Articles for Grade 3

On the morning of Friday December 14th, Americans watched in horror and disbelief as reports of an unprecedented tragedy began unfolding on the Internet and live television - The senseless killing of 26 innocent people, 20 of them students between the ages of 6 and 7, at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut....

This stunning image of a fire emanating from the spout of a humpback whale may seem like a cleverly photoshopped picture or better still, a new awesome species of the mammal. However, it is neither - Instead it is an optical illusion created by a scientific principle that you may all have heard of - Refraction....

Ever since J.K. Rowling planted the idea of an invisibility cloak in her blockbuster Harry Potter book series, scientists have been falling all over themselves to create a material that can not only camouflage people, but also, buildings. Now a Canadian company claims to have won that race with a magical textile that it aptly calls 'Quantum Stealth'....

Since house designs cannot be changed unless the entire structure is renovated, they are normally built with the worst weather patterns in mind. For example, a house in the Arctic would have thick concrete walls to preserve heat, while the opposite would be true for one built in the desert. This means that while residents are sheltered during severe weather conditions, they are unable to enjoy seasonal changes. Now, two British architects are trying to change this with a revolutionary design that believe it or not, uses a math puzzle that you may all be quite familiar with!...

It is often said that you cannot 'teach an old dog new tricks', but either these three New Zealand pooches have never heard of the idiom or have decided to prove otherwise by learning a skill that even most of you have yet to master - Driving a car!...

Ready-to-eat breakfast cereals have come a long way since Denver businessman Henry Drushel Perky introduced Shredded Wheat (1893) and Dr. John Harvey Kellogg and his brother William Keith Kellogg created Granose Flakes (1804) and Corn Flakes (1895), respectively. Not only is today's cereal much more decadent, but it is also, quite colorful. This, is what Ernie Button set out to explore and highlight with his rather unusual photography collection that he cheekily calls 'Cerealism'....

Yesterday after sundown, thousands of people gathered at New York City's Grand Army Plaza to witness the lighting of the world's largest menorah. The 32-foot high, 4,000 pound gold-colored steel candelabrum that had to be lit with the help of a cherry picker, marked the beginning of Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights....

Let's face it - Art shows can get just a tad boring. After all, how many exhibits can you ooh and aah over? Unless of course, you are one of those lucky people that live in South-East Russia and was fortunate enough to visit the Archstoyanie art festival where one of the art installations this year, happened to be 'Fast Track' - The world's longest trampoline!...

In 1986, Pixar introduced its pioneering computer animation technique with a short film whose main star was a perky lamp called Luxo Jr. Not only did the film get nominated for an Academy Award, but Luxo Jr. also became a permanent fixture in the company's logo. Now three students from New Zealand's Wellington University have brought this iconic lamp to life - And, it's even more fun than the animated version....