Can orcas pick

up language
from nearby
dolphins?
Polly want a herring?
H
uman babies learn how to talk from the people around them, and
we know that they learn the specic types of sounds that are used in
the language they are learning. Birds also learn from listening, both to the
songs of their parents and some types, like mockingbirds and parrots, can
learn to imitate other birds or even humans.
Add killer whales to the list of animals who learn language from those
around them. Orcas in the wild normally learn the clicks and chirps of their
own pod, but researchers recently examined captive orcas and found that
those kept with dolphins learned not only the sounds made by the dolphins
but, in one case, a sound that human trainers had taught one of the dolphins.
And theres more: They also report that a young orphaned orca had learned
sounds made by nearby sea lions. Photo/Robert Pittman, NOAA
2013
ColoradoKids
CK Reporter
Cara Dulin,
Castle Rock
CLASS TIME BECOMES PAST TIME
YOUNG RE-ENACTORS
A
Time Travel Field Trip
is one where you never
leave your classroom.
After entering your classroom,
you will be introduced to Beth
Wyman, the owner and founder
of Time Travel Field Trips.
Soon, rather than sitting in
a classroom, you are traveling
through time.
The students in the class are
sorted into groups, and learn
what the eld trip is about, and
what each of their roles is.
After picking a real person,
who once actually lived and did
what a student will do on this
eld trip, the student chooses
supplies.
This is a life or death matter
for the character: In a few min-
utes they set off on the journey.
This may be a pioneering trip
or the kids might embark on a
spy mission in World War II.
Participants must make several
life or death decisions. Each
experience differs depending on
previous decisions and on the
story line.
Wyman says, I was once a
teacher and this inspired me to
start Time Travel Field Trips.
She travels around Colorado,
going to schools. Her method of
interactive teaching takes time
to prepare and most teachers
dont have that time, so Wyman
prepares the lesson and teaches
it for the teacher.
History sometimes includes
tragedy. This means often the
students characters loved ones
(or their 0wn character) may die.
This helps their brains hang
on to the information, Wyman
explained. The student also
starts to feel more understand-
ing for the people in history: No
longer is it just some random
person from 170 or so years ago
whose family is walking 600
miles to Colorado. Its the stu-
dent and their family.
Conner, one of the fourth
grade students in the Heritage
Elementary class I observed,
said that he liked the eld trip
and that, if he were given the op-
tion he would go again.
T
he move to healthier diets
seems to be having an
effect on menus at popular
restaurants.
A report in the American
Journal of Preventive Medicine
says that new food items at the
largest restaurant chains in
America have about 12 percent
fewer calories than in the past.
Thats good, but read that
last sentence again: Its the
new items that are less caloric,
not the overall menus at those
restaurants.
If you go to places like
McDonalds, youve likely
seen changes like more salads
and the choice of apple slices
instead of french fries in your
Happy Meal.
But thats not the same as
making Big Macs less fatten-
ing than they were before.
What it means is that, if you
go to Applebys or McDonalds
for lunch, youll nd more
healthy choices on the menu.
Its up to you to choose them.
Photo/Ildar Sagdejev
HEALTHIER MENU CHOICES
ARE OFFERED, BUT YOU
STILL HAVE TO MAKE THEM
By Anja Mook,
12, a CK Reporter
from Northglenn
Living in the past Fourth graders at Heritage Elementary School
work together in planning their strategies as Colorado pioneers. Photo
by Robert Mook
October 14, 2014
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