Yak

YAK CRAFTThe turning of 1999 to 2000 is a great time for you to make your own historic time capsule.First, gather items to put in it. Collect things that reflect your personality and the time you're living in. Here are some ideas:* Your favorite CD. (You can just put in the box and liner notes.)* A favorite fashion.* School papers -- your journal or any sample of your best work.* Pictures of you, your family and friends.* Ribbons or trophies.* Fad toys or trinkets (like a Beanie Baby or butterfly hair clips)

To be a third-grader at Elkridge Elementary School is to know that you can get a sunburn on the roof of your mouth, that breathing at 25,000 feet sounds like a freight train and that burning yak droppings smell like grass.One hundred and fifty youngsters at the Howard County school are more worldly-wise because of a two-month educational exercise called "Shared Summits" that made them virtual climbers in the Himalayas.Chris Warner, owner of Earth Treks, a rock-climbing gym in Columbia, took the children with him via the Internet as he ascended Tibet's 26,750-foot Cho Oyu and attempted 22,584-foot Ama Dablam.

Kwanzaa (KWON-zah) is one of the world's newest holidays. It's the seven-day African-American celebration, created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, that starts Dec. 26. It's about knowing yourself, finding your purpose and helping others. The first Kwanzaa was celebrated in California in 1966. In Swahili, Kwanzaa means the "first fruits" gathered at harvest time.Here's what you can learn from each day of Kwanzaa.Nguzo Saba (En-Goo-Zoh SAH-bah) is Swahili for the seven principles, or values, by which people should live.

J.K. Rowling, the brains behind the magical "Harry Potter" books, is a wizard with words. But we wanted to know more about the famous author. We yakked with her recently and found her to be as magical as her books!Does it surprise you that millions of kids are reading your books?I'm still slightly shocked. It's not until you see 2,000 people at the bookstore that the reality of it comes home to you. It's wonderful. Meeting the children is the best -- second only to the writing.Where are you on the fourth book?

The Pilgrims certainly didn't serve pineapple at their Thanksgiving feast, and it's not a traditional dish now. But you can make a dandy centerpiece with a pineapple.Materials:* 1 piece of medium-weight cardboard* Felt-tip marker* Scissors* 2 red felt pieces (each about 4 by 8 inches)* Craft glue (or a hot-glue gun if a parent helps)* 1 package of green or red pipe cleaners* 1 yellow felt square for beak (2 by 2 inches)* 1 set of large googly eyes* Craft T-pins* A pineappleWhat to do:1. Take a marker and draw on the cardboard a turkey neck and head, about 8 by 3 inches.

Alexis Ayala, 15, is the youngest in a hair-hanging sister act in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.When the Yak met Alexis earlier this fall, he asked her if hair-hanging hurts.Yup, it does, Alexis says. "But I don't think about the pain when I'm performing."What does she think about? "I concentrate on doing the tricks," she says.While Alexis and her two big sisters are hanging about 30 feet above the floor, they perform acrobatic movements and amazing spins. They even juggle fire.

Talk about a bird making a comeback! No, not the peregrine falcon, which recently flew off the U.S. endangered species list. We're talking turkey -- the eastern wild turkey, a far cry from the farm-raised bird most people eat on Thanksgiving.Wild turkeys used to live in most forests east of the Mississippi River, from Michigan to the Gulf of Mexico. But by the late 1800s, they had almost disappeared because hunting wasn't restricted and many forests were cut down.Well, the wild turkey is back -- big time.

It's time to check out some Halloween candy for your brain. Here are a few treats for young Yak's Corner readers."The Hallo-Wiener" by Dav Pilkey (Scholastic, $5.99) is new in paperback. Has your mom ever made you a Halloween costume -- maybe one you didn't like? If so, you'll love reading about Oscar the dachshund and his hot dog costume. This tale of a little wiener dog is a winner.Reading "Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden," by George Levenson with photographs by Shmuel Thaler (Tricycle Press, $14.95)

Four of the five Great Lakes have shrunk big time, alarming some scientists. People who live near lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie, Superior and Ontario are worried, too.The lakes touch Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Minnesota, New York and two Canadian provinces, Ontario and Quebec. So why should people in other places care?"The Great Lakes is the major freshwater resource in the United States," said Frank Quinn, a lake scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

It's time to check out some Halloween candy for your brain. Here are a few treats for young Yak's Corner readers."The Hallo-Wiener" by Dav Pilkey (Scholastic, $5.99) is new in paperback. Has your mom ever made you a Halloween costume -- maybe one you didn't like? If so, you'll love reading about Oscar the dachshund and his hot dog costume. This tale of a little wiener dog is a winner.Reading "Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden," by George Levenson with photographs by Shmuel Thaler (Tricycle Press, $14.95)