(Describer) In computer animation, different news scenes in rectangles move fast around a turning globe.

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(Describer) In front of a blue background with a triangle and circle, title: Teen Kids News. A girl sits at a desk with monitors behind her.

You're watching Teen Kids News. I'm Livia. Here's this week's top story.

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(Describer) The Teen Kids News logo is on curved screens that form a turning cylinder. Passing around it, title: Top Story.

The African country of Uganda is one of the poorest nations in the world. Many parts of the country are without simple basics, like running water or electricity. But thanks to one enterprising American teen, the lives of hundreds of kids living in an orphanage is much brighter. Amelia tells us more.

(Amelia) Ella Keinan is on a mission. At seven, she organized a toy and book drive for Ethiopian immigrants. When she was nine, she got schoolmates and parents to clean local beaches. At 10, she ran a clothing drive for the children of Syrian refugees. Those projects are enough to be proud of, but Ella's just beginning, and she's with us today. Hi, Ella! Hi. Thanks for having me. Your biggest project started as you prepared for your 12th birthday? In my religion, at the age of 12 or 13, everyone has a bar or bat mitzvah. I'm Jewish. Usually, you get gifts from guests, but I asked them to give me money instead to do something big. How did you get the idea for your project?

(Ella) I met Sivan Ya'ari, the founder of Innovation: Africa, a nonprofit organization that brings Israeli solar technology to rural African villages. With her, I found an orphanage in Uganda to sponsor and began my project there. What did you need to buy for the orphanage? We had a solar energy project, which meant that we bought solar panels and batteries to store the energy. With that, we brought the kids light and, most importantly, to connect them to the World Wide Web, we bought computers and modems. But Kayango was so far off the grid, we connected to the Internet using a cellular antenna. Wow, that's impressive. How did you raise the money? With Innovation: Africa, I set up an online web page and asked my guests to donate there. I updated them on my project, so some guests got so excited, they donated twice. That's great. Then, with your parents, you visited Kayango. What was the village like?

(Describer) Video shows her arrival.

(Ella) From the moment we drove into the school, the whole village swarmed us. That's when I realized the impact of my project, because it was greater than the kids in the school. I was affecting the whole community and changing their lives. It was emotional for me. Were the people friendly? They were very nice.

(Describer) On the video, they jump and chant.

(all) Thank you, Ella! Thank you, Ella! Thank you, Ella! Thank you, Ella!

(woman) ♪ We are happy to see you today ♪

(Describer) She dances with another crowd.

(Ella) The whole time I was there, it was hugs and high-fives. They sang and danced, and we keep in touch. I taught them how to e-mail me and use the Internet. That is so cool. Besides the solar lighting at the orphanage, what else did you do? When we arrived, we realized they needed help with other things. So we bought them tools to teach skills for the real world, like sewing machines. We bought mattresses for the orphans sleeping on the ground, food supplies, and we got a doctor to come in and treat for HIV, malaria, and ringworms. Even though this started as a bat mitzvah project, you're still helping the people of Kayango, aren't you? Yeah, we keep in touch so I can send them food and things. Also, we set up a sustainable aspect to the project. At the school, there's a cell phone charging station. People from surrounding villages can pay money to charge their phones, and that pays for food. Also, we're considering revisiting Kayango and installing a rainwater collecting system that would help agriculture and all sorts of things like that. You're truly inspiring. Thanks for sharing your story. Thank you for having me. An old Ugandan proverb says, "One who sees something good, must tell of it." I guess I just did. For Teen Kids News, I'm Amelia.

(Describer) By a desk...

I've got five words that will help you ace your next test. Don't go away.

(Describer) Livia:

Schoolwork, homework, studying can sometimes be stressful. We can all use advice to help us strive for success. So here's Christin with this week's "Make the Grade." No doubt you've heard of the three R's-- reading, writing, and 'rithmetic. When it comes to taking good class notes, there are actually five R's. Experts call this the "Cornell Method." The first R is for record. That means write anything you think is important. That's probably going to be a lot. So you need to reduce all that information to key phrases and words. The next step is to recite, explaining the information in your own words. It's best if you have an audience-- your parents, a friend, or your brother or sister. No audience? No problem. Practice reciting in a mirror.

(Describer) She turns away from one.

Speaking of mirrors, that brings us to an R that's rather appropriate-- reflect. Take time to think about your subject, making sure you really understand it. Finally, review your notes. So let's review the Cornell Method. Record, reduce. recite, reflect, and review. If it sounds like a lot of work, keep this in mind. Studies show most of us forget 80% of what we learned just the day before. It's not enough to take notes. To know your material, you need the five R's. With them, you are ready to ace the next test. I'm Christin, helping you "Make the Grade." Fifty U.S. states, 50 state flags, each with its own unique history. Here's Eric with "Flag Facts."

(Describer) Different flags flash by, with various colors and seals. A couple dozen are shown together, then appear in the word “flag”. Title: Flag Facts. It’s on a flag.

[drums beating]

(Eric) In 1629, the King of England gave Lord Calvert the right to form a colony in the New World. Calvert called it Terra Maria. Terra means "land," and Maria was the name of the king's wife. Terra Maria means "Mary's Land." Maryland. Calvert designed a flag with his coat of arms and the coat of arms of his mother's family, called The Crosslands. The Civil War divided Maryland residents over support of the North or the South. The coats of arms became symbols of that division.

(Describer) Randy Howe:

The Calvert part of the flag, the yellow and black, was an image that was used to represent those Marylanders who sided with the North. The red-and-white Crossland side was used by those Southerners who agreed with the rights of the Confederate.

(Eric) Throughout the war, the symbols were displayed separately.

(Howe) And it wasn't until after the Civil War, when Maryland soldiers were marching for the Spanish-American War, that Marylanders felt like there was unity again-- they'd healed the wounds of the Civil War. In part, seeing their flag with those colors all together again helped bring people back together. The reunified flag was officially adopted by Maryland in 1904. It's remained unchanged ever since. With "Flag Facts," I'm Eric.

(Describer) Titles: Coming up, The Making of a PSA. A camera films a boy walking down a sidewalk. Spinning with the triangle and circle, title: Teen Kids News.

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(Livia) This report is brought to you by the National Road Safety Foundation. It's that time of year when we present the winner of the annual Drive 2 Life Contest, and you get to watch as their idea becomes a public service announcement.

(Describer) Katie:

The Drive 2 Life PSA contest is open to students across the United States. This year's winner is Max Finch from Atlanta, Georgia. Congratulations. Thank you. What was your idea for the PSA? My idea was there's an egg rolling towards the end of the counter, and the boy was walking towards an intersection while he was wearing headphones and texting. When he reaches the intersection, the car stops and honks at him, and he's almost hit. And the egg splatters onto the floor. So, the egg can crack, but you don't want that happening to you on the street. That's correct. As part of your prize, you traveled to New York and worked with a professional crew on your PSA. What happened first? I got to where we were filming and did outside shots, and I got to be the boy.

(Describer) Outside, the camera is setup on a sidewalk, pointed at Max.

(male director) And...action!

(Katie) What was it like being an actor? Go, Max.

(Max) You had to film it over and over again till it was perfect. It's exciting for Max. He's doing a good job. We'll shoot this from across the street. Action!

(Describer) The camera films him from across the street, and it’s shown on a monitor.

(director) What do you think?

(Max) Looked good. And...let's walk.

(Describer) A smaller camera films him from a lower angle as he walks while texting. He uses the camera for a selfie. Later, he steps in front of a car, which stops.

That was it. Interestingly, your costar was unusual. It was an egg. How did that go? It was a lot harder than you'd think to roll an egg off of a counter.

(Describer) In a kitchen, the director rolls the egg on a counter, but it wobbles and bumps into other things.

Or roll it straight across the counter and, you know, having it crack right was also challenging, which seems weird, but you have to get the egg and the shell and the yolk all in one shot, instead of the egg shell covering everything. You actually had the egg fall on the floor. That must have been messy. Yeah. I cleaned it up 15 times at least. Working in TV is exciting and glamorous, isn't it? Yeah. What are you learning to do here? Clean. I understand the crew made a lot of egg puns. Yeah. Every single time something happened they'd be like, "Oh, this is really egg-cellent. This is egg-stra cool." You know, it was-- It got annoying, but it was funny. Well, I guess it must have cracked you up.

[laughs] Yeah.

After the shooting was done, the next step was the editing?

(Max) Yeah. I got to edit it with a professional editor, and I learned stuff and saw the final product and chose which one I liked best. You and Rick, the editor, created several versions and showed them to the director and producer for their opinion, correct? Yes. We're ready to show the edits. How many versions are we looking at? Two. Okay. Let's do it. Okay.

(Katie) Are you happy with your PSA?

(Max) Yeah. Everybody agreed on the one that we chose. It looks good. Now you'll show your PSA to the National Road Safety Foundation and Scholastic. Are you ready? Yeah. I think they'll be happy. Good luck with that. Thank you. When it comes to PSAs, Max has become an egg-spert. Sorry. Couldn't help myself. Anyway, we'll be there when Max unveils his winning PSA. We'll report next week. For Teen Kid News, I'm Katie.

(Describer) Livia:

While you have to wait to see this year's winning Drive 2 Life PSA, here is last year's.

(Describer) On a sidewalk...

This is Kati. And I'm-- You know who I am.

(Describer) Death.

(Describer) He carries a scythe.

Life's great for Kati-- class president, captain of her soccer team, and just aced her SATs. And she loves to text.

(Describer) She texts while she walks.

But I know something she doesn't. See that intersection? A car will go through it in three seconds.

(Describer) A Don’t Walk light is on, but she steps off the curb. Death pulls her back and the car misses her.

I'll give her today. But tomorrow, who knows?

(Describer) Don’t let your smart phone outsmart you.

♪

(Describer) A viewer email says, “I am obsessed with the show and think that it is great for teens to be learning about the news from other teens.” Signed Kaitlyn.

Coming up, we'll see the city that gave birth to The Beatles.

(Describer) Titles: Coming up, Here Comes the Fun. Livia:

Although this rock band broke up long before any of us were born, we all know their music. In fact, just about every performer today, from One Direction to Katy Perry, has been in some way influenced by them. They were four musicians that started what was known in the 1960s as the British Invasion. They were The Beatles. Nicole tells us more. [orchestra plays "Rule, Britannia!"]

(Describer) Against the background of the Union Jack flag, different scenes are shown in the letters of the title slowly moving from right to left. Beside the Teen Kids News logo, in white, title: UK OK.

(Describer) A map shows England’s northwest.

(Nicole) On the coast of England is the city of Liverpool.

(Describer) Traffic goes around a curve, an old building stands and boats sit in a bay.

This is what Liverpool looked like almost 500 years ago.

(Describer) ...in a painting.

Well, Liverpool started off as a great port, really. So it's built its reputation on,

(Describer) Martin King:

you know, cargos being imported and exported. We're also a great exporter of people. So many people leaving Europe left Liverpool on the way to the United States.

(Nicole) Liverpool was the home port of the most famous, and tragic, ocean liner of all time, the Titanic, although its disastrous voyage actually began from the English port of Southampton. About three decades after the Titanic sank in 1912, Liverpool had its own share of tragedy. It's had bad times, really. I mean, we were bombed to oblivion during the Second World War.

(Describer) Old footage is shown.

(Nicole) During the Battle of Britain, the Germans tried to bomb the British into surrendering. Because Liverpool was an important seaport, it was a prime target.

(Describer) Photos show several buildings leveled.

After the war, Liverpool rebuilt, but it faced tough economic times. It lacked the glamour of London or the historic quaintness of towns like York. But Liverpool had one thing that no other city in England or the rest of the world had. Liverpool's claim to fame as being the birthplace of...

(Describer) On the street...

The Beatles.

(Describer) Each member is shown in photos.

♪

Yes, all four members of the legendary rock band came from Liverpool, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and John Lennon. This ordinary-looking house was where Lennon grew up. Abandoned by his parents when he was a young boy, Lennon was raised by his aunt. Now, seven days a week, tourists visit. For real die-hard fans, if they could, they'd come eight days a week. And if you've got a ticket to ride, you can take a tour bus to another must-see spot. These are the gates to what used to be a home for orphans. It was called Strawberry Field. As a child, John would come round and play, and as a teenager, it was John's hideaway. Him and his mates hid in the trees. This place meant a lot to John. He never lived with his parents and felt an affinity with children who never lived with their parents.

(Nicole) Even when he became an international superstar, Lennon never forgot the orphans he played with. It was a Salvation Army children's home, so he raised money for the charity.

(Nicole) Today, visitors come together from here, there, and everywhere.

(guide) I've got people on the tour today from India, Brazil, Argentina, Wales, London-- literally all over the world.

(Describer) He smiles.

Some from California as well. Yeah, we came all the way from India. And one of the things which we decided even before we left India was to come to Liverpool and see all these historic sites of the Fab Four-- Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields, The Cavern, and, of course, visit the museum.

(Nicole) What do you think of The Beatles? I think they're amazing. They changed music.

(Nicole) It's become a tradition for visitors to write a message on the gates. I couldn't resist.

(Describer) She writes with a marker.

When we return, we'll visit a place that puts the mania into Beatlemania. Teen Kids News will be right back. It won't be long.

(Describer) Title: Teen Kids News. Coming up, Get Back! People sit in replica airline seats.

(Describer) Spinning with the triangle and circle, title: Teen Kids News.

(Describer) Nicole:

(Nicole) We're in Liverpool, hometown of The Beatles. It's also home to The Beatles Story, an exciting journey through the life and times of the Fab Four. You could call it a Magical History Tour.

(Describer) The museum has record covers on the walls, monitors playing video of screaming fans, and many photos and concert posters.

[girls screaming]

Hard to believe that The Beatles broke up long before many of our parents were born.

(Describer) Martin King:

They're still a phenomenon in terms of sales, in terms of popularity. The popularity just grows and grows.

(Nicole) And while you might think that most visitors would be gray-haired grandparents, not true.

(King) A lot of them are teenagers, a lot of teenagers from the States. But pick a place. Let's say China. Back in the '60s, it was their cultural revolution. Chairman Mao--They didn't listen to The Beatles. And now it's really one of the ways in which Chinese youth learn the English language. And the English language is learnt all over the world through songs like "Yellow Submarine" and "Norwegian Wood."

(Nicole) Martin took me for a tour, pointing out exhibits he's most proud of.

(King) I do have in there George Harrison's very first guitar, which you could probably buy for $600,000, if you wanted to buy it from me. Originally, it cost the princely sum of about seven pounds.

(Nicole) Seven English pounds is about $11. Talk about a steal.

(King) We also have John Lennon's glasses, we have original clothing from The Beatles. We have probably the biggest single collection of merchandise, because part of the phenomenon of The Beatles and The Beatles invasion in 1964 of America was lunch pails and T-shirts and little dolls of The Beatles. So we've got a great collection of those. But we also create environments. Environments that differ from the cartoon-like space of "The Yellow Submarine" to the white room with the very famous white piano of "Imagine" days.

(Describer) The replica airline seats are shown.

(Nicole) A major milestone in Beatles history is when they flew to America in 1964

and played on The Ed Sullivan Show. An earlier milestone took place in The Cavern Club, where The Beatles were discovered by Brian Epstein. He'd become their manager and help get them their first recording contract.

(Describer) Photos are shown.

They even have a replica of where they recorded their music at The Abbey Road Studios.

(Describer) One studio is very small.

(King) Well, 50 years on, the music lasts. Just like Mozart, The Beatles are forever. They're a classic. People enjoy the music. You start the music, people start singing along irrespective the age. I think it's amazing. It's got a very nice beat to it. It's so different. And we still see current bands, whether that's Katy Perry singing "Yesterday" or Dolly Parton singing one of the good old songs from The Beatles. Flaming Lips-- I could go on and on. It's as popular as ever. Perhaps the best of all tributes comes from George Harrison. He said, "The Beatles will go on and on." For Teen Kid News, I'm Nicole.

(Describer) Livia:

That's our show for this week. Tune in again next week for more Teen Kids News. Bye.

(Describer) Titles: Director: Alan J. Weiss. Producers: Tania Wilk, Marilou Yacoub. Copyright Eyewitness Kids News LLC, 2017, all rights reserved. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Funding to purchase and make this educational program accessible was provided by the U.S. Department of Education. Contact the Department of Education by telephone at 1-800-USA-LEARN, or online at www.ed.gov.

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Funding to purchase and make this educational production accessible was provided by the U.S. Department of Education.

PH:1-800-USA-LEARN (V) or WEB: www.ed.gov.