SAUL MIROWITZ JEWISH COMMUNITY SCHOOL JANUARY 2016 Morah Lizzie’s Class Newspaper

Plains Indians By: Audrey R. Have you ever thought how hard life was for Native Americans? They had no cars, no phones and not good , they struggled to find food, water and weapons. Plains Indians, a Native American tribe, lived on the prairie of what is now the midwest region of the USA. The homes they used were made out of poles and buffalo hyde. These homes are called teepees. Women put up the teepees. It only takes about 30-40 minutes sometimes. Teepees are cone-shaped. The outside is covered with buffalo hyde. Compared to homes now, they are not sturdy. But compared to homes back then, they are the most easy and portable homes. The women and girls sit, sleep and eat in the east side of the teepee so that they are warm first and warmed longer. A teepee needed to be an easy on the go because the tribes moved from place to place. They moved to find better resources like food and water. Plains indians eat animals and plants like, buffalo and the root of the prairie blazing star. Without a doubt life is really hard for Plains Indians, but they figured it out.

All About Indian Grass By: Jordyn G.

Did you know that there's a self planting plant that spins? Well that plant's name is Indian Grass and I’m going to tell you about it. The scientific name for indian Grass is sorghastrum nutans. Indian Grass can grow up to 8 feet tall and there is a lot of it in many prairies. Indian grass plants itself one time a year. The seeds fall off the top of the plant and when they get wet, they spin themselves into the ground. It plants itself in the late spring or early summer. You should plant indian grass in warm seasons. Indian grass is found in eastern USA and eastern . Indian grass survives because it has really long roots to hold itself to the ground. A lot of animals eat Indian grass such as, rabbits, gophers, antelopes, and buffalo. Indian Grass is my favorite plant and I hope you learned a lot about Indian grass.

1 JANUARY 2016

American White Pelican RED TAILED HAWKS (BUTEO JAMAICENSIS) By: Zakharya By: Nelson Vickar

When we were on the overnight, The first time I saw a Red Tailed Hawk it was flying through the air with great speed. It didn’t flap its wings for several seconds. I we saw a white pelican. We saw it in knew hawks could do that but I’d never seen it myself before. I the woods when we were hiking one could see it but it was small compared to the sky. afternoon. It was flying in a circle around us. I saw it through the I know Red Tailed Hawks have a red, cinnamon colored tail (on binoculars. I wanted to learn more babies it’s brown). Under the wing about the white pelican because it it is streaked yellow. I researched looked interesting to learn about. that there is a dark brown bar between the shoulder and the end A white pelican is a bird. It has of the wing. They are large birds, black on the bottom of the wing. The they can be 18 to 26 inches tall rest of the bird is white. Other names (45 to 65 centimeters). for a white pelican is in french (Amerique) and (blanc) and another The colors of the Red Tailed Hawks name for a white pelican is pelicano. are an adaptation. An adaptation is White pelicans eat fish from kind of like a super power for a lakes and from rivers. They are the specific animal. If a predator is looking at this particular bird from biggest birds in North America, it is the top, the predator will see it’s even bigger than a bald eagle. brown back and the the hawk will They are 55-65 in. long appear to blend into the ground. The adaptation also works for the (127-165 cm.). They are huge. The hawk’s belly! The belly of the hawk is pale and if a predator is lifespan of the pelican is 15-25 years, under them they will see a light color or pale which blends into the in the wild. The white pelican weighs sky. 6.1-33 pounds, and the adult wingspan Red Tailed Hawks live in Mexico, United States, and the majority of is 6-12 ft. across. Canada. Red Tailed Hawks live in trees by open areas like prairies. Red Tailed Hawks eat small mammals like voles, wood rats, rabbits, snowshoe hares, jackrabbits, and ground squirrels. They also eat pheasants, quail, and starlings, black birds, snakes, and carrion. Red Tailed Hawks swoop down from their nests when they see their food even if their prey is really small like a vole. When Red Tailed Hawks mate they fly around each other with their talons hanging down. Talons are claws for predators that are birds. When they are done they hold each others talons. Then they are together until one of them dies, they are one of very few animal species who mates for life.

2 The Food By: Micah A.

When we first arrived to Shaw Nature Reserve we had lunch. We brought our lunch from home. We ate inside a room with tables. After lunch we made Chex mix. In the Chex mix was pretzels, chocolate chips and cereal. We ate the Chex mix during our hike. We had burritos for dinner. I had a bean burrito with chips. We had to cook our burritos or tacos over the campfire. After dinner, we had a campfire with s’mores at night. We gathered sticks from the trees for the campfire and for the s’mores. We had to make the food for dinner before the campfire. I didn’t have s’mores because I don’t like them. In the morning we had breakfast. We ate muffins and cereal. My favorite food on the overnight was the burritos.

Armadillos By Isabelle V.

Have you ever seen an armadillo? I have at Shaw Nature Reserve. We were on a hike and then Ms. Aileen, our guide said, that is an armadillo! It is digging for food. Ms Ilene was talking about how armadillos eat, live, and why we don’t go and touch them. Armadillos eat insects like ants, beetles and grubs. There is an armadillo named giant armadillo.It had a giant claw in the middle of its claws to dig for food. Armadillos like digging for food because it is an activity for them. Armadillos live at Shaw Nature Reserve. Armadillos live in southern states, along the gulf coast, in Texas and as far north as Missouri. Armadillos live in forests and grasslands. Armadillos prefer moist places. Armadillos give diseases like leprosy. Their shell is made up of thin bone plants. They can also hurt people with their strong claws. I learned a lot about armadillos on our prairie overnight. I hope you learned a lot about armadillos from my article.

3 Bobcats (Lynx Rufus) By: Zahava K. Sod Houses By: Kenny G You’ve probably heard of them but likely, you’ve never seen one. They are beautiful, fierce and skilled Did you know that it takes about a week to felines. They were discovered 1.8 million year ago. You make a sod house? A sod house is a house made out might be asking what they are: Bobcats. of layers of dirt and mud. People have to dig these To coyotes, large owls, and foxes they are prey, but layers of sod with special machines.The machines are bobcats are predators. Bobcats are able to run 25-30 miles made out of wood that horses pull. They are about as per hour and are excellent climbers. They can weigh up to big as a car. It scoops the sod out into large bricks of 50 pounds. They have round paws with four nails each, earth. Most homesteaders cut bricks that were 18 designed to help climb and catch prey. Their fifth claw, inches wide by 24 inches long and weighed around 50 called the thumb claw, is alone on the leg. pounds each. To make a sod house, you need some trees and Bobcats are carnivores, their diet is 99% meat. They lots of sod.You use the trees to hold it up like a frame. consume small rodents, rabbits, birds, wild turkeys, and That was not always easy, though. Trees are hard to sometimes deer. Occasionally, they will eat farm animals find on a prairie. That is why most of the houses are like pigs and goats. If the Bobcat can’t find food it will fill up made from sod. Sod houses were the main kind of on grass, seeds or berries. for people who lived in prairie areas.These Bobcats are ready to pounce at any time. Their people were known as the first homesteaders. They claws, are excellent hunting tools. Another hunting tool is settled on the in the 1800’s, in what are their eyes. They can see up to six times better than ours in now the states of Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas. the dark. That’s good because they are most active at night. They had hard times living in sod houses like the types Bobcats stalk their prey and when the moment comes, they Mrs. Eileen told us about. Mrs. Eileen is the instructor and field guide at my Third Grade Overnight Trip at will pounce, taking their claws and scratching the prey to Shaw Nature Reserve. She told us that once two make it easier to kill. Then, the bobcat will bite the prey on snakes and a toad fell out of the top. Since there is its neck to kill it. The bobcat will take the prey up a tree to only one small room in a sod house, that would be feast, leaving the meatless bones under. scary and gross! The single room in a sod house was Female Bobcats look for healthy, strong males to usually 16 feet by 20 feet. make babies. The female will be looking for a male to pass The windows were the most expensive part of down strong genes. The male bobcat needs to be dominant the sod house, so a person living in a sod house is very over the other males in order to get the female. They will lucky if they get a window. Not everybody could afford mate from winter into early spring (for 2 months). The male to have a window, so some sod houses didn’t have will travel with the female and mate with her several times. them. They were very difficult to install. I think that was because they were trying to fit glass into mud. The roof The baby is usually born in a cave or a safe place during is the most difficult part of the house to install. The April or May. Sometimes second litters are born as late as roof was made out of mud and sometimes a cloth September. Bobcats look very different than your ordinary under the roof. Mrs. Eileen told us that sometimes they house cat. First, the nails are much sharper and their ears needed to push the roof back up when it rained. They are bigger and pointier. Their fur coat is speckled and thick. used a stick, wooden broom or their hands to push it They have short, bobbed, tails, which is precisely how these back up. That’s when the creatures (like the toads and magnificent creatures got them their name! snakes) would fall out. When I saw the sod house at Bobcats are smart, powerful and graceful animals. Shaw Nature Reserve, there was grass and leaves on They are skilled hunters and feared predators. They have the roof.Do you remember when I said how tiny sod become one of my favorite mammals. I hope, one day, I will house are? Could you imagine how hard it was to live? Look around your house and think about how different get to see one of these very illusive creatures. it was compared to life in a sod house. I am glad that I don’t live in a sod house!

4 White pelicans By: Stella Scientific name: Pelicanus erythrorhynchos

At Shaw Nature Reserve, we were bird watching, but I didn't have binoculars. I looked at the sky. Then I saw some migrating geese. I told our guide Ms. Aileen. She also looked at the sky and said, ”Nice spot Stella, you spotted my favorite bird! A White Pelican!”Oh my gosh! I thought while watching them soar away. It was a wonderful sight. It began to interest me.

Do you like fish? Well you are just like the white pelican! They love to eat minnows, sticklebacks, black bullheads, carp, larval tiger salamanders and much more!

White pelicans migrate from around Canada, then scatter into the U.S.,and migrate to beaches. They are easy to spot because they are one of the largest birds in North America!

White pelicans breed in Minnesota. Then they migrate south, to beaches. They live there and then migrate back to breed.

White pelicans are beautiful creatures.They eat fish, migrate far and have awesome habitats! I hope you learned more about the white pelican!

Fun Facts Quiz by Micah From Sarah and Noga: A. and Audrey R. What did Plains Indians live in? The 3rd grade overnight! What can we say? We were so excited to finally Does Indian Grass spin? spend some time outside the classroom! It was Do Armadillos eat bugs? quite cold at times (especially compared to the weather we are used to in Israel) - but all the fun we What type of animal are bobcats? had warmed our hearts! Also, the chocolate s’mores helped warm us up When in the year do you burn a too ;) We had so prairie? much fun playing הנחש בא, - games and our ,3 מקלות Is the White Pelican one of the biggest birds? special obstacle course!

5 Prairie Blazing Star By: Sarah B

I was writing about medicinal prairie plants and I came across a very pretty plant called Prairie Blazing Star. I think, myself, that Prairie Blazing Star is one of the most beautiful plants. It is pink and purple with the colorful parts in the shape of a cone at the top of the stem. There are cool strings coming out of it that make it look like a bunch of fireworks. I think that’s why they call it a blazing star.

Prairie blazing star is light purple at the top and dark purple at the bottom also the stem is very prickly and sharp.When the flowers bloom, they start from the bottom to the top.

You can find this fun flower in prairie habitats. Some birds and butterflies like the nectar.

I hope you have enjoyed learning about Prairie Blazing Star. I also hope that Prairie Blazing Stars grow where you live and that they stay in this world forever.

Words Mixers

By Caleb and Nelson

nutbing ______wkah _ _ _ _

mialsna ______eeeetp ______

osd useoh ______gniazlb rats ______

ssgar _ _ _ _ _ irsbd _ _ _ _ _

nngrubi ______bcbotsa ______

lodlramai ______rroubti ______

ysee _ _ _ _

Word Bank:

Armadillo, Teepee, Grass, Burning, Bobcats, Blazing Star,Bunting, Hawk, Sod House, Eyes, Birds, Animals, Burrito.

6 Rods and Cones By: Caleb A

On a Thursday night in October, my third grade class and I were outside for a night hike at Shaw Nature Reserve. It was very dark but I could still see the outline of the nearby prairie and trees. Morah Lizzie, one of our third grade teachers, said, “Put your hand over one of your eyes and keep it there while I tell this story.” I was completely mystified. Why would she say that? Once my eye was closed, Morah Lizzie turned on a flashlight and told us about when she was a pirate (It’s true!). Then, at the end of the story, we each took our hand off our eye. Immediately, she told us to cover our other eye. I thought, is she crazy? Why would I cover my other eye now? What’s going on? I was so surprised once I was looking through the eye that I just opened. Everything looked clearly grey or black. My other eye that had been exposed to light looked fuzzy, like when the picture on a TV is black and white and not clear. Morah Lizzie explained to us that when we covered our eye, lots of rods, microscopic things that live and work inside our eyes, became very active inside your eye. Rods are the things that help us see different shades of grey. We have two different structures working in our eyes to help us see both shades of grey and colors. Rods help us see grey tones and cones help us see color. When we closed our eyes during the pirate story, tons more of our rods were activated. There are about 120 million rods inside each eye but only about six million cones. When we opened our eyes after the story, there were barely any cones working because they work only when there is light. Rods and cones are like partners. They live and work in the same place, the retina. Even though they are like buddies, they have very different functions. Rods are more sensitive than cones. As you can ‘see’, life would be a lot harder without rods and cones. Now you know how we are able to see in the dark.

After people burn prairies, you might think Burning a Prairie By: Charlie G. the plants are dead. But, the roots are still growing Why is burning a prairie important and and living happily. You can burn a prairie that is any useful? Burning a prairie is important because size. It will hopefully be ready to bloom and be some tall plants don’t give way for sun to the small beautiful in the spring. plants that need to grow. Burning a prairie is useful How do people start the fire? The drip torch, because all the plants eventually grow big and take a huge lighter, helps start the fire to make huge up all the space in the prairie, so there is no room flames.The fire quickly spreads across most of the for the new plants to grow in. prairie. There must be more than two people to help On our overnight at Shaw Nature Reserve, keep the areas around the prairie safe. A special our prairie guide, Ms. Aileen, said, “You should guest in our classroom, Ranger Rick, said, “If there usually burn a prairie around the middle of winter is an accident, the person who lit the fire gets because the animals have usually gone somewhere blamed.” I think it’s a fair thing because fire can be else to hibernate or they’ve dangerous. died.” Surely, after a burn, most of the plants look After a burn, it like they are dead. But, the roots will be ready for looks like there is nothing the upcoming spring. I hope you will continue to on the prairie. Eventually, learn more tiny plants grow. There are about burning a no big plants blocking the prairie. It is a sun from little plants so the very important plants that are small have part of prairie enough sun to grow. conservation.

7 Indigo Buntings By: Daphne K

The first time I saw an Indigo Bunting was at Shaw Nature Reserve. Morah Lizzie said, “Look, that's my favorite kind of bird. It's called an Indigo Bunting!”

It was so pretty. My eyes lit up when I saw the bright blue beauty. But, sadly, it only lasted a second. I loved seeing the Indigo Bunting for the first time. I wanted to see it again.

They sing happily on tree tops or telephone wires. While they perch, they do something called flicking their tails. That's like wagging a dog tail but for birds.

According to allaboutbirds.org, they are also called Blue Canaries. Some similar species to the Indigo Bunting are: Painted Bunting, Lazuli Bunting, House Sparrow and our own Missouri state bird, the Eastern Bluebird.

You can find Indigo Buntings in weedy fields or bushy prairies. It eats seeds, berries, and insects. Their predators are hawks.

They live in North America and migrate to South America in fall. When it gets cold they stay in the warmer climate for the winter.

The male is bright blue to attract the female. The female is brown with blue dots on it’s wings and blue stripes on it’s tail. The females are more brown because they have to camouflage in trees and build nests.

In my opinion, Indigo Buntings are the best bird ever. They flick their tails and it is adorable. They are related to our state bird and they are the most beautiful bright blue color ever.

8