Central Idea Review 2018-2019

April Fools' Day is celebrated around the world, although it varies somewhat from country to country. In the United States, for example, it's a day to play practical jokes. In France, where the holiday is known as Poisson d'Avril, or April Fish, people secretly tape paper fish on their friends' backs. A common April Fools' prank in Portugal is to throw flour on someone; in Scotland, the most popular trick involves sending someone on a useless errand. Denmark celebrates April Fools' Day on April 1, but some people there celebrate again in May. Maj-kat, on May 1, is yet another day for jokes and pranks in the spring.

• A common April Fools' prank in Portugal is to throw flour on someone.

• April Fool’s is a popular holiday.

• Though there are variations in how different countries observe April Fools’ Day, the celebrations all involved playing pranks.

• On Poisson d’Avril, France’s version of what America’s call April Fool’s Day, pranksters tape paper fish to people’s backs.

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The lights on tall communication towers warn pilots to avoid the towers when flying at night. Unfortunately, the steady red lights often used on towers have the opposite effect on birds: the bright beams attract and confuse them. Instead of avoiding the lights, the birds fly directly toward them, crashing into the towers or becoming entangled in power lines. Millions of birds have died this way. However, there is a solution. Unlike steady lights, flashing or blinking lights don't attract birds. In response to demands from conservation groups, the Federal Aviation Administration in 2016 began requiring communication towers in the U.S. to use blinking lights instead of steady ones.

• The lights on tall communication towers warn pilots to avoid the towers when flying at night.

• To save birds, communication towers have begun using blinking lights.

• Birds are attracted to the steady red lights on communication towers.

• Safety lights are causing a steady decline in the bird population.

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Carrots contain high amounts of vitamin A and are good for general eye health. However, carrots will not improve night vision. That myth goes back to British propaganda during World War II. In 1940, the German Luftwaffe, or air force, began bombing Britain at night. In response, the British government ordered people to turn off their lights; the government wanted to make it difficult for German pilots to hit their targets. A new technology, radar, allowed the British air force to track and shoot down the German planes without light. To keep the technology secret, the government told the media that their pilots could see the German planes because they consumed so many carrots. Consequently, people began to believe that eating carrots would help them see better in the dark.

• Because of a British media campaign, people thought that eating carrots would improve their night vision.

• During World War II, the British government told the media that their pilots ate a lot of carrots.

• Carrots contain high amounts of vitamin A and are good for general eye health.

• During World War II, British soldiers were required to eat carrots.

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In 2016, Vallecito Elementary School in San Rafael, California, became the first U.S. school to replace all of its ordinary desks with raised desks that students stand at. Speaking to a reporter from TIME for Kids magazine, one student at the school gave the standing desks high praise. "You feel happier, you're less tired, and you're more active," she said. According to several studies, children working at standing desks burn more calories and are more focused on tasks. However, some teachers and parents are opposed to the change. They are concerned that standing for long periods of time could cause fatigue, strain on the legs and feet, or posture problems. In addition, standing desks are more expensive than seated desks. Only time will tell whether standing desks will prove to be the next big trend or a failed experiment.

• Studies have shown that standing desks help students focus on their schoolwork while being more active.

• Some people say that standing desks promote good study habits, but others are wary about the new desks.

• In 2016, Vallecito Elementary School in San Rafael, California, became the first U.S. school to replace all of its ordinary desks with raised desks that students stand at.

• Kids who get to stand every day are much happier than those who are made to sit all day long.

The Crimean War was fought in the 1850s between Russia on one side and Britain, France, and Turkey on the other. Although it was a major conflict, it is perhaps best remembered as the first war in which journalists were present on the battlefield. News dispatches from William Howard Russell, a reporter for the Times of London, exposed military blunders and revealed the filthy conditions that existed in military hospitals and camps. Photographers such as James Robertson and Roger Fenton made hundreds of photographs of soldiers on the battlefield. These news reports and photographs provided an uncensored look at life on the frontlines. The Crimean War marked the first time in history that people back home were exposed to the horrors of war.

• The Crimean War was fought between the Russians and the British, French, and Turkish.

• News dispatches from William Howard Russell, a reporter for the Times of London, exposed military blunders and revealed the filthy conditions that existed in military hospitals and camps.

• James Robertson and Roger Fenton were famous Crimean War photographers.

• The Crimean War was the first war to be documented for civilians.

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In the northeastern United States, autumn is particularly colorful. Leaves change from green to red and orange, and many Americans take scenic fall foliage trips. In Japan, a similar phenomenon takes place in the spring. Cherry trees erupt in a shower of pink, and the entire country celebrates the arrival of sakura, or cherry blossoms. Though autumn leaves are admired in the United States, they are seen as just a pretty seasonal display. In Japan, on the other hand, cherry blossoms have much greater significance; the flowers are deeply rooted in Japan's culture and philosophy. Since as far back as the eighth century, sakura have symbolized change and beauty, new beginnings, and the circle of life. The blossoms have been celebrated in Japanese paintings, poems, and tea ceremonies for centuries.

• Japan’s spring cherry blossoms often serve as symbols of change or new beginnings in works of Japanese art or literature.

• American fall leaves are beautiful, but Japanese cherry blossoms are even more beautiful.

• In the northeastern United States, autumn is particularly colorful.

• Americans appreciate the colorful leaves of fall, but the Japanese view the cherry blossoms of spring as part of their culture.

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On November 17, 1968, football fans across the United States sat glued to their televisions. A close game between two top teams—the New York Jets and the Oakland Raiders—was being broadcast. When the Jets pulled ahead with only fifty seconds remaining, viewers went wild. But then, just as the Raiders were bringing the ball across midfield, the game disappeared from the screen! In its place, a previously scheduled children's movie, Heidi, started playing. Callers flooded the TV network's phone lines, but it was too late. The Raiders scored two touchdowns in the very final moments—touchdowns that were unseen by all but West Coast viewers. As a result of the interrupted event, dubbed "the Heidi game," television networks began delaying their regularly scheduled programs until football games had ended.

• On November 17, 1968, football fans across the United States sat glued to their televisions.

• Fans were upset when a game between the New York Jets and the Oakland Raiders was interrupted by a television show.

• After Heidi interrupted a crucial moment during a televised football game, networks began to delay regularly scheduled shows until football games were over.

• After Heidi interrupted a crucial moment during a televised football game, the TV network received numerous calls from angry viewers who were unable to watch the final moments of the game.

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Maya Lin was an architecture student at Yale University when she completed a special class assignment—a monument to veterans of the Vietnam War. The assignment was inspired by the October 1980 announcement of a national design competition for such a memorial to be built in Washington, D.C. Lin's professor gave her design only a B but encouraged her to enter it into the competition. More than 1,400 entries were submitted and judged anonymously. Most of the other entrants were trained architects, whereas Lin hadn't yet completed her degree in architecture. Yet Lin's design took first place, earning her $20,000 in prize money. She later wrote, "From the very beginning I often wondered, if it had not been an anonymous entry . . . but rather an entry by Maya Lin, would I have been selected?"

• Maya Lin received a B for her design for a memorial to Vietnam veterans, but she was encouraged to enter it in a national competition.

• Maya Lin was just a student, but her design won a national competition for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

• Maya Lin’s design won first prize in a competition.

• Maya Lin was an architecture student at Yale University when she completed a special class assignment.

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The modern baseball has come a long way from early baseballs. In the 1840s and 1850s, pitchers often made their own balls by hand. One of the most popular balls of the time was known as the "lemon peel" ball. The lemon peel ball was composed of a single piece of leather wrapped around a core with four lines of stitching. Today's Major League baseball must measure between 9 and 9.25 inches and weigh between 5 and 5.25 ounces. However, there were no standards for lemon peel balls, which were generally smaller and lighter than today's balls. While today's official ball must be white and stitched with waxed red thread, the lemon peel ball was often a dark brown leather and had a variety of stitching colors.

• Today’s baseball is quite different from early balls such as the lemon peel.

• The lemon peel ball was one of the most popular early baseballs.

• The lemon peel baseball was made of one piece of leather with four lines of stitching.

• In the 1840s and 1850s, pitchers often made their own baseballs by hand.

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Birds have a reputation as excellent parents. They expend a great deal of effort in building nests in which to lay their eggs. They patiently incubate the eggs, keeping them warm and safe until they hatch. Birds also bring food to their newly hatched offspring until the baby birds are independent. However, some unusual birds, known as brood parasites, don't provide any parental care for their young. Perhaps the most famous brood parasite is the cuckoo. Instead of building a nest, the cuckoo lays her eggs in the nest of another species with similar-looking eggs. The female cuckoo simply removes an egg laid by the host female, lays her own egg, and then leaves, expecting the host bird to care for the imposter.

• Birds have a reputation as excellent parents.

• Unlike most species of birds, brood parasites such as the cuckoo don’t provide any paternal care.

• Unlike most species of birds, brood parasites such as the cuckoo don’t build nests.

• Most birds build nests for their young, incubate the eggs, and are generally devoted parents.

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