Bear Essential News November 2021, Phoenix Edition

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November 2021 • Phoenix Edition • www.bearessentialnews.com

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In This Picture: Find a skillet, a pencil, an acorn, a slice of pie, a fork, a voting check mark, a carrot, the U.S. flag, a tomato and the word THANKS!

FEATURE

NEWS

NEWS

Holiday Family Fun Ti me! Cardinals' Hot S tart Visit Hall of F lame!

Healthy recipes & family trees Pages 10 thru 12

Spotlight on Horse History News Highlights page 5

& more news kids can use Scoops pages 7, 8, 14, 15 & 18

FAMILIES

FUN

BMaking ear Hugs memories

HThanksgiving oliday Crossword word fun!

Page 4

Page 16

2 • Bear Essential News • November 2021

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Stratton Says Teaching Is in Her Blood

S

tephanie Stratton teaches first grade at Kiva Elementary. Stratton has been teaching in the Scottsdale District for over 20 years. She taught at Tavan Elementary before moving to Kiva.

Stratton is originally from South Carolina. She began her career in marketing but says, “I think teaching’s in the blood.” She explains that her dad was a professor and her mom was the director of a center for preschool-age children.

When she was a kid, Stratton says art and reading were her favorite subjects. “I remember the day that the light bulb came on,” she says of her early school days and her love of reading.

These days, she enjoys teaching social studies, parts of grammar and life sciences.

She likes lessons on animals and is well known for her love of giraffes. “I have 170 of them in my classroom,” she says. “I’m momma giraffe.”

Stratton likes to spend her free time watching movies, and spending time with her son, her friends and her pets—she has three dogs, Rosey, Riley and Rockers, and a cockatoo named Rita.

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She loves hot rods (her first car was a Volkswagen Beetle) and she is also a soccer enthusiast. “If I wasn't a teacher, I would be Mia Hamm,” Stratton jokes.

Stratton was nominated by student Ryan, who writes, “She makes it fun to learn new stuff.”

One of the ways Stratton keeps her students engaged is getting them out of their seats often and involving them in curriculum-based activities that enhance their textbook learning.

She reminds her students to “do it right the first time or do it again,” she says.

Stratton recalls that her most embarrassing moment in a classroom was in the days before smart boards. She recounts the time when a pull-down map had a string that got caught in her dress. When the screen went up, the dress did, too! She says that luckily she was wearing a slip, but even so, some of her students were giggling and some were horrified.

Stratton works to instill a sense of right and wrong in her students.

She advises them, “If it feels good in your heart, it’s the right thing to do.

If it doesn’t feel good in your heart, think again!” Her parting words for students: “Watch out for giraffes!”

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3 TIPS FOR A HEALTHY MOUTH Brushing teeth is so routine, it can be easy to fall into bad habits. These tips, along with regular appointments, can help your teeth and gums stay healthy and strong!

BRUSH 2X2 In order to keep away plaque and gingivitis, brushing once a day won't cut it! You should brush at least twice a day, for two minutes at a time, to keep away harmful bacteria.

BE GENTLE! On the other hand, brushing more than three times a day, or too hard, can damage enamel and put a strain on your gums. If you feel any tooth or gum pain while brushing, come see us.

Happy Thanksgiving!

TONGUE CARE Your tongue can be a repository for plaque and other harmful bacteria.

While you're in there, give it a good brushing!

It will keep your breath fresh and your mouth healthy!

www.KidzConnextion.com 4 • Bear Essential News • November 2021

Making Memories…

As I consider topics to share in this column, I check in with friends and family of all ages to ask them what special activities they remember sharing with their parents or grandparents as they grew up. Many recalled simple activities that centered around singing, playing games or reading together. Other friends mentioned special trips they took with a family member. One 90-yearold friend reminisced about growing up in Omaha, Nebraska, where her father worked at a meat packing plant. As the family had no car, her father walked to work daily. She explained that she often walked with her father until they came to a busy street at which point she turned toward home. When questioned about her age at that time, she said “age 10”. I can only imagine the many life lessons that might have incurred on these walks.

My sister and I also talked about which events stand out in our minds. We both agreed that 4-H club gave us many opportunities to learn lifelong skills with parental guidance. We raised cows and pigs; learned to cook, sew and how to create a design, and plan to remodel a bedroom. We gave speeches and entered different events such as the county fair. It affirms my belief in the value of parents and grandparents whether near or far.

Image: shutterstock.com

-UP!

by Mary DeStefano

So let’s begin! This month’s topic: GEOGRAPHY BOOK SUGGESTIONS: I recently received a copy of The Reading Pig Goes to New York City by Susan Shin (K-4). Having toured New York City on a red double-decker bus and having seen all the landmarks mentioned in this children’s book as well as the illustrations makes this a favorite book to share with little ones of all ages.

Two books on my bookshelves that bring geography closer to home are “Grand Canyon, Exploring a Natural Wonder” by Wendell Minor (5– 8) and “Down the Colorado John Wesley Powell, the OneArmed Explorer ” by Deborah Kogan Ray (3–6).

Other book series that often use location as a focus are the Madeline books in Paris, London, and at the White House (1–4) as well as The Magic Tree House (1–6) series.

To enhance the books and reading why not get a laminated map(s) of Arizona, or the United States and teach your child how to ‘read’ and use a map?

There are many games you can make up as you start looking at the map together. I can’t imagine not having a map in a classroom to give places more meaning. Teach children the directions (east, north, west and south).

A favorite in my classroom was to create a compass rose that showed the four directions. They were always works of art.

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News Highlights

Cardinals Flying High This Season

The Arizona Cardinals may have lost a heartbreaking game to the Green Bay Packers, but that doesn’t make their start to the season any less impressive.

Before their loss to the Packers, the Cardinals were the only undefeated team in the NFL, starting their season off with a 7-0 record.

After week seven, the Cardinals were ranked second in the NFL in scoring. Kyler Murray has been a big part of the Cardinals’ STELLAR start. In the team’s first eight games, Murray has put up 2,276 passing yards while completing 164 of 223 passes with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Murray, who was drafted in 2019, appeared to limp off the field after the last play against the Packers and was spotted wearing a walking boot the following morning.

One of the keys to Murray’s success this season seems to be his ability to get everyone involved in the game. In the Cardinals’ week seven win over the Houston Texans, A.J. Green, Zach Ertz, DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk each had at least 50 receiving yards—and the last three also had touchdowns.

DeAndre Hopkins has been a contributing factor for the team as well. The wide receiver has 420 yards with 33 receptions. Hopkins was injured after a 55yard catch in the first quarter of the game against the

Packers. While the team did not plan on putting Hopkins back in, head coach Kliff Kingsbury said after the game that Hopkins is as “competitive as anybody I’ve been around, and he ended up making some plays” by returning to the game.

While the offense has been exciting, the Cardinals defense is solid and one of the best ranked in the NFL. After week seven, they were tied for the top few spots in some of the key indicators of a defensive team’s success. What may be most impressive though is that the Cardinals were ranked first in the NFL in both third- and fourth-down defense.

Despite their first loss of the season, the Cardinals still have a bright future ahead!

DNA Confirms Sitting Bull’s Great Grandson! famous ancestor. But there were doubters, which Genetics researchers developed a powerful new LaPointe describes as a pain in the place you sit!

DNA test to prove that a person is indeed the great Sitting Bull was killed in a standoff with governgrandson of the famous Lakota Chief Sitting Bull. mental police in 1890. A lock of Analyzing his hair had been kept at the just a bit of Smithsonian.

Sitting Bull’s When the Smithsonian hair from the returned the lock to the famiSmithsonian ly, most of it was burned in a Institution, ceremony, leaving scientists researchers with less than 2 inches of the released their historic hair. findings Oct. 27 Genetics pioneer Eske confirming that Willerslev headed up the team 73-year-old Sun trying to extract DNA from the Dancer Ernie hair. He’s the director of the LaPointe is the Lundbeck Foundation Geogreat grandson Genetics Centre in Denmark. of Sitting Bull.

Smithsonian Photo Photo courtesy of Ernie LaPointe It took 14 years to develop a Sitting Bull’s method to analyze the hair, testing autosomal DNA. Lakota name was Tatanka Iyotake. He is famous for For comparison, the researchers also analyzed the RALLYING Sioux tribes to fight against federal military DNA of LaPointe, two of his sisters and 11 other Lakoforces, including defeating Lt. Col. George Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876. ta people. Not only did the family stories turn out to be Through passed down oral history, LaPointe’s true, but now researchers have a way of tracing family mother had told him and his three sisters of their trees from hair, teeth or bones of those long dead.

The History of Domestic Horses How far back can you trace your family tree? Probably not 4,000 years!

Last month, scientists published a study identifying the genetic homeland of modern horses, finding that the animals were first DOMESTICATED around 4,200 years ago in a region that’s now part of Russia.

You’ve probably not given much thought to the role horses have played throughout history, but these incredible mammals helped shape human development by revolutionizing transport, travel, communication, agriculture, warfare and more.

“The history of humans is wrapped up in horse DNA,” Kate Kanne, archaeologist at the University of Exeter in the UK, tells National Geographic. “It tells the story of STUDY FACTS: • Number of samples collected: 2,000 • Where samples were collected: Europe & Asia • Number of years this study took: 5

both our species.”

There has long been debate among scientists about where domestic horses originated. Part of the challenge is that, unlike with other livestock, scientists have had difficulty determining which bones belonged to domestic versus wild horses.

The lead author of the study, Ludovic Orlando, is a molecular archaeologist at Paul Sabatier University in France. Orlando and a team of more than 160 scientists spent the last five years collecting pieces of bone and tooth from ancient horses. They collected more than 2,000 samples from 273 ancient horses found across Europe and Asia. They compared the DNA to that of modern horses. It may sound simple, but it was no small feat and took a team of experts!

Whether on a TV show or in a commercial, you’ve probably heard about DNA. While horse and human DNA is not exactly the same, we do share much of the same DNA with our equine friends!

Swiss chemist Friedrich Miescher first identified DNA in the 1860s, but it was another hundred years before scientists started using DNA testing in ways we think of today, like solving crimes. In the last few decades, DNA testing has improved and become more accessible. It’s even possible to use DNA testing to determine your family history—known as genealogy!

November 2021 • Bear Essential News • 5

Let’s Go...

VALLEY METRO! Trees & Transit—They’re a Perfect Match!

W

e breathe in and we breathe out with little thought of how important air is. When we inhale we take air into our lungs; the oxygen from the air moves from our lungs to our blood. At the same time carbon dioxide, a waste gas, travels from our blood to the lungs as we exhale. Clean air is what we all want to breathe in.

Plants and trees act as the lungs of the earth. Trees help the planet breathe by turning carbon dioxide into clean, pure oxygen. Trees release oxygen when they use energy from the sun through the process of photosynthesis. Trees and forests worldwide also act like the planet's air conditioning system and keep the world cool.

Valley Metro knows the value of trees is enormous to our Valley. During transit construction projects, it may be necessary to remove trees.

Every tree counts! In the finishing stages of a

Word Search Trees and Transit (search for scientific name)

B G W A T O C O P B X E O I S I V O U A U P. N L A T C H N L R S D V S H A D E S M K T A I U O T O A T U I O C R F I I P L R S N P T O N R O H D U E S E Y N N C N O P C N O D L M E S Q U I T E N I I

E G P S E T I L I X F N Y O W E A O D A O E T X N E L U N G S I R P O I C A R B O N D A 6 • Bear Essential News • November 2021

1. Date Palm (P. dactylifera) 2. Elm (Ulmus)

3. Palo Verde (Parkinsonia) 4. Mesquite

project, trees get replanted and more trees and shrubs are newly planted. The community benefits from the shade of the trees and their air filter. Trees and transit work perfectly together.

Fast Facts • A 40' city bus can take 30 to 40 vehicles off the road – less pollution – cleaner air!

• The Palo Verde is Arizona’s state tree.

“Palo Verde” means “green stick” in Spanish.

5. Bus stop 6. Station 7. Shade

8. Construction

9. Environment 10. Lungs

11. Oxygen

12. Carbon Dioxide

For more info, go to https://www.valleymetro.org/ transit-education/valley-metro-fun

Get the Scoop!

Learn About Firefighting at Hall of Flame

by Reporter Briana Williams, Arizona Desert Elementary

I had the opportunity to visit the Hall of Flame Museum. It is a fire truck museum. They have firefighter uniforms, smoke jumper uniforms and hot shot uniforms on display.

Mark Moorhead, employee at the Hall of Flame Museum, says the oldest fire truck at the museum is the Newsham Manual Fire Engine from 1725. Richard Newsham from England created it.

Moorhead’s favorite thing at the museum is Jeffers Philadelphia Style Pumper from 1844. It is really big and it takes about 25 men to work it.

“The latch on both sides is unlocked and 12 men are on one side and 12 on the other. One man is in front to control the pumper. They could only work it for about 15 to 20 minutes and then another crew would take over,” explained Moorhead.

The founder of the Hall of Flame Museum was George F. Getz, Jr. Moorhead said he started with a 1924 American La France, Type 12 Fire Engine. Getz then started collecting more fire trucks and started refurbishing them.

My favorite fire truck was the NYFD fire truck from 911. The truck was used in such a big disaster. The fire truck from 911 was on the New York City streets when the towers fell. There were more than 90 trucks that day.

Moorhead says the history of firefighting is a part of civilization. It is the history of human invention of firefighters. It all evolves to teach kids about people and fires.

MORE HALL OF FLAME, page 8 ➧

A Peek into Animation with a Pixar Artist

by Reporter Georgiana Readhead, Homeschool Do you ever wonder what a typical day as a Pixar artist would be like? For the October Bear Essential News Young Reporter Zoom Meeting, we had Paul Topolos, a matte painter who has worked at Pixar Studios for 20 years, as our guest.

Animating a movie is a group effort—Topolos mentioned that there are 1,200 people who work at Pixar Animation Studios! Topolos really enjoys working on good films with excellent stories and highlighted that Pixar is a good place to work because employees are taken good care of and the environment is very creative.

When Topolos works on a movie, he tries to get into the emotion of the story through his painting. He encouraged people who are interested in animation to spend as much time as possible creating their art and getting into the emotion of their stories and characters.

Topolos’s love of science fiction, art, and films like Star Wars brought him to Skywalker Ranch, where

he worked on two Star Wars movies. From there he worked at Pixar with some of his favorite movies including “Ratatouille” because he had a lot of fun painting the backgrounds such as the Paris skyline; “Incredibles” because he contributed a lot of work; “Wall-E” because of the beautiful backgrounds; “Cars” because it was fun to work on, and ”Soul” because of the meaningful storyline.

Topolos said that one of the most fascinating things about animation films are “that you watch an incredible movie, then you learn that the whole movie was done on a computer.” One of the main programs Topolos uses for his job is Photoshop.

Topolos showed us an original photo of a New York background used in ”Soul,” and then he showed us what the background looked like after he edited the photo in Photoshop. The original version was darker while the second version looked and felt more magical with lampposts and building windows having more light. Topolos says that he can take up to a couple months to make a painting depending on the complexity of the picture! Luckily Photoshop helps make easier fixes in a painting when a director asks for changes.

News Stories Written by Kids— for Kids Students Talk to Astronaut Aboard the ISS

by Reporter Maeve Dwyer Tarwater Elementary On Wednesday, Oct. 27, students from Tarwater Elementary School in Chandler spoke to an astronaut on the International Space Station as is passed over Arizona.

Contact with astronaut Shane Kimbrough was made through Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS). One lucky student from each grade spoke to the astronaut.

When talking to Kimbrough, the Tarwater Chorus Club sang a song called I.S.S. (Is Somebody Singing), which was written by astronaut Chris Hadfield while he was in space. The whole school came together at the outside stage to hear the song and listened to the students talk to the astronaut.

To celebrate, the Tarwater community attended the Night Under the Stars. There were lots of science activities, stations and telescopes. There was even a science book fair.

Tarwater Elementary was one of seven schools across the United States to be selected to take part in the ARISS program.

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MORE TOPOLOS, page 8 ➧ November 2021 • Bear Essential News • 7

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Continued from page 7

It’s the Time of Year to Be Thankful

by Reporter Matthew Richards Arizona Desert Elementary Are you ready for some turkey, great friends and family? The holidays are just around the corner.

Thanksgiving will take place on Thursday, Nov. 25. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed national Thanksgiving Day to be celebrated the last Thursday in November.

Thanksgiving is a day that doesn’t always fall on the same date each year unlike Halloween or Christmas. Thanksgiving is a great time to be thankful and appreciate who you have and what you have.

I asked some of my classmates and teachers what they were thankful for.

• Mrs. Westgard: I am thankful for my family, my students, my cats, my friends, yoga and cheese pizza.

• Emily: I am thankful for my family.

• Mrs. Shaikh: I am thankful for my family and my students.

• Loveleen: I am thankful for a roof over my head, food and family.

• Caden: I am thankful for my family and my life.

• Johnny: I am thankful for my family and friends.

• Jeremiah: I am thankful for my family and my friends.

• Gabrielle: I am thankful for my mom and my house.

• Jesse: I am thankful for a good family, brother, sister and having a house.

• Faith: I am thankful for my mom, friends, pets and school.

• Christopher: I am thankful for my nana and friends.

• My twin brother, Marcus is thankful for our mom not having to work and the cat in the backyard. I am thankful for my friends, family and food to eat.

Adviser: Karen Golden

More Hall of Flame

Continued from page 7

Some of the most popular exhibits at Hall of Flame include: • 911 fire truck • Cinderella Carriage (a fancy fire truck used for parades) • Little Kids fire truck ( a place where kids can get on it and play) Adviser: Karen Golden

More Topolos

A display of antique fire brigade helmets

Continued from page 7

“Lightyear” is a new Disney Pixar movie that Topolos is working on. For this sort of project, in a typical day, Topolos has to paint, paint, paint! Sometimes making one to two paintings per day! A spin-off from the Toy Story films, “Lightyear” follows the origin story of the human who the Buzz Lightyear toy is based on. Look out for “Lightyear” to be released in the Summer of 2022.

MORE SCOOPS, page 14 ➧ 8 • Bear Essential News • November 2021

Girl Scouts Get Ready for Cookies and Continue Giving Back In the past couple of years alone, Girl Scouts have learned so many great life skills, including how to be adaptable. They adapted to the pandemic in various ways. One big change was the increase in online Girl Scout Cookie sales. Digital Cookie is a way to provide customers the opportunity to purchase cookies online and have cookies shipped to them. The program allowed girls to adapt their business to market changes, build confidence, and develop more e-commerce, digital marketing and web management skills.

The pandemic did not get in the way of girls goals, as many used their cookie proceeds to achieve those goals, donate cookies, and give back to their communities. In fact, many shifted their service projects in 2020 and 2021 to support those affected by

COVID-19. For the 2021 cookie season, girls made care packages for medical professionals on the frontlines of the pandemic, and donated PPE to hospitals and organizations. Many gifted donated cookies to local organizations like foster care centers, food banks, and healthcare heroes and essential workers critical in keeping our economy running during the heat of the pandemic.

Check out Troop 2732 who set up a cookie booth at Banner Estrella and Troop 2732 dona tes cookies to he donated cookies to healthcare profesalthcare heroes at Banner Estrella sionals with notes of gratitude to hand out with each . box. The girls really wanted to be there to thank each person versus just dropping cookies off at the front lobby.

As local girls get ready for the 2022 Girl Scout Cookie Program, they have the option to participate in the program virtually, in-person or through a hybrid option. Girls will apply e-commerce and marketing skills they have learned through the program, and in doing so they learn goal setting, money management, business ethics and more.

The skills that girls learn through cookie entrepreneurship and other Girl Scout programming are building blocks they’ll use in all areas of their lives. A recent study showed that Girl Scouts are more likely to be engaged citizens, give back to their community, hold leadership positions in the workplace, and embody higher levels of courage, confidence and character than non-Girl Scouts.

The Girl Scouts Cookie Program, the largest girl-lead entrepreneurial program in the world, teaches girls of all ages lifelong skills like how to count change, the basics of a business plan, and (like Troop 2732) empowerment, sense of community and gratitude.

Learn how you can get involved in Girl Scouts and participate in the iconic cookie program.

Local program kicks off Jan. 17–Feb. 27; save the date! Visit girlscoutsaz.org/join to learn more about joining and how to get started.

Join Girl Scouts today!

Visit girlscoutsaz.org Call 602-452-7030 Text 844-317-9041

@GSACPC November 2021 • Bear Essential News • 9

Get Cooking!

Pozole Directions: Step 1: Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts, and cook until no longer pink and juices run clear, about 20 minutes.

Remove from skillet, drain, and cool.

When completely cooled, shred chicken with a fork.

Boomer’s Healthy Recipes for the Holidays.

Whether it’s for a holiday or a family celebration, gathering around the table with relatives makes for a memorable occasion. It may be one of the few times you get together with your extended family. This year, explore your family’s roots and record a treasured family recipe.

On this page, learn about genealogy and find some healthier versions of traditional dishes to add to your holiday menu.

See the family tree and recipe activity on page 12.

m

Recipe fro

Recipe from allrecipes.com Ingredients:

Step 2: Heat remaining 2 tablespoons canola oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat.

Cook and stir onion and garlic until soft and transparent, about 5 minutes. Return shredded chicken to the skillet. Stir in the chicken broth, water, oregano, salt, and chili powder. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook about 90 minutes.

Stir in the hominy and cook until tender, about 15 minutes more. Taste to adjust seasonings, adding more salt and chili powder, if desired. Serve in soup bowls with one tostada shell per serving.

Garnish as desired.

Image: shutterstock.com

1 cup or more of you strawber ries, man r favorite fresh fr uits (blue darin ora 1/3 cup o ng berries, f dried fr raspberr uit (dried es, apples) ¼ cup of ies, cranberr nuts (sliv ie s, golden ered alm 1 head o on raisins, e f green le tc.) af or rom ds, walnut piece s, pecan aine lettu p Directio ce, or 3 ns: to 4 cups ieces) spinach Step 1: W or kale ash and p size piec es and p at dry or spin dry ut in larg lettuce o Step 2: W e bowl. r greens ash and . Tear into dr Cut large biter fruit into ain fresh fruit. S mall berr slices or Step 3: A ies can b ch dd nuts a e added nd lightly unks and add to of your c whole. s hoice (tr to a s la s d a . ll ingredie y a light, poppy se n sweet dr ts togeth ed). essing li ke raspb er with dressing erry vina igrette o r

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Garnishes: shredded cabbage or lettuce, sliced radishes, lime wedges, chopped onion & cilantro

Learn About Your Amazing Family Tree!

Cre

D

o you and your family have some unique traditions or stories that you share during the holidays? Do the smells of certain foods filling the house mean anything to you? Are there certain objects (HEIRLOOMS) that your family brings out?

Learning where those traditions come from is part of finding your roots!

And the holidays are the perfect time of year to discover your family tree.

To help, we’ve put together some tips, including a form on the next page to get you started!

“It’s really important to know why we do things in certain ways.

Especially with family holidays, a lot is through food,” points out Genevieve Leavitt, who loves doing genealogy research for guests at Canyon Ranch and lectures on DNA tests.

GENEALOGY is the study of families, their history and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists do family interviews, find historical documents and photos, and use DNA tests to help people connect to their roots. “It’s so much fun!” Leavitt says.

Family members getting together in person or virtually provides an opportunity to learn about your ancestors, family stories and traditions.

“You’re basically a product of your ancestors. Some people are lucky enough to know their grandparents or their great grandparents,” Leavitt points out. Try to interview the oldest in your family, and record things on video, tape recorder or just use pen and paper. Go for a simple story—ask

Latkes Directions: Step 1: Peel potatoes. Have a parent help grate the potatoes and onion on the large holes of a box grater. Place together on a clean kitchen towel, pull up the sides of the towel to form a bundle, and squeeze out excess moisture.

Step 2: Transfer the potato mixture to a large bowl. Add 2 large eggs, 1/4 cup matzo meal, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and stir to combine.

Step 3: Preheat Air Fryer Oven to 375ºF and set to 16 minutes*. Coat the air fryer rack with cooking spray. Drop the latke mixture in 2-tablespoon dollops into the air fryer, flattening the tops to make a patty. Spray the tops of the latkes with cooking spray. Air fry, turning the latkes halfway through cooking time. Repeat with the remaining latke mixture.

Step 4: Serve with sour cream and applesauce. Enjoy! *Times may vary depending on your air fryer.

10 • Bear Essential News • November 2021

Easy Chicken Pozole 2 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided 1 onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 ½ quarts chicken broth 3 cups water 1 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano 2 teaspoons salt 4 tablespoons chili powder, or to taste 3 cups white hominy, rinsed and drained 10 tostada shells

es k t a L r e Air Frythekitchn.com ts: Ingredien s— et potatoe s s ru s d n u 1½ po potatoes 3 r o 2 ly te approxima n yellow onio ½ medium gs 2 large eg o meal ¼ cup matz osher salt r sk lack peppe b d n 2 teaspoon u ro g n freshly ½ teaspoo ray e cooking sp apple sauc , m a re c r : sou Garnishes

Nut & Fruit S alad Ingredie nts:

Images: shutterstock.com

See next page for a Family Tree activity! how they used to celebrate at their house, what foods they cooked, etc. Also remember to ask where! Place is an important part of your roots. And your interview needn’t be limited to the holidays. “There are just so many cool stories,” she says.

Use the form on the next page or print one of the many free ones that are online.

“The best way to start is put yourself first, then you put your dad, then your mom. Fill out the chart and you’ll see that you have blanks,” Leavitt says. Filling in those gaps is part of the challenge and requires digging a little deeper!

Technology has made filling out your family tree much more convenient. You and your family can find a wealth of information for free at FamilySearch.org, and the National Archives with U.S. Census, immigration and military records is at archives.gov.

Leavitt says DNA testing has been a real game-changer in finding your roots.

And as more people are added to these companies’ databases, the more refined the results are getting. The basic test costs around $100, but you can wait for sales. The two biggest are AncestryDNA and 23andMe, which maintain separate databases and come up with slightly different results.

And DNA companies say that 3–5 percent of those tested will get unexpected results. Genealogy clients can get confused. “They’ll say, ‘oh, I was told I’m part Native American or I’m part this or part that,’ and they get their DNA test and it’s not there,” Leavitt explains. “(For your) DNA, you get half from your mom and half from your dad.

That (also) means that you didn’t get half from your mom and you didn’t get half from your dad. But your siblings can also get different halves, and some of the same. So it’s important to test not just yourself, but also your siblings!”

November 2021 • Bear Essential News • 11

Get Cooking!

Pozole Directions: Step 1: Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts, and cook until no longer pink and juices run clear, about 20 minutes.

Remove from skillet, drain, and cool.

When completely cooled, shred chicken with a fork.

Boomer’s Healthy Recipes for the Holidays.

Whether it’s for a holiday or a family celebration, gathering around the table with relatives makes for a memorable occasion. It may be one of the few times you get together with your extended family. This year, explore your family’s roots and record a treasured family recipe.

On this page, learn about genealogy and find some healthier versions of traditional dishes to add to your holiday menu.

See the family tree and recipe activity on page 12.

m

Recipe fro

Recipe from allrecipes.com Ingredients:

Step 2: Heat remaining 2 tablespoons canola oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat.

Cook and stir onion and garlic until soft and transparent, about 5 minutes. Return shredded chicken to the skillet. Stir in the chicken broth, water, oregano, salt, and chili powder. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook about 90 minutes.

Stir in the hominy and cook until tender, about 15 minutes more. Taste to adjust seasonings, adding more salt and chili powder, if desired. Serve in soup bowls with one tostada shell per serving.

Garnish as desired.

Image: shutterstock.com

1 cup or more of you strawber ries, man r favorite fresh fr uits (blue darin ora 1/3 cup o ng berries, f dried fr raspberr uit (dried es, apples) ¼ cup of ies, cranberr nuts (sliv ie s, golden ered alm 1 head o on raisins, e f green le tc.) af or rom ds, walnut piece s, pecan aine lettu p Directio ce, or 3 ns: to 4 cups ieces) spinach Step 1: W or kale ash and p size piec es and p at dry or spin dry ut in larg lettuce o Step 2: W e bowl. r greens ash and . Tear into dr Cut large biter fruit into ain fresh fruit. S mall berr slices or Step 3: A ies can b ch dd nuts a e added nd lightly unks and add to of your c whole. s hoice (tr to a s la s d a . ll ingredie y a light, poppy se n sweet dr ts togeth ed). essing li ke raspb er with dressing erry vina igrette o r

dit:

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Man

go

Garnishes: shredded cabbage or lettuce, sliced radishes, lime wedges, chopped onion & cilantro

Learn About Your Amazing Family Tree!

Cre

D

o you and your family have some unique traditions or stories that you share during the holidays? Do the smells of certain foods filling the house mean anything to you? Are there certain objects (HEIRLOOMS) that your family brings out?

Learning where those traditions come from is part of finding your roots!

And the holidays are the perfect time of year to discover your family tree.

To help, we’ve put together some tips, including a form on the next page to get you started!

“It’s really important to know why we do things in certain ways.

Especially with family holidays, a lot is through food,” points out Genevieve Leavitt, who loves doing genealogy research for guests at Canyon Ranch and lectures on DNA tests.

GENEALOGY is the study of families, their history and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists do family interviews, find historical documents and photos, and use DNA tests to help people connect to their roots. “It’s so much fun!” Leavitt says.

Family members getting together in person or virtually provides an opportunity to learn about your ancestors, family stories and traditions.

“You’re basically a product of your ancestors. Some people are lucky enough to know their grandparents or their great grandparents,” Leavitt points out. Try to interview the oldest in your family, and record things on video, tape recorder or just use pen and paper. Go for a simple story—ask

Latkes Directions: Step 1: Peel potatoes. Have a parent help grate the potatoes and onion on the large holes of a box grater. Place together on a clean kitchen towel, pull up the sides of the towel to form a bundle, and squeeze out excess moisture.

Step 2: Transfer the potato mixture to a large bowl. Add 2 large eggs, 1/4 cup matzo meal, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and stir to combine.

Step 3: Preheat Air Fryer Oven to 375ºF and set to 16 minutes*. Coat the air fryer rack with cooking spray. Drop the latke mixture in 2-tablespoon dollops into the air fryer, flattening the tops to make a patty. Spray the tops of the latkes with cooking spray. Air fry, turning the latkes halfway through cooking time. Repeat with the remaining latke mixture.

Step 4: Serve with sour cream and applesauce. Enjoy! *Times may vary depending on your air fryer.

10 • Bear Essential News • November 2021

Easy Chicken Pozole 2 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided 1 onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 ½ quarts chicken broth 3 cups water 1 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano 2 teaspoons salt 4 tablespoons chili powder, or to taste 3 cups white hominy, rinsed and drained 10 tostada shells

es k t a L r e Air Frythekitchn.com ts: Ingredien s— et potatoe s s ru s d n u 1½ po potatoes 3 r o 2 ly te approxima n yellow onio ½ medium gs 2 large eg o meal ¼ cup matz osher salt r sk lack peppe b d n 2 teaspoon u ro g n freshly ½ teaspoo ray e cooking sp apple sauc , m a re c r : sou Garnishes

Nut & Fruit S alad Ingredie nts:

Images: shutterstock.com

See next page for a Family Tree activity! how they used to celebrate at their house, what foods they cooked, etc. Also remember to ask where! Place is an important part of your roots. And your interview needn’t be limited to the holidays. “There are just so many cool stories,” she says.

Use the form on the next page or print one of the many free ones that are online.

“The best way to start is put yourself first, then you put your dad, then your mom. Fill out the chart and you’ll see that you have blanks,” Leavitt says. Filling in those gaps is part of the challenge and requires digging a little deeper!

Technology has made filling out your family tree much more convenient. You and your family can find a wealth of information for free at FamilySearch.org, and the National Archives with U.S. Census, immigration and military records is at archives.gov.

Leavitt says DNA testing has been a real game-changer in finding your roots.

And as more people are added to these companies’ databases, the more refined the results are getting. The basic test costs around $100, but you can wait for sales. The two biggest are AncestryDNA and 23andMe, which maintain separate databases and come up with slightly different results.

And DNA companies say that 3–5 percent of those tested will get unexpected results. Genealogy clients can get confused. “They’ll say, ‘oh, I was told I’m part Native American or I’m part this or part that,’ and they get their DNA test and it’s not there,” Leavitt explains. “(For your) DNA, you get half from your mom and half from your dad.

That (also) means that you didn’t get half from your mom and you didn’t get half from your dad. But your siblings can also get different halves, and some of the same. So it’s important to test not just yourself, but also your siblings!”

November 2021 • Bear Essential News • 11

Build Your Amazing

FAMILY TREE! 2 Start Here With Your Name!

1

Fill out the tree, and ask for your family’s help when you need more information.

Some families have more branches, so add on or use a new paper if needed.

Father’s Name: ________________________

4

8

Grandfather’s Name: ________________________ Birth date & place: ________________________

5

Grandmother’s Name: ________________________

Birth date & place: ________________________

Your Name: ________________________ Birth date & place: ________________________

3

Mother’s Name: ________________________ Birth date & place: ________________________

Birth date & place: ________________________

6

Grandfather’s Name: ________________________

Grandmother’s Name: ________________________ Birth date & place: ________________________

What’s Your

FAVORITE FAMILY RECIPE?

Do you have a favorite food or dessert that your family makes for special holidays?

Maybe your uncle prepares the turkey a special way, or your grandma makes a dish that you only have at certain holidays.

Ask them to share their secret!

Write down the ingredients and directions, then you can cut it out and save it.

12 • Bear Essential News • November 2021

Great Grandmother’s Name: ________________________

10 Great Grandfather’s Name: ________________________

11 Great Grandmother’s Name: ________________________

12

Birth date & place: ________________________

7

9

Great Grandfather’s Name: ________________________

My Favorite H o

Great Grandfather’s Name: ________________________

13 Great Grandmother’s Name: ________________________

14 Great Grandfather’s Name: ________________________

15 Great Grandmother’s Name: ________________________

liday Recipe

Growing, Growing,

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y r a t e i D Fiber

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Fun tips on healthy foods, fitness and well being —from our family to yours!

O

n average we need 25-36 grams of fiber daily.

Most people do not get enough fiber since they eat very little fiber rich foods. This becomes an even bigger issue during the holidays as we tend to eat more foods that have very little or zero fiber.

When you choose bread, tortillas, pasta, or crackers, try to choose products that have more than 3 grams of fiber per serving. Also, try to eat at least one food that is high in fiber at every meal and with your snacks.

Dietary fiber facts: 1. It is ONLY found in plant foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and beans.

2. It acts like a broom by sweeping out the intestines.

3. It acts like a sponge by absorbing a ton of water and making you feel full longer.

Benefits of eating fiber rich foods: 1. It keeps us “regular” – which is super important.

2. It grabs unwanted waste in our bodies helping us lower the risk for colon and breast cancer.

3. It lowers cholesterol levels and helps control blood sugars.

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A yummy oatmeal recipe and you’ll get a ton of fiber* and healthy fats in one meal: In a bowl combine the following:

• 1/3 of a cup cooked steel cut oats or old-fashioned Oats • ½ cup of milk or nut milk (almond/coconut/soy with no added sugars) • 1 tablespoon of peanut butter (or other type of nut butter) • ½ sliced banana • ½ cup of fruit (berries or apple or pureed pumpkin) • 1 tablespoon of chia seeds • 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds • Sprinkle some cinnamon • Add a few walnuts • Mix well

Directions for cooking steel cut oats:

1. Combine 1 cup of steel cut oats with 4 cups of water.

2. Slowly bring it to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.

3. Take off heat and allow to cool.

4. Once cooled off, place the oatmeal in the fridge. Warm up when ready to eat the oatmeal. *This recipe has 13 grams of fiber!

Stay Informed All School Year Long!

Images: shutterstock.com

101

phoenixchildrens.org

line!

See you on

Sign up for Bear’s weekly NEWSLETTER. You’ll find helpful information on: • New Contests

• Resource Guides

• Scoops Stories

• Look for BEAR at your local library

• Family Fun

• Community Events

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To sign up, go to BearEssentialNews.com and click on the envelope icon at the top right hand side of the site.

November 2021 • Bear Essential News • 13

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Get the Scoop!

Continued from page 7

Have You Ever Made a Call from a Public Phone?

by Reporter Ezekiel Perez Homeschool Did you know that today you can still use a public phone? At Burton Barr Central Library in Phoenix, you can still use a public phone.

You can talk for 4 minutes for $1.

There are two phones. One is located on the second floor and the other one on the fifth floor; both are on the east side of the library.

I would like to invite other kids to save four quarters, and try a public phone. It is fun!

First pick up the handset and clean it.

Then deposit coins into the coin slot. Dial the number by pressing the buttons and wait for the call to be connected.

You have to write down phone numbers you want to call, since payphones do not have a contact list. Also, let the person you will call know that you will use a public phone and the approximate time. These days we are not used to memorizing phone numbers or answering calls from unknown callers.

Bring a camera and share your picture with family members and friends.

You might learn a few facts about how it was before using cell phones. You might even have seen Boomer Bear using a public phone.

Adviser: Kattiana Perez

Autumn’s VIP Readers Fun Online Parties • Book Fairs Reading Incentive Programs Cards For A Cause Fundraisers Vendor and Other Events To Promote Community Literacy

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For Dates and Times, check our website

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Volume 43 • Issue 2

Editor & Publisher

Sales Director & Publisher

Stephen B Gin

Nancy Holmes

City Editor

YR Coordinator

Copy Editor

Art Director

Mike Loghry

Gary Shepard

Renee Griffith

Julie Madden

Bear Essential News for Kids®

is published monthly by Kids’ View Communications Corp. to educate, enrich and entertain children and their families. Content of this newspaper is designed to promote reading and writing skills as well as creativity.

Classroom educators are welcome to reproduce any portion of this newspaper for their students.

Call or fax Kids’ View Communications for any additional information on stories.

Please Call

(480) 752-2327 for any editorial or advertising inquiries.

©2021 Kids’ View Communications Corp.—all rights reserved • 2525 E. Broadway #102 • Tucson, AZ 85716 Fax# (520) 792-2580 • Bear Essential News is distributed free each month.

Printed with recycled newsprint.

14 • Bear Essential News • November 2021

www.bearessentialnews.com

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Get the Scoop!

Continued from page 14

Explore the World in Your Own Kitchen

by Reporter Piper Perez Kiva Elementary My family had the chance to sample an eat2explore Fun Box and what a good and delicious time we had! Eat2explore is the only family cooking kit that delivers cultural education through cuisine while providing the hard to find spices and sauces that make the meal really unique.

My mother is Swedish and we were really lucky to get a box where one of the three recipes was for Swedish chokladbollar. In Sweden, May 11 is dedicated to this chocolate dessert “Chokladbollens Dag.” Because it is so easy to make (no baking required) and is a typical treat, most Swedish children learn to make them with their grandparents, parents or relatives at a young age. One thing that worked really well for my family is we had all the ingredients that we needed already in our kitchen. I learned that an old Swedish tradition is that Saturday is the day when it is ok to satisfy your sweet tooth without feeling guilty! Kids are given

a Saturday candy bag and they fill up the bags with their candy allowance.

It dates way back in tradition to when the Swedish government tried to prevent cavities for children by only letting them eat candy one day a week.

But to get back to my story about making chokladbollar. It was really simple to do. The best part was when we got to roll all the ingredients up into little balls. The toughest part was waiting the 15 minutes for them to sit and harden up in the refrigerator. The directions were simple, but we still managed to mess up a little. We mixed up the coconut flakes with the chocolate powder, but as it turned out it didn’t matter. Everything got rolled up

just the same. They were delicious.

You can subscribe to receive a new adventure box every month. Each box includes recipes. shopping lists and activities and all the hard to find spices and sauces that make each meal unique. I love to watch cooking shows and my mom thinks a subscription to eat2explore could be the perfect Christmas gift for me. Find more information at www.eat2explore.com.

MORE SCOOPS, page 18 ➧

18 We ARE Open for Assessments and Taking New Clients for All Services!

November 2021 • Bear Essential News • 15

Thanksgiving Crossword Challenge!

Kids! Can you complete this crossword using the clues provided?

ACROSS

3. A crop of the Pilgrims.

5. A day to give thanks.

7. A kind of meat for the holidays.

8. A Thanksgiving Day bird.

10. All the side dishes.

11. You put this into a turkey.

DOWN

1. They came over on the Mayflower.

2. To collect a crop.

3. A Thanksgiving basket.

4. A fruity Thanksgiving side dish.

5. A time-honored practice.

6. Crusty desserts.

9. Sweet potatoes.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Answers: ACROSS 3. Corn, 5. Thanksgiving, 7. Ham, 8. Turkey, 10 Fixings, 11. Stuffing DOWN 1. Pilgrims, 2. Harvest, 3. Cornucopia, 4. Cranberries, 5. Tradition, 6. Pies, 9. Yams

Become a Young Reporter!

Get Writing for Bear Essential News!

Kids all over Arizona write for Bear Essential News, and you can, too!

The Young Reporters Program is FREE and teaches you the basics of journalism, sharpens your writing and gives you real-world experience. Your stories could appear in Bear Essential News, Arizona’s leading newspaper for young people and their families, and are permanently posted on Bear’s fab website.

Sign up for the FREE Young Reporters Program (for kids grades 3–8). Print out the YR signup form at BearEssentialNews.com (click on Young Reporters). Fill it out, have a parent sign the bottom, and mail it in. Bear will send you its awesome Young Reporters Kit!

Students and teachers can participate with us all school year long with exciting activities and contests!

Teachers can sign up for our Newsletter for Bear’s free AZCCRS-based Work Sheets for grades K–2, 3–4, 5–6 and 7–8. These monthly Work Sheets augment the current issue of Bear Essential News, which is a trusted source for a wide range of informational text. Work sheets can also be printed from our website at bearessentialnews.com under the “Teacher” tab. Under this tab you can find information on becoming an adviser and signing up Young Reporters. There is also a great field trip and grant funding resource guide to help plan and fund your class field trips.

Each month, teachers can use Bear Essential News to develop their students’ reading, writing, math and science skills.

16 • Bear Essential News • November 2021

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November 2021 • Bear Essential News • 17

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Get the Scoop!

Continued from page 15

There’s Great Fun to Be Had at Great Wolf Lodge

by Reporter Georgiana Readhead Homeschool From Aug. 22 through Aug. 24 my family and I went to an incredible resort—Great Wolf Lodge in Scottsdale.

My family and I had a lot of fun doing interesting activities such as mini golf, a high ropes course, yoga, rock climbing, a dance party, and MagiQuest.

MagiQuest is a virtual scavenger hunt controlled by a unique wand you can get at the MagiQuest Shop.

The quest takes you all around the ground level of the resort as you find treasures and go on different adventures.

Another reason I thought that Great Wolf

Lodge was a lot of fun was their indoor water park. The indoor water park had a lot of attractions such as a water treehouse, a wave pool, a four-person waterslide, a two-person waterslide, a lazy river, and a drop slide.

Ben Readhead, who went on the drop slide, says that one of his favorite things about the slide is that the tube goes inside and outside of the indoor water park building!

At Great Wolf Lodge another bonus was the food. They had delicious pizza! The pizza was so good my family and I ate pizza poolside every day for lunch! We also got cups of pick and mix candy.

What an amazing trip! I hope that I can visit again some day!

18 • Bear Essential News • November 2021

Up, Up in the Air at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta

by Reporter Tegan McCarthy Sahuarita Middle School October 5 was the day that I went to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. It is the world’s largest hot air balloon festival with over 600 balloons! It also had many balloon themed souvenirs and foods.

If you were feeling adventurous, you could take a ride in one of the hot air balloons—the prices ranged from $60–$250. I had a lot of fun overall!

I really enjoyed getting to see the special shaped balloons, including Yoda, an enormous cow and Smokey the Bear. Some of the balloons were over 80 feet tall. I would give this experience a 5-star review and I look forward to going again next year.

November 2021 • Bear Essential News • 19

Kids In the Kitchen: Thanksgiving Edition

Mashed Potato Magic!

Images: shutterstock.com

Scan the QR code below to learn the 5 SECRETS.

Fill your plate!

Draw your favorite Thanksgiving foods.

For more recipes visit: 20 • Bear Essential News • November 2021

www.arizonamilk.org