Kids News - Articles for Grades 4-5

Though humans may think they are the masters of deception, some of the world's best con artists appear to be birds. First there is the cuckoo finch that tricks other birds into raising its offspring and now, Africa's fork-tailed drongo that sends out false alarm signals, just so that it can steal food from other birds....

In 2013, Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde made headlines when he teamed up with Heijman's Infrastructure to build the world's first 'Smart Highway' in The Netherlands. Now, a British company called Pro-Teq has invented a product that can transform mundane sidewalks into 'Starpaths' - public paths that project a star-like glow, alleviating the need for street lights....

Each year, from March to June, millions of Americans that live in the Midwestern and Southern United States, brace themselves for the tornado season. And while the twisters are often late, they never fail to make an appearance. This year's first big storm which arrived on Sunday, April 27th, was a deadly slow moving system that caused havoc across a large swath of the country from Oklahoma to Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas, Florida, Iowa, The Carolinas and even, New York....

Love free things? Then you are in luck. That's because Saturday, May 3rd, happens to be Free Comic Book Day. This means that you can walk into any participating store and get yourself one (or multiple) copies of your favorite comic book. The best part is that this special day is celebrated by comic book retailers all over the world....

A new eatery in Melbourne, Australia is making headlines all over the world. However the accolades are not for its cuisine, service or location, but for the way it delivers - via a parachute, similar to how the Hunger Games tributes received their gifts! Another unusual twist? The menu comprises of just one item - grilled cheese sandwiches or jaffles, as the Australians like to call them....

While Andrew Garfield who plays the comic book superhero in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will be performing many heart-stopping climbs and leaps in the movie, he is not as agile in real-life. That is probably why the filmmakers decided to call upon the real Spider-Man – French extreme climber Alain Robert, to help promote the superhero movie in China, on April 23rd, 2014....

In January 2012, US tech giant IBM's Swiss laboratory stunned the world when they unveiled the world's smallest globe. Measuring a mere 22 by 11 microns, it was so tiny that 1,000 of them could be placed on a single grain of salt. Now, the scientists have done it again with this even tinier, National Geographic Kids Magazine cover. Measuring 11 by 14 microns, it is about half the size of the globe, which means that up to 2,000 of the covers could easily fit on a grain of salt!...

Most 13-year-old girls spend their days trying to keep up with the latest fashion trends and fretting about junior high grades. Isabella Rose Taylor is no different. Except in her case, it involves setting fashion trends with her eponymous clothing line and worrying about college grades. For, believe it or not, this teenager is not just a successful fashion designer, but also, a brilliant student who is pursuing a degree in fine arts at a local college. If that is not impressive enough, her junior clothing line is about to debut at one of the nation's most prestigious retailers - Nordstrom....

Earlier this week, the Earth Day Network announced the 'Green Cities' challenge, asking communities worldwide to reduce their dependence on 'dirty' energy - electricity produced using fossil fuels. Now, Washington D.C.'s Georgetown University, is making the challenge more enticing, with a $5 million USD reward for any U.S. town or city that devises the best program to reduce energy consumption....