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Volume I, Issue 4 >> August 01, 2013 >> Subscribe www.childfriendlynews.com >> Email childfriendlynews@gmail.com

Space Search

PG 4-5

IndIa wIll Soon have 29 StateSB

y this time next year, your school textbooks will be speaking of India’s 29 states, not

the 28 we have at present. That’s because the government has decided to split (break-up) the state of Andhra Pradesh into two states. The coastal region will continue to be called Andhra Pradesh, while the other half will be called Telangana. Both states will have the same capital city, Hyderabad.

Why is Andhra being broken up?Andhra Pradesh state was formed in 1956 by joining Telangana with the Andhra region. The idea was to create a state by joining areas where people spoke the same language – Telegu. But the people of

Telangana did not welcome this and have been asking for a separate state for many years. That’s because they feel that the government of Andhra Pradesh has been ignoring the Telangana region. They point out that very little money is being spent to develop the area and very few jobs are being created for the people living in Telangana. When the new state is formed, it will have a separate government that will focus exclusively on Telangana. Things will get much better and region will become prosperous (wealthy), say the people living there.

When will the new state be formed?Now that it has made up its mind about creating Telangana state, the Government of

India has to complete certain activities before the new state can be officially set up. Among the most important is getting the Parliament of India to agree to the division. It also has to work out how the resources of

the state – money, buildings, companies – will be divided between Andhra and Telangana. There is a lot of work to be done before text book makers can start making changes in school books.

Leewana Nanda, a Class 5 student of The Shri Ram School Vasant Vihar, has won the CFN ‘Catch a Summer Moment’ Photo Contest 2013. Leewana’s picture of a monitor lizard basking on a lotus leaf in a pool stands out for its excellent

composition and the play of light and shadow. The image of the basking lizard brings to mind long, hot summer afternoons when you have all the time in the world to simply gaze at the world around.Leewana wins a subscription to SAVEUS, the wildlife and photography magazine as well as an opportunity to participate in a photo workshop conducted by one of India’s leading wildlife photographers.

CFn Photo Contest winner

Telangana: The area in red will be taken out of Andhra Pradesh to create a new state of Telangana

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Features CHILD FRIENDLY NEWSAugust 01, 2013www.childfriendlynews.com

Did you Know? Like kittens, snow leopard cubs are small and helpless at birth – they do not open their eyes until they are about 7 days old.

The highly endangered snow leopard is being threatened by a Himalayan goat whose

coat is used to make fine cashmere shawls and clothes that are prized for their warmth. Before you start imagining a super goat that can take on a leopard, we’ll quickly clarify that the mountain goats are not defeating the leopard in combat (fight). Rather, it’s the huge increase in the number of goats that is threatening the leopard.

What’s going wrong?Cashmere wool, which is very fine and soft, is spun from the hair of certain goat species found in Central Asia and the Himalayan regions of India, Nepal and Tibet. With cashmere wool becoming very popular all over the world, the rearing of the goat has become a big business. In Mongolia (a country in Central Asia) alone, the number of goats has increased from 5 million in 1990 to 14 million in 2014, according to a recent study. The study was conducted by experts belonging to the ‘Snow Leopard Trust’ which works to protect this big cat.

Why does it affect the snow leopard?When herds increase like this, it affects the snow leopard. That’s because the domestic goats being reared for wool are pushing out

the wild herbivores (grass eating animals) of the region, such the Tibetan antelope or Chiru and the Himalayan Bharal. These herbivores are an important source of food for the leopard. As their food supply dwindles (reduces), the leopards are forced to prey on the domestic cashmere goats. Shepherds and farmers owning the goats are in turn killing

the snow leopard to protect their property. The number of such killings has increased recently.As the report also points out, any solution to this problem will have to take care of the farmer’s needs (protecting the wool producing herds) without harming the highly endangered cat.

The picture you are looking at is a snapshot of Earth taken from near the planet Saturn. The photo was taken by the Cassini spacecraft that is orbiting Saturn. When this photo was taken on July 19, Cassini was at a distance of

1.4 billion kilometers from earth! No wonder then that our planet is tiny blue speck.The image was released by NASA, the US space agency that owns Cassini. It is a very rare image as it is only the third time that an image of earth has been captured from space. In the image you can also see the rings of Saturn. Images of earth from space are rare as spacecraft are rarely turn back lest their instruments be blinded by the sun. But in this case, the sun’s rays are shielded by Saturn and we have an opportunity to see our ‘Blue Planet’ from outer space.

From 900 million miles away

Can a woolen Shawl StranGle the Snow leoPard?

In a little island in a big ocean, there lived a hobbit

No, we aren’t speaking of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ movie that was filmed in New Zealand. Instead, scientists have found remains of early humans no taller than three feet, much like the beloved Hobbits of Tolkien’s books, in

an island belonging to Indonesia.The discovery of a curiously small skeleton in the Indonesian island of Flores a few years ago was proof that child sized humans walked the earth 12,000 years ago. Recent study has shown that they resembled, not apes as was thought earlier, but early humans. If you remember your Tolkien, you’d know that his Hobbits too looked like little humans except for their sturdy, oversize, hairy feet.So, is this a case of art (Tolkien’s) books unknowingly imitating life?

The Snow Leopard is an endangered big cat

Photo Courtesy: W

ikipedia

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FeaturesCHILD FRIENDLY NEWSAugust 01, 2013 www.childfriendlynews.com

If you can’t look after something in your care, you have no right to keep it.

— Enid Blyton

Brer Wolf who always trys to eat Brer Rabbit for his dinner. But Brer Rabbit is a clever one and makes clever plans too….. as it happened once when Brer Wolf thought of a good way to get Brer Rabbit for his dinner. He pretended to be groaning and helpless but even then he could not outsmart Brer Rabbit.

I like the book because it is very witty and I could learn some new words from it and improve my language. It is meant for ages 6 and above. It was a nice story book and I enjoyed reading it.

I like the author Enid Blyton the most. She writes many wonderful stories and poems for all ages. She was born in London in 1897.

Enid Blyton sold her first piece of literature when she was at the age of 20, a poem called “Have You…..?”.

Now, I am going to tell you about my favourite book “Brer Rabbit’s a Rascal.” My favourite character is Brer Rabbit because he plays tricks and practical jokes on his friends. Mainly he tries to outsmart

T H E B O O K N O O K

CFn-rIvo Book revIew ConteSt wInner‘Brer raBBIt’S raSCal’ By enId Blyton

Can cities become ‘green’ by protecting the environment instead of polluting it? Can cities give more back to the

earth, instead of always taking from it? Can cities become more like the forest?Experts in the field of bio-mimicry, which is all about science inspired by nature, certainly think so. And not surprisingly, they believe that the answer comes from nature. Cities can become more like a forest that provides clean air, fresh water and food to its inhabitants by imitating what the forest does. And the good news is that modern technology already has some of the solutions to make this possible.

A natural air conditionerIn New York in the United States, a skyscraper (tall building) has invested in technology that enables air to leave the building three times cleaner then when it entered. By doing so, it is imitating what trees do – inhaling poisonous carbon di-oxide and releasing fresh oxygen.Half way across the world, in the city of Harare in Zimbabwe, a country in Africa, a large commercial complex has been designed to resemble a termite mound. The building copies termite mounds in the way they manage heat inside the mound. By imitating such mounds, the Harare building has been able to reduce the amount of air conditioning (and hence electricity) used inside.

Material ScienceWe can also look to nature to create a healthy environment within our cities.A company in the US is developing ‘anti-fouling’ materials that imitate the natural texture (feel) and resilience (strength) of shark skin. Anti-fouling materials work against the growth of bacteria and other germs. Use of such materials in busy places

like stations, hospitals and buses will block diseases that occur when an ill person passes on an infection by touching a counter or staircase rail. The materials will fight the growth of bacteria and germs and prevent the disease from spreading.Clearly, there are many lessons to be learnt from nature that can help us clean-up our cities!

‘Brer Rabbit’s Rascal’ by Enid Blyton reviewed by 8 year old M.Mrithika

N a t u r a l S p e a k i n g

CaN CitieS beCome more like foreStS?

Special reportCFN

CHILD FRIENDLY NEWSAugust 01, 2013 www.childfriendlynews.com

That’s one small step for a man; one giant leap for mankind.

— Neil A. Armstrong on stepping foot on the moon4

one small step…

the story since then..

where will we go next?

Space SearchA

lmost exactly 44 years ago, on the 21st of July, astronaut Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon. Since then manned

spaceflight has fascinated human beings. We dream of going to the different planets in our solar systems and perhaps one day, even beyond that. The fascination for exploration is matched by the other great reason for space programs – the quest (search) for life in outer space. In this edition of the special report, we will do a quick round up of the history and future of manned spaceflight as well as the search for life in outer space.

The early days of space exploration were a keenly fought contest between the United States and Russia on who would send the first spacecrafts and astronauts into space. Here is how the record books stack up:

• The Russians launched the first spacecraft into orbit around earth in 1957. That same year, Laika the dog became the first living creature in space. She was also Russian!

• The first human in space was Yuri Gagarin of Russia who completed an orbit around the globe in 1961.

• The Americans scored a hit, when in 1969, they managed a moon landing. As you know, the first man on the moon was Neil Armstrong

Since those early days of space exploration, space programs have

made huge progress with regular space shuttle flights and the setting up of the International Space Station (ISS). Let’s learn a little more about this.

Until two years ago, US space agency NASA ran an extremely successful space shuttle programme that used, for the first time, re-usable aircraft that could not only take astronauts into space but also return intact and safe. Over 30 years, 135 space missions were completed. The last space shuttle landed back on earth on July 21, 2011.

Many of the space shuttle flights were used to take astronauts to the International Space Station or ISS. The ISS is a joint project of several countries including the US and Russia. It is a spacecraft that has been placed in permanent orbit above earth. Astronauts live aboard

the ISS for months on end conducting experiments. These experiments help us prepare for longer voyages to other planets.

Agencies like NASA and even ISRO, the Indian space agency, are preparing for f lights that will take humans deeper into space. Here are some of the spots that are on the itinerary (trip plan):

MoonThe moon is back on everyone’s sights as its untouched surface allows scientists to study how space objects, including our very own earth, develop and age.

Neil Armstrong steps foot on the moon

The US space shuttle programme has been shut down, but in its place, private companies are creating aircrafts that can take astronauts and supplies to the ISS. Other companies are preparing to give tourists a ride into space. Perhaps one day, space travel will become as common as hopping into an aircraft !

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Did you know?Since it’s the third brightest object in the sky, you can spot the ISS at night or early in the morning. It looks like a moving aircraft in the dark sky. To find out when you can spot it, sign up for alerts at http://spotthestation.nasa.gov/.

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It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I didn’t feel like a giant. I felt very, very small.

— Neil Armstrong CHILD FRIENDLY NEWSAugust 01, 2013

www.childfriendlynews.com

where will we go next?

Near Earth AsteroidsThese could be valuable sources of information on the early life of the solar system. Plus some asteroids contain a huge volume of water – and learning how to tap this water could help us travel better in space, as this water could be both a source of rocket fuel as well as drinking water for humans.

MarsNASA’s ‘Curiosity’ rover is currently exploring Mars, the planet that has fascinated humans for many years. Mars may contain water – this makes the planet a possible second home for humans. Plus, studying Mars may also help us understand how the earth will develop in the future.

the hunt for Goldilocks

all about SetI

If you were fascinated by the movie ET, you’d understand why some people make it their life’s mission (project) to look for other creatures in space. This is called the Search for Extra Terrestrial

Intelligence (SETI). Scientists running SETI projects have set up telescopes (machines) that scan radio signals in space, looking for communication that indicates that there are intelligent beings living on other planets. So far, there is no sign of life outside earth. But the search continues……………….

Neil Armstrong steps foot on the moon

Even as astronauts and space agencies gear up to travel to destinations like the Moon

and Mars, others are planning far ahead on where man might want to go in the distant future. A lot of people are searching for ‘exoplanets.’ These are planets that are situated at just the right distance from a star (like our sun), so that they get just the right amount of heat – it’s not too hot or not too cold (see the Goldilocks connection?) on their surface. Much like Earth, you may say. Such planets are most likely to support life – not only might we find other life forms there, but, these exoplanets could also be potential (in the future) new homes for humans.

To support life, a planet has to be at the right distance from a star

These giant telescopes are monitoring space for

signals from other life forms in the universe

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news CHILD FRIENDLY NEWSAugust 01, 2013 www.childfriendlynews.com

The Internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomor-row.

— Bill Gates

IndIa’s Internet among slowest In the world

Ever had the experience of waiting and waiting (and waiting….) for your internet browser to load

the information you were look-ing for? It’s not surprising then to find out that India has one of the slowest Internet speeds in the world. The average internet speed in In-dia during the last three months was 1.3 MBPS. MBPS stands for

Mega Bytes Per Second. Traffic on the internet and communication networks is measured in bytes, just as distance is measured in ki-lometres.At 1.3 MBPS, the internet speed in India is slower than that in coun-tries like Vietnam, Taiwan and Thailand. With an average speed of 14.2 MBPS, the internet in South Korea is one of the fastest in the world.

high Jump

world tiger day

royal baby

It was perhaps one of the most anticipated babies in the world. On the 22nd

of July, a baby boy was born to Prince William and Kate Middleton. Named George Al-exander Louis or simply Price George, the baby is already third in line to the British throne, behind his father and grand father.They are no super heroes. Instead what you are looking at is a pair of divers competing at

the World Swimming Championships held at Barcelona, Spain, this past week. The dive board is set against the backdrop of Barcelona city, making this dramatic photo possible.

Did you know that July 29 is World Tiger Day? The day is celebrated

as a reminder of how precious this big cat is and how close to extinction tigers are. From over 100,000 tigers 100 years ago, we are down to just over 3000 tigers. A large number (1700+) live in India. So, as Indi-

ans, we have a big responsibili-ty to protect this magnificent cat.

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Kate Middleton holds Prince George

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newsCHILD FRIENDLY NEWSAugust 01, 2013www.childfriendlynews.com

Badminton is like ballet dancing. It re-quires a lot of control, strength, mind play and measured movement — Indian movie star Aamir Khan,

who plays badminton. S p o r t S

no Formula 1 race In 2014

Zimbabwe series in the bag for India

After just three races, India’s first Formula 1 (F1) racing track at NOIDA is getting knocked off the F1 calendar in 2014. F1 races are held through the year at locations around

the world including Germany, Japan, Malaysia and Italy. At the end of the year, the team and the driver with the maximum points from all races are awarded the championship prizes. There are 19 races right now, and with two more locations to be added next year, India is getting left out.F1 races came to India for the first time in 2011. But the high amounts required to be paid by the organizers to the Indian gov-ernment may be making India a less attractive place to hold the race. The organizers who conduct the race at the Budh Interna-tional Circuit near Delhi however said that instead of 2014, the In-dia race may be held in 2015.

With three wins in a row, the Indian team has already won the 5 match One Day International (ODI) se-ries against Zimbabwe. Despite some on field tan-trums, ViratKohli, who is standing in for M S Dhoni

as captain, steered the side to victory with some good batting.This is India’s third series win in a row after the Champions Tro-phy and the tri series win against the West Indies and Sri Lanka.

The success of the In-dian Premier League (IPL) cricket tourna-ment is inspiring oth-

er sports. A few months ago, the Indian Hockey League was launched (started), now it’s the turn of the Indian Badminton League (IBL).IBL is similar (like) to the IPL in many ways. Teams or clubs are assigned to different cities and the club owners have to ‘bid’ for players in an auction. This is how it works – a pool of players is available to play in the IBL. Clubs offer different amounts of money for a player, and the one that offers the highest bid gets the player.IBL will be played between Au-gust 14 and 31 between six clubs (see box for details). At the auc-tion that was held on July 22,

Malaysian player and World No 1 Lee Chong Wei was snapped up by Mumbai for Rs.80 lakh while India’s Saina Nehwal was won by the Hyderabad team for about Rs.70 lakh. Teams of 12 players will play each other once in their home city and once away, which is again similar to the IPL format. Teams with the highest points will make it to the semi-final and final stages.

It’s time for badminton, IPl style

Virat Kohli led from the front and his batting helped India win the series.

You will see Men’s World No 1 Lee Chong Wei and India’s Saina Nehwal in action at the tournament.

IBL teams•   Hyderabad 

Hotshots•  Delhi Smashers•  Mumbai Masters•  Pune Pistons•   Lucknow 

Warriors•  Banga Beats

owlIe’S FUn PaGe8 CFN

CHILD FRIENDLY NEWSAugust 01, 2013 www.childfriendlynews.com

Child Friendly News or CFN is an age appropriate newspaper for children in the age group 7-13. The newspaper comes out every fortnight. Every issue is written using language that young readers can understand on their own interspersed with pictures and imagery. Quick explanations of  difficult words and terms and boxed elements that explain concepts accompany every article — this is to help build 

vocabulary as well as context understanding. Special reports take up one topic in depth while regular columns  on  everyday  technology  concepts  keep  children  up-to-date with  the world  around  them.A subscription costs Rs.650 for the year.Child Friendly News is published from C5/7 FF Vasant Vihar, New Delhi 110057. Pub-lished, printed, edited and owned by Anita Mani. Printed by Printworks, F-25, Okhla Industrial Area, Ph I, New Delhi 110020

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Seek the StarS FiNd The hiddeN objecTs

top reads for kids and young adults

Can you spot the hidden objects listed at the bottom of the picture

UNSCRAMBLE THE WORDS

SUdokU tIMe

You would have heard of the zodiac signs and the star constellations named after them. Here are images of the constellations seen in the night sky. The symbol of the zodiac sign is also printed over the stars as a clue. Can you identify the zodiac signs represented by these constellations? Answers

1.Scorpio 2.Aries 3. Taurus 4. Leo

Re-arrange thealphabets tofind the word

1. KrecOT

2. eSacp UIST

3. TaSr

4. TOaNSraTU

Clue: All clues are linked to space and space travel

Answers1. Rocket2. Spacesuit3. Star4. Astronaut

1. Beastly Tales from Here and there by Vikram Seth2. Tigers for Dinner: Tall Tales by Jim Corbett’s

Khansama by Ruskin Bond3. Bodyguard: Hostage by Chris Bradford4. The Usborne Book of Greek Myths by Anna

Milbourne / Louie Stowell5. Insurgent by Veronica Roth6. The Eyes of the Eagle by Ruskin Bond7. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green8. Mouse in Space by Geronimo Stilton9. Light by Michael Grant10. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

To know more about these books and to buy them, check outwww.toptenbooksoftheweek.com

Try your hand at this Sudoku. Remember that numbers 1 to 6 can appear only once in each of the six rectangles. They can also appear only once in each row and column of the overall square.

Answer

5

6

6

2

2

134

42

6

1

31

5 2

5

13

5

5

462

64

3

251

36

31

1

4

526

25

1

62

64

43

1

3

2

4