Happy New Year

A new year is coming

We're about to welcome 2009 to the fold! What will you do different this year? What do you look forward to? Share your New Year's resolutions with us here at the NIE Blogging Zone.

Another zoo story

What do you think?

Have you been keeping up with the news about Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo? You can read the latest news about this story and past articles on the electronic edition. To find past articles, log onto the electronic addition, click on archives, and then fill in the search information. Also go to the St. Petersburg Times NIE Web site to find NIE resources for last year's nine-part series about the zoo.

Share your thoughts here about what's been going on with Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo and the resignation of its president, Lex Salisbury.

Winter break

Happy holidays!

Just because school will be out in a few days doesn't mean you should take a break from the NIE Blogging Zone. What are your plans for the winter break and the holidays? Charlie Brown and Linus are contemplating their plans for Christmas in the photo. Do you have any special Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa or New Year's Day traditions? Share your holiday and winter break plans with us here at the NIE Blogging Zone.

Entourage: Part 4

Visiting Winter

Children from all over the country have come to visit Winter in her home in Clearwater. John Barry writes, "For two years, it has been one child after another. They've showed up on prosthetic legs, or in wheelchairs, or sick from cancer, or hearing impaired, all hurting or struggling in some way." What are your thoughts about Winter's entourage? The children seem to be able to relate to Winter because they are like Winter. Why do you think it is so important for the children to fit in with others? Share your thoughts about Part 4 of the series here.

Entourage: Part four

Can you relate?

Katrina Simpkins knows what it is like to be bullied and picked on. Third grade was not fun for this little girl who felt as though she did not fit in with the other students. One kind of conflict that can affect adults at work and kids at school or in their neighborhood is a conflict with bullies. Can you relate to Katrina or the circumstances in the article? Are their bullies in your class or neighborhood? Do you find boys or girls are doing more of the bullying?  Have you ever bullied anyone or been bullied yourself? How does your school handle bullies? Share your thoughts with other students.

To build a tail: Part three

A big investment

Dan Strzempka and Kevin Carroll invested a lot of time and money to create a new tail for Winter. During their two years of research, they built 50 prototypes and put in hundreds of unpaid hours. John Barry writes the following in the Part 3 of the article: "They burned through about $200,000 of Hanger's money on myriad designs. Winter used up 20 cases of KY. Dan fried the high-tech, $3,000 microprocessor in his own prosthesis by kneeling at the squirting end of Winter's water hose."

In the first paragraph of the last section of this article, Barry writes, "The project started as an interesting challenge, but two years later, what had it all been for? How was one dolphin worth so much time and money? Dan and Kevin didn't worry about that in the beginning. The nights and weekends were theirs to give, and innovation always leads someplace unexpected."

What do you think about the investment of time and money? Do you think it was a good idea and worth the effort for one dolphin? What are the benefits of creating the new tail?

Can this technology be used for other purposes? What examples are given tin the article o suggest this?

Share your thoughts and ideas here.

To build a tail: Part 3

Winter's Tale: To build a tail

Do you think Dan Strzempka's idea was outrageous? What are your thoughts about the technology and details presented in the article? Share your thoughts about Part 3 of the Winter's Tale here.

Technology is all around us. Look in the St. Petersburg Times for examples of technology that you use in your everyday life.

Saving Winter Part 2

Winter's tale: Saving Winter

In this section of the story, John Barry writes, "David Yates had a role in mind for Winter. He understood that dolphins have a special relationship with humans. People bestow dolphins with human traits and feelings — a sense of humor, a mourning instinct, even empathy. Dolphins have been mythologically bonded to man since the Greeks. But the aquarium's wildlife mission didn't apply only to dolphins. It applied equally to its captured sea turtles, many of which had been maimed by monofilament fishing line, or other deadly litter. The point was to show the carnage. Let people see the price of human carelessness."

What are your thoughts about using Winter for this educational purpose? Do you think people could learn to be more careful with their fishing gear and trash after hearing Winter's story? After reading about Winter, what would you tell people who litter?

Can you find other stories in the St. Petersburg Times showing the carelessness of humans? Share the stories you find here.

Saving Winter: Part two

Winter's tale: Saving Winter

In the fourth paragraph of the story, John Barry writes the following: "The issue of euthanasia hung in the air. The baby's tail looked hopeless. They had never heard of a dolphin living without a tail. If this one did, she would require 'round-the-clock care for months. At best, she would grow up crippled and captive for life. An injection now might curtail much suffering and expense."

According to Dictionary.com, euthanasia is "the act of putting to death painlessly or allowing to die, as by withholding extreme medical measures, a person or animal suffering from an incurable, esp. a painful, disease or condition." Winter was in very bad condition, and Dr. Janine Cianciolo had a difficult decision to make. Do you think Dr. C made the right decision?

What are your thoughts about euthanasia? What do you think should be the determining factor for such an action?

You can find many articles in the St. Petersburg Times where people have made difficult decisions. Find an article depicting a difficult decision that someone has made. Do you agree or disagree with this decision? Why or why not?

Mosquito Lagoon: Part one of four

Winter's tale: A dolphin in distress

In Part one of this series, the baby dolphin is miraculously rescued by Jim Savage, Teresa Mazza and Claire Surrey. They heard the dolphin's squeals and saw her injuries, and they knew they had to do something to help her. What are your thoughts about their actions? What would you have done had you seen the dolphin in distress? Share your thoughts with other students and teachers.

Look in today's St. Petersburg Times for articles that show other people selflessly taking action to help others. Can you find other examples of people helping people or animals in a time of need? Share the information you find here at the NIE Blogging Zone.