Kids News - Articles for Grades 4-5

Mention koalas and the image that comes to mind is that of a cuddly animal snoozing, whilst clinging on to a tree trunk for dear life - and rightfully so, given that the animals sleep for up to 20 hours a day! However, while the fact that their sedentary lifestyle is caused by their unusually small brains and the limited nutritional content of the eucalyptus leaves they consume is well-known, what was never questioned was their penchant for tree trunks. Turns out that the smart koalas have figured out that staying close to trees is the best way to beat the heat, during the hot Australian summers....

It's summertime summertime sum sum summertime . . . That means it's time for the DOGOnews team to take a short break and prepare for the upcoming school year. We will be back on August 4th, with more exciting news articles....

Three hundred of Britain'sbadly behaved pets recently got their day in the sun, thanks to a nationwide competition to honor the naughtiest of them all! The contest organized by Direct Blinds, an online supplier of custom window coverings, asked owners to upload photos of their pets caught during their most mischievous moments, on the company's Facebook page....

The fact that the Japanese love robots is well-known. The nation of 127 million people currently employs over a quarter million robots workers, more than any other country in the world, and the number is expected to quadruple in the next 15 years. So far, most of the robots have been built for the industrial sector and therefore bear no resemblance to humans. But if some scientists have their way, the days of androids - robots that look and act like humans, are not too far away....

Though sand sculpting festivals are fairly common, few are as majestic as the one organized by Belgium's Royal Sand Carvers Society. An annual tradition since 1997, the festival which received the 2010 Guinness World Record for the largest such event, incorporates over 150 sand masterpieces created by 30 of the world's best carvers....

Most homeless resort to panhandling to make ends meet. However an enterprising young South African man has come up with an interesting alternative - he spends his days spreading the joy of reading and selling books written by his favorite authors. Meet Philani Dladla aka 'Pavement Bookworm'....

On June 9th, even the most rushed traveler at Hong Kong's International airport paused to admire the mesmerizing sight of 1,600 pandas, each the size of a human baby, some sitting, others standing - all eager to be whisked away to the city's numerous landmarks. As you may have already guessed, they were not live animals but replicas made from recycled materials by French sculptor, Paulo Grangeon....

A month ago, only avid soccer fans knew who Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar da Silva Santos Jr. were. However, thanks to the just ended FIFA World Cup, the trio have become household names, and rightfully so - After all, Messi was instrumental in getting Argentina to the finals, and Brazil's dismal performance against Germany and the Netherlands highlighted just how important Neymar is to the country's success in soccer. Though Ronaldo did not quite live up to the lofty expectations, he did score one of the two goals in Portugal's final game against Ghana and made a crucial assist in their match against the United States....

The fact that New Caledonian crows are smart is no secret. After all these birds that are endemic to the remote South Pacific Island of New Caledonia have been lauded for years, for their sophisticated tool use that not only rivals most birds, but also some of the most intelligent primates. But now it seems that they even possess psychic powers - For how else can you explain their accurate prediction of the semifinal results of the 2014 FIFA World Cup?...