December Newspaper

Tiger Express News

December 2020

The 1918 Flu Virus

In 1918, people had gotten sick and millions got killed from all over the world. These include soldiers who died while serving in World War II, and it also wiped out entire families. A deadly virus called the flu was making people sick. At first doctors did not know how to control it, but soon doctors learned how to protect, and keep people safe from it. People were warned to not shake hands, to wear gloves, and to not spit. They were also told to wear a mask over their mouths in order to stop the flu from spreading. This sounds similar to the pandemic we are going through today.
The flu pandemic of 1918 caused a worldwide pandemic. One-third of the world’s population got infected with this virus. It is said that 50 million people died from it. People can still get the flu nowadays, but since we have a vaccine to cure us we can heal quickly. Unfortunately, some people do still pass away from the flu if they get it. It is advised to stay home if you get the flu because it can be contagious to others. The flu will infect your lungs which can cause serious damage to your body. If you talk or sneeze while having the flu, then you will be putting other people in danger.
The 1918 flu pandemic and the coronavirus pandemic can be compared in similar ways. To start off they both have killed a lot of people, and unfortunately people are still passing away from the coronavirus. Both the flu and the coronavirus are contagious. During both pandemics people have been told to wear a mask to keep themselves safe. A vaccine is already out for the flu and soon there will be a vaccine given out for the coronavirus. The flu pandemic is said to have originated from Asia and the coronavirus originated in China. The flu pandemic ended during the spring of 1919. We hope the coronavirus ends real soon.

by Robert and Envy

La seguridad en el internet

Por Monica C, Ashley L, y Maya P.

¿Has estado en la internet? Nosotros estamos en el internet todos los días. El internet es muy interesante pero puede ser peligroso.
Nosotros aprendimos sobre la seguridad de la internet. Es muy importante porque muchos niños y adultos alrededor del mundo hablan y juegan con personas en el internet. Las personas pueden jugar en Fornite, Roblox, Among Us o en las redes sociales. Un problema es que muchos adultos y niños no se fijan con quien andan hablando. Eso es peligroso porque nunca sabes con quién estás hablando y no sabes si es alguien de tu edad o alguien con malas intenciones. A veces solo quieren asustarte pero nunca sabes si están diciendo la verdad o mentiras.
Ahora vamos a hablar de cómo estar seguro cuando estás en el internet con estos tips de cómo protegerse en el internet. Si alguien te está preguntando o diciendo malas cosas o cosas inapropiadas solo tienes que cerrar la aplicación o pagina de Google. Luego le dices a un adulto para que esté alerta de la situación y de tu seguridad. Recuerda nunca le des a una persona del internet que conociste o no conoces algo personal de ti como donde vives, tu nombre, tu número de teléfono o tu contraseña. También no debes creer todo lo que leas o veas en el internet o las redes sociales.
Para resumir todo, es muy importante mantenerse seguro cuando estás en el internet o las redes sociales. Espero que disfruten del internet pero a cuidadosamente.

Cheetahs

by Lucky, Vincent, and Israel

Cheetahs are very large cats that can run very fast. Super fast, that they can run up to 60 miles an hour in three seconds. That's faster than most sport cars. Their body is built for that. Cheetahs have a light build, long thin legs, and a long tail. They are typically 2-3 feet tall and have a life expectancy of 10-12 years. Cheetahs have a white belly, and a dark stripe that looks like a tear on both sides of their face. They also have dark spots on their fur. They are such a beautiful looking animal that it is such a shame they are becoming endangered.
Unfortunately, cheetahs are facing extinction. Different factors contribute to that. One factor is that humans hunt cheetahs and kill them for their fur and other goods. People make jackets and blankets from their fur, and they also use their bones to make axes and knives. Another factor, which is a big one, is due to habitat loss which they blame us humans for. According to research, only 7,100 cheetahs remain globally, and have lost 91% of its historic habitat range. One last factor that is causing cheetahs to face extinction is due to their genes not allowing all cheetahs to reproduce babies. This is causing their population to stop growing.
Cheetahs hunt for small animals which include gazelles, hares, and impalas. Other large predators like the lion, leopard, and hyena compete with cheetahs for this food. These 3 large predators will also hunt and kill cheetahs if given the opportunity. Cheetahs are rare creatures that do not sleep and they do not hide. Instead, they climb trees which gives them an opportunity to view more animals from above. It is such a shame that this beautiful animal can become extinct soon. For now we will admire them for as long as we can, and hope that the killing of these cheetahs end soon.

Especies claves en peligro de extinción

por Samuel B., Jahsiel B, y Bryan J,

No me vas creer cuando te cuente de un articulo interesantisimo que leímos. Este artículo es sobre animales en peligro de extinción.
Un depredador es un animal que mata a otros animales para comer. Una especie clave es un depredador. Por ejemplo, el lobo gris es una especie clave y un depredador. Los lobos grises se alimentan de alces, bisontes, conejos y aves. En los años 1800, en el parque Nacional de Yellowstone vivían cientos de lobos. El gobierno pensó que los lobos estaban destruyendo el lugar. Ellos pensaban que los lobos comían muchos alces y bisontes. Además, se comían a las vacas de las granjas. Entonces para el año 1924, el gobierno eliminó a todos los lobos.
Ya no quedaba un depredador como los lobos grises. Velozmente, había más alces que nunca. Se estaban alimentando de mucho zacate y de otras plantas. Además las plantas y el zacate no tenían tiempo de crecer. Esto puso a los peces, a los castores y a los pájaros cantores en peligro. En 1990, el gobierno tuvo que introducir al lobo gris para volver a ayudar al ecosistema.
Claramente puedes ver que las especies claves son muy importantes para todos los animales. Todos los animales tienen una parte importante en nuestro ecosistema.

A wildfire is an unplanned fire that burns in a natural area such as a forest, grassland, or prairie. Almost every year wildfires take over the state of California. In 2019, 260,000 acres of land were burned by unplanned wildfires. Wildfires are often caused by human activity or naturally, such as lightning, and they can happen at any time or anywhere. It is important that we understand how wildfires form and how they can affect our health and the environment.
Wildfires can affect our health as it can be extremely harmful to our lungs, children, older adults, and those with asthma, bronchitis, diabetes, or chronic heart disease. The air pollution that a wildfire gives can cause asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes, or even kill you. Small children who breathe in the smoky air during a wildfire have more coughing, wheezing, bronchitis, colds, and more likely need to go to the doctor or a hospital to get treated.
Wildfires affect the environment as it causes long term effects on the quality of rivers, lakes and streams. Depending on the amount of damage caused, a wildfire can also affect vegetation. This means that plants and trees get destroyed which leads to food sources and homes of many animals getting destroyed. Our buildings and homes can also get destroyed if they lie within a path of a wildfire. Our lives can become in danger, and the cleanup process can be long and dangerous if not done properly and safely.
While we may not be able to stop a wildfire that happens naturally, we can help prevent those that are started on accident by humans. If we are going camping and have a campfire on then we should make sure to extinguish the fire when we leave. We should not throw lit cigarettes out of our moving car, and when using fireworks we should use them in clear areas with no woods nearby. We should never play with matches or lighters as we can cause serious accidents. By being aware and more careful we can help stop the spread of wildfires.

Wildfires

by Damian

No More Names for Hurricanes

Hurricanes are large destructive storms that can cause a lot of damage. Every year hurricane season starts on June 1st and lasts through November 30th. The first hurricane that hit this year was hurricane Hanna. It struck on July 24th in Padre Island, Texas. Hurricane winds can be up to 74-90 miles per hour. A hurricane has the fastest winds and will produce a lot of damage and destruction to many areas.
So far in 2020 there have been 27 hurricanes. Every storm in the Atlantic Ocean gets a name. Hurricanes have been named since the early 1950’s. There is a list of 21 storm names each year. There are 26 letters in the alphabet where 21 letters get taken each year for a hurricane name. There have been so many storms in 2020 that a storm named Wilfred took the last one on the 2020 list. Now, storms will get their names from the Greek Alphabet. Two storms this year already had Greek names. Their names were Alpha and Beta. Alpha and Beta were so strong and big that they caused a lot of damage. Alpha hit Portugal on September 18th and it’s winds blew at 45 miles per hour. Beta hit the U.S. on September 21st and its wind blew 30 miles per hour.
While there is nothing humans can do to prevent hurricanes, we can do certain things during a hurricane to prevent harm to ourselves and our loved ones. If we know a harsh hurricane is coming our way, and they are telling us to evacuate then we should follow directions so that we do not get stuck in the middle of a flood. We should not drive in flooded areas as we can be swept away or be stalled in moving waters. If we do need to be out and driving, then we should follow warning signs about flooded roads and we should wear a life jacket to be safe. Hurricanes will continue to be a part of our lives. We might run out of names for hurricanes one day, but for now we will make sure we stay safe to protect ourselves.

by Victor and Xavier

Massive Floods

Freshwater is needed for growing crops and a necessity for animals out in the wild, but sometimes too much water can be dangerous. Not only to our environment and the animals, but to humans as well. Too much water can drown animals and destroy their habitats. For example, in 2012 a massive flood in India killed many one-horn Rhinos. Floods can also cause pollution to occur as garbage can get picked up and flow into the ocean which will affect marine life.
Flooding is considered the most common natural disaster. A flood can turn deadly. For example, in 1931 a flood in China was one of the worst flooding events in history. About 3.7 million people died. Too much water due to floods can also cause disease outbreaks. Those who end up touching flood water can become ill due to the diseases the water can carry.
Not all floods are considered dangerous. Some floods carry important nutrients to land which can improve the quality of the dirt and encourage plants to grow. Floods can also refill pools of fresh water. This supplies clean, fresh water to springs, lakes and rivers. During dry seasons, this type of groundwater may be the only supply of fresh water in a region. Floods naturally happen, and they can help and harm the ecosystems. They can also be destructive to humans and the environment but are necessary to help keep some ecosystems alive.

by Henry, Marcus, and Hazel