Tag: grade 8

News

Canadian Scientist Loves Mummies

Heather Gill-Frerking is a Canadian scientist who loves working with mummies.

Mummies are the preserved bodies of humans and animals.

Gill-Frerking is the director of science and education for the “Mummies of the World” exhibition at the Buffalo Museum of Science.

News

CBC To Cut 657 Jobs

The CBC announced last week that it plans to cut 657 jobs over the next two years.

The CBC (Radio-Canada in Quebec) had to drastically cut the amount of money it can spend (its budget). Because it had to cut more than $130 million, it had to let go of many people’s jobs because it would not be able to afford to pay their salaries.

Sports

Raptors Headed To Playoffs

Canada’s only basketball team in the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Toronto Raptors, are generating some excitement.

For the first time in six long years they have made the playoffs.

Of the 30 teams in the NBA, only 16 make it to the playoffs. There will be eight teams from the Eastern Conference and eight teams from the Western Conference. The Raptors play in the East.

In the playoffs, each team competes in a best-of-seven series. The first team to win four games moves on to the next round. A team has to win three rounds to make it to the finals. Then, the lone surviving team from the East plays the lone surviving team from the West.

Animals Science

Why Do Zebras Have Stripes?

A new study answers a question people have long asked themselves about the animal kingdom: Why do zebras have stripes?

If you want to try guessing the answer, stop reading now.

Have you guessed? OK, start reading again.

According to a new study, a zebra’s stripes most likely help to keep annoying, biting flies off them.

Scientists have thought that might be the reason.

However, they also had other theories: that the stripes provide camouflage to help them hide from enemies; to confuse their enemies; to help them stay cool; or for a social reason such as to attract a mate.