A Year in Review:A Look at Major World Events

During our 4th Grade Year

                                 

                                   Are Summer Vacations Going to

End?         By: Catherine, Shannon, and Aria

As we all know gas prices are getting super high. Who knows why? Who knows how? Well we’re going to answer all those questions. Gas prices have been one thing most people have been talking about. Most people are not happy with this. Some people might be happy with this. We interviewed Melissa Rabbitt and found out her opinion.

                                Opinion           Good or Bad?            

Melissa Rabbitt feels that gas prices are too high, and it used to cost her $29 to fill her tank. Now it costs her $40. Although, it does not stop her from driving. She would love it if it cost $3 again but does not know enough about economy to know if that will happen. Melissa thinks she should drive less but she does not. All the money she is spending on gas is emptying out her pockets. She thinks that the price raise relates to the war. That is Melissa Rabbitt’s opinion.

                

                  Why Is It Happening?     

    Does anyone know why prices are rising? Well, part of the reason is the supply problem in Nigeria, Iraq, Gulf of Mexico, and Iran. The price of oil is increasing, so therefore gas prices are too. Another reason is that people are willing to spend the money. This is called the global market. If people have the money and are spending what they are charged, companies can keep raising prices. Do you like the prices? If not take a stand and speak your words.  

Gas Prices Surge High                                      

The high gas prices have been affecting us in many ways. The way high gas prices are affecting us is that if the gas prices get more expensive, we will lose money. Many people drive in the summer and because of that, gas prices will go up. As we know, summer is the perfect time to drive because of the great weather. Since they drive so much, they need to gas up often. Gas prices go up because gas companies   (such as Shell, Hess, Citgo, etc.) want the people to spend more on gas. People may go on fewer vacations this summer, or they may choose to use other transportation, such as buses, planes, scooters, bikes, or their feet. If prices continue to rise, it will certainly affect us.

For more information, go to:http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?

storyId=5365439 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/

article/2010/01/07  

http//abcnews.go.com/Buisness/gas-prices-climb-388/story?id=13451777

Survival UndergroundBy: Julia, Olivia, Jarod

Chilean Miners

Terrified, the world watched as thirty-three miners at Peru’s San Jose mine were finally rescued. The skinny

capsule which brought the men up worked flawlessly even though it was only a men’s shoulder wide. The miners had to stay in the capsule for 15 minutes to get up the 2,050 feet

rock tunnel. One of the miners was Franklin Lobos, who was a professional soccer player. One of the most memorable moments for the miners was when Mario Sepulveda (the second miner to be rescued), ran up and down the crowd

hugging everybody and giving rocks from the mine as gifts. This time in history was a memorable moment.

                  Chilean Miners’ Vacation

    Two of the surviving miners, Florencio Avalos Silva and Omar Reygada Rejas had the opportunity to come to

America, brought by Angel Valdivia of Metrowest ESL program. Their tour began with the miners that caught a Red Sox game. Their names are Florencio Avalos Silva, and Omar

Reygada Rejas. Boston Harbor was a trip that they took earlier in the day, they went whale watching. SO FUN! Then

they went to the Statue of Liberty. Impressing or not? To Edison Pena it was not. He actually thought it was bigger

than it appears. He also thought it was white. “The hot dogs are not tasty, Chile’s hot dogs are better” a miner said. Were the Chilean miners impressed with New York and

Boston? We don’t think so. What a vacation for these miners.

COAL MINING

Coal mining in Chile is very different than coal mining in the U.S. Half of the U.S electricity is generated from coal. Coal is the most affordable source of power fuel. Almost 30% of the U.S. mines are owned by public companies. Public companies produce 75% of  U.S. coal. The U.S has nearly 262 billion tons of recoverable coal reserves, according to the EIA (Energy Information Administration). Every American uses an average of 43,000 of newly mined minerals every year.

Facts from: www.www.nma.org

www.dogonews.com

http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/10/13/us-chile-miners-idUSN0925972620101013

http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpps/news/offbeat/chile an- miner-pena-not-so-impressed-with-nyc-dpgonc-km-20101106_10498939

                                              

Wind Whips Through the Southeast By: Christine, Mairead, Jalen, Matt and Adrian

              

Southern USA Tornadoes                                                                        

Perfect weather was what started the 150 tornadoes that ripped through the states of Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia on April 27th 2011. The weather was warm, and moist air was rising and mixing with colder, dry air at higher height. It then turned into the deadly tornadoes until they stopped and ended with a light rain. The hardest hit amongst the victims was the town Tuscaloosa in Alabama where a mile-wide twister reached 7.5 to 9.5 miles in the sky and came in at a fast 260 mph destroying everything, injuring about 800 people. That tornado was rated an F5 or the worst on the Fujiita scale which ranks tornadoes on speed and destruction. The twister was southwest of Tuscaloosa and while most tornadoes touch the ground for a few minutes, experts believe that this one may have lasted 300 miles and they think it might be the same one that swept Alabama and Georgia. People only had a 24 minute head start before the biggest one hit. People ran to what they thought were the safest spots like cars or churches but some did not make it. In Raleigh, a boys and girls club was destroyed, sidetracking

their fun plans. They are currently cleaning up while sharing with other clubs.

How they Formed

A tornado is formed by tropical air mixing with cold polar air. It all starts under a severe thunderstorm cloud when moist

air meets and mixes with cold polar air. As the warm air rises, winds spin around to rotate and form a funnel. The air in the funnel spins faster and faster and sucks in more air and sometimes even objects. While usual thunder storms

last half or one hour, this thunderstorm, called a super cell, can last several hours after the tornado has happened.

Frequency of Tornadoes

The frequency of tornadoes is about 1,200 a year in the United States. The worst tornado place is tornado alley. It

goes from Texas to South Dakota. In the picture the blue is tornado alley. In the center is red.  Red is a high chance a

tornado will occur. Yellow is a medium chance while blue is a

low chance a tornado will happen. So if you’re looking to purchase a new home, stay clear of tornado alley!

The Shocking Aftershock of the Tuscaloosa Tornado

The after wreck of the Tuscaloosa tornadoes was really devastating. It tore apart houses but some places like the Crimson Tide University did not get touched. However, the tornado ended school days for the rest of the year. Some people lost their homes and some even died. When the

tornado first hit, the sirens went off. Graduate students at the university hid in their closets because almost no

southern houses have basements. For right now, 236 people have been pronounced dead and still counting. 23 more tornadoes hit Alabama a week after May 4th. 36 counties

asked Red Cross for aid. Barack Obama said “ It looks like a nuclear bomb went off. Everything was leveled from the

tornadoes disruption. It may take years and billions of dollars for Tuscaloosa and surrounding towns to recover.”

  Some places, however, did get destroyed. The storm pealed

away part of the front of a Boys and Girls Club in Raleigh. Flying debris and disruptive winds tore the roof off of the rear of the building. An HV air conditioning unit fell on the gym. Heavy precipitation poured into the gymnasium and flooded the floor. The general contractor said it would take

at least 30 days before the repairs are finished. The Tuscaloosa tornado also damaged mobile trailers and pulled

down trees. What makes this natural disaster even more tragic is that it hit hardest in the area of the poorest of the

poor.

How We Can Help

    There have been multiple tornadoes and we can help. Organizations such as The Salvation Army are helping. They have spread out all over the south helping victims from the tornado in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The Red Cross is also helping victims.

They have two shelters set up in Tuscaloosa. They have made temporary homes for 240 people so far. The relief organization provides meals for over 600 people . These are 2 ways people are helping. You can donate money to these relief funds.

If you want to learn more you can log on to: http://www.weather.com/encyclopedia/tornado/form.html

To know more about the boys and girls club, go to: www.newsobserver.com/2011/04/26/1154172/boys-and-

girls-clubs-double-up.html

To look at pictures of the wreckage and info on the event, go to: www.dogonews.com/2011/4/30/monstrous-tornadoes-rip-

through-southern-usa

The Wedding of the CenturyBy: Elizabeth, Millena, and Arianna

              

 Buckingham Palace

       Buckingham Palace has been the official London home of Britain's Kings and Queens since 1837. Although in use for many important events run by the Queen, the state rooms are open for people to see every year.

    Buckingham Palace has an amazing total of 775 rooms. 19 of these rooms are state rooms. Also 52 are royal rooms and guest bedrooms, 188 staff rooms, 92 offices, and 78 royal bathrooms. That is pretty colossal for one Palace.

           The Royal Wedding

The Royal Wedding took place in Westminster Abbey. The engagement was announced in November 2010. Katherine Elizabeth Middleton would transform into a princess. On April 29, 2011 the event the world had been waiting for.......The Royal Wedding! Prince William and Katherine exchanged vows (or promises) in front of 1,900 guests. The beautiful ceremony was on air live on television sets all over the world.

    Prince William is second in line to the Royal Throne which means that Katherine Middleton may become queen someday. The couple began dating eight years ago in 2003. Both of them got married at age 28. William was very excited to spend the rest of his life with the woman he loved. The diamond and sapphire engagement ring William gave Katherine was also worn by his mother Princess Diana. Sadly in 1997 Princess Diana got in a car accident and passed away.       The event was so big millions of people went and watched on TV all over the world. People are serious about money these days so think of paying millions of dollars for a wedding! The cost  didn’t matter to these lovebirds. They are crazy for each other and the world knew that when they had two kisses. The wedding was an event that will never be forgotten in the palace, outside, or in the hearts of the people who watched this event.                Here are some links you can go to:http://www.royal.gov.uk/TheRoyalResidences/BuckinghamPalace/BuckinghamPalce.aspx

http://abcnews.go.com/International/video/royal-wedding-william-catherine-leave-clarence-house-13493595

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISuo54nSCGI

Osama’s Last StandBy: Bandna, Jake, Angela, Marco, and Brendan

                    The Ship They Made From The Scrap Metal Of The Twin

Towers             Background on the 9/11 Attacks:

On September 11, 2001 Mohammed Atta commanded an attack on the World Trade Center in New York City. He was part of the group Al Qaeda, lead by Osama bin Laden. They attacked the twin towers because of a holy war against the United States. A holy war is a battle of two religions.

The World Trade Center has 7 buildings and the twin towers are the main ones. They are 38 years old.  Each had 110 stories and 1,800 windows. Each floor weighed 4.8 million pounds. Soon after, the planes crashed into the twin towers, making it into a smothering heap. The unfortunate event killed 3,0000 people including the 19 hijackers. 6,000 people were injured. That was a terrible day for America.

OSAMA BIN LADEN  BIOGRAPHY

Osama Bin Laden lived in Pakistan. He was born on March 10, 1957 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.  He was also the 7th kid out of 50. The Bin Laden family was a wealthy family. Bin Laden was known for being the number one terrorist and most wanted man in the world.  He planned the 9/11 attack and killed thousands of innocent people. The US president Obama declared Osama’s death on May 2nd, 2011. The Americans are proud because justice was finally done.

Osama Bin Laden’s DeathOsama Bin Laden died in the year of 2011.Osama was

hiding for about 10 or 11 years. He was killed in early May. He was 54 years old when he died. The Navy Seals of the United States tracked down Osama and killed him in Abbottabat, Pakistan. They found out where he was by asking villagers if they knew him. They  denied that question

until May 2nd, 2011 when they finally confessed to knowing him. They told the Navy Seals and they found Osama. When he got killed he was skyping with another terrorist. A bullet hit his head and stomach and he died immediately. He was the most wanted terrorist in the whole world. After Osama died the Seals got his body and placed it in a lake because not one country but Pakistan wanted Osama to be put in their lake. Some people think the Seals should have not killed Osama. Some think they should have. What do you think???

                                               

                          Navy seal: The Key To War

The Navy Seals were started in 1962 as an elite special force of the U.S Navy. The maximum age to join the Seals is 28. The total number of Seals are 2,300. The Seals code name stands for Sea, Air & Land. The Navy Seals have killed more terrorists in Afghanistan than anyone else in the whole world.

The Navy Seals have 8 teams. The team that killed Bin Laden was team 6. Different Seal teams have different bases all around the world. The Seals are also known for their Frogmen, their underwater divers. The Navy Seals will go down in history for everything they’ve accomplished.

Osama Bin Laden 9/11 ceremony

Barack Obama visited the memorial site of 9/11 on May 5, 2011. Obama announced he is going to rebuild the whole site of Ground Zero. He says he is going to add plants, pools, and decorations to it. Obama also asked people whose families died if they want their family's memorials side by side. Obama also put a flower on everyone’s memorial. He said a few words to the people whose families died and he said a few words about Bin Laden’s death. He also proclaimed that the death of Bin Laden will be remembered.

         

                  

Our Sources: Business insider.com

USNAVYSEALS.com

http://video.foxnews.com/v/4680292/echoes-of-911-obama-visits- ground-zero

Source=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/05/01/national/main20058777.shtmlSource=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Osama_bin_Laden

The Horrible Disaster in Japan

By: Dante, Joe, Peter, Trevor

     Rubble and destruction was everywhere. Cars were being carried away by giant 100-foot waves and homes were

collapsing as their owners watched helplessly. Roads and streets were destroyed and deemed unusable. Thousands of people’s lives would be forever changed because of the horrible disaster. Mother Nature released a terrible earthquake and tsunami on Japan, affecting the entire country and its people.     Earthquakes are caused by a release of energy from below the surface of the earth’s crust. Faults are located in the Earth’s crust. When a fault ruptures, the plates on either side of the fault crash into each other and move. When this happens it releases energy and causes an earthquake. Sometimes an earthquake can cause a tsunami.     Tsunamis are huge powerful waves that are caused by earthquakes or volcanoes underwater. The waves of a tsunami can travel in any direction they wants to go. Waves can be as high as 100 feet and can move up to 450 miles per hour. When a tsunami hits shallow water the waves get bigger and can spread lots of destruction on land.

On March 11, 2011 destruction spread in Japan. An earthquake and tsunami struck Japan and it was the 5th worst ever recorded. It first started in the ocean and the earthquake caused a giant tsunami. It struck with an 8.9 magnitude and the earthquake hit the Northeast side of Japan. The extreme earthquake caused over 125 mini earthquakes called aftershocks that were 5.0 in magnitude. When the tsunami hit land it caused a power plant to explode. The explosion caused radiation and there was no electricity, no phones, no trains, no computers, and no TV. There were uncontrollable fires from oil and gas that was leaking from cars. The disaster killed more than 20,000 people.

There were many relief efforts for Japan. One is www.globalgiving.org. It helps the victims of the earthquake and tsunami disaster. You can go online and donate any amount of money you want. They have raised over 4. 8 million dollars. Another website you can go on to donate is the Red Cross. You can donate any amount of money you want online or by text to this relief fund that will hopefully help Japan recover. They’ll also donate food, first aid and

shelter for all the victims of the disaster. Then there’s the Salvation Army. They will provide shelter for stranded commuters. They will also get a team to help in Sendai. You can donate 10 dollars online or by text to The Salvation Army. A final relief effort is Cranes For Kids. Kids send paper cranes from all over the world to Osh Kosh Bgosh. They will donate 80,000 garments to Japan per crane. There has been 1.5 million dollars of clothes sent so far.