 10-year-old Kyle Bradley who has earned national wrestling although he's legally blind. The other was a sports feature about 11-year-old twin wrestlers, Matthew and Nicholas Lester.

Staging giant tournaments for amateur athletes is risky business. The local St. Louis Sports Commission was a partner in staging the national meet.

If the games had lost money, the commission would have been required to help make up the deficit. However, if the games made money, the commission would share in the surplus.

Apparently, St. Louis has kept its record intact for making such amateur meets both financial and competitive successes.

Tom Osborne is the executive director of the State Games of America organization in Montana. He told YSL.com, "We haven't paid all of our bills yet, but we are hopeful to be leaving money for the Commission's youth athletic programs."

The other sports story in this YSL.com edition outlines the Commission's youth sports activities. You might like to tell your group leaders and see if your team can get involved.

Also, you can log on to the Commission's website, at www.stlouissports.org. Then, click on to the Sports for Kids headline.

Fun & Games

Fun & Games

Note that the words used in Young Saint Louis.com crossword puzzles are all taken from the articles appearing in this months issue. When you have completed the puzzles, you can look below to find the answers!

Young Saint Louis.com Oct. #1

Young Saint Louis.com Oct. #2

Halloween

How about some trick or treat jokes for Halloween?

Books about monsters:

• “Never Make a Girl Monster Mad” by Sheila Tack
• “The Vampire’s Victim” by E. Drew Blood
• “Chased by a Werewolf” by Claude Bottom
• “Ghosts and Ghouls” by Sue Pernatural
• “Terrible Spells” by B. Witches
• “When to Go Monster Hunting” by May B. Tomorrow
• “Catching Poisonous Snakes” by Sir Pent

More monster jokes

What do you do with a blue monster?
     Try to cheer him up!

What do you do with a green monster?
     Wait until it ripens!

What’s the best thing to do if a monster breaks down your front door?
     Run out the back door!

What’s a monster’s favorite game?
     Swallow the leader!

What do monsters do every night at eleven o’clock?
     Take a coffin break!

Did you hear about the monster who went on a crash diet?
     Yeah, he wrecked two cars and a bus!        

First monster: That girl over there just rolled her eyes at me.
     Second monster: Well, roll them back.  She might need them again!

Mrs. Monster: Will you love me when I’m old and ugly?
     Mr. Monster: Darling, of course I do!

Can a monster jump higher than a street light?
     Of course – a street light can’t jump!

Boy Number 1: I’m going to keep this monster under my bed.
     Boy number 2: What about the terrible smell?
Boy number 1: He’ll just have to get used to it!

What happened to the monster who ran away with the circus?
     The police made him bring it back!

What happens when monsters hold a beauty contest?
     Nobody wins!

Knock knock.
     Who’s there?
Alex.
     Alex who?
Alex the questions around here!

Knock knock.
     Who’s there?
Attila.
     Attila who?
Attila you no lies!

Knock knock.
     Who’s there?
Razor.
     Razor who?
Razor hands.  This is a stick up!

Answers to Fun & Games

Note that the words used in Young Saint Louis.com crossword puzzles are all taken from the articles appearing in this months issue.

Young Saint Louis.com Oct. #1

Young Saint Louis.com Oct. #2

Halloween