[music playing]

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

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

LUKE: Hi, I'm Luke and this is Teen Kids News. Let's begin with this week's top story.

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

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This report is brought to you by the National Road Safety Foundation. It's an organization that encourages smart choices when you get behind the wheel of a car. So they sponsor Drive Safe contests around the country. This one takes us to the West Coast.

(Describer) Part of a map is shown.

KATIE: We're in Alameda, just outside of San Francisco.

SERENA: Hi, I want to thank everybody so much for coming. This is really, really special and really important.

KATIE: These teens have volunteered to participate in a public service announcement on the dangers of drinking and driving. Tenth grader Serena came up with the winning concept

SERENA: My idea was basically to have a student party where they're all drinking. One of those students, specifically a girl, she goes to drive and is obviously very drunk. But she decides to drive anyway, and gets in a crash. And then it goes in reverse and you see that decision where, do I want to do this? Do I actually want to make this decision? And she makes the right decision in the second scenario, calls her friend. And that was the entire idea. But your part, you guys have to be, like, really energetic and excited because it's a contest. It's a game. Everyone's, like, really hyped You're like, oh, yeah. Drink that beer.

KATIE: Of course they're not really going to drink beer. Their cups will be filled with ginger ale.

(Describer) In a kitchen, a crew member sets up a light.

[music playing]

MAN: I'll need to move you over you this way.

(Describer) The teens in the party are viewed through the camera.

SERENA: Action.

ALL: Chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug.

[cheering]

KATIE: Serena had learned about the Drive Safe contest at school.

(Describer) Felicia Vargas:

SERENA: John Dalton, who's the digital film teacher at Alameda High, encouraged all his students to participate. And they all submitted PSAs, and Serena's was chosen.

FELICIA VARGAS: It was exciting news to hear that the first and second place winners of the contest were from Alameda High School. We're very proud.

SERENA: Ready?

(Describer) Back in the kitchen... A boy gives up in the drinking contest as the girl finishes her large red cup.

Action.

ALL: Chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug!

[cheering]

(Describer) Later.... The scene is filmed again with a camera closer to the girl's face.

SERENA: Action.

ALL: Chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug.

[cheering]

(Describer) Serena and two adults watch on a monitor. Katie:

[laughter]

KATIE: The crew then reset for the outdoor scenes. But this particular day, special precautions were called for.

(Describer) News stories mention air quality and schools closing. Serena:

[music playing]

SERENA: So they've been terrible wildfires in California, so we wear masks a lot of time-- a lot of the time when we're outside. So I'm going to put on my mask before I go outside.

(Describer) It's white and covers her mouth and nose. She goes outside to a driveway.

[music playing]

MAN: This GoPro, we're going to put on your head. And this is going to be able to see what you see when you're walking. So to be able to show your feet.

(Describer) Rowan, Lead Actor:

ROWAN: For this PSA, I was playing the role of-- I guess you could call it the lead.

SERENA: Action.

(Describer) She steps out of the house.

ROWAN: I was supposed to act pretty drunk, as the teen who makes a good decision, but first shows what could happen if I made the wrong decision.

(Describer) She staggers to a car with the GoPro filming. Serena watches on a monitor.

[music playing]

MAN: That was pretty good.

SERENA: When my friends all got here, I was really excited. And they all did really well for the acting. Action. So I'm really excited to see that in the finished product.

KATIE: The finished PSA was shown at the LA Auto Show. If you'd like to find out about PSA contests sponsored by the National Road Safety Foundation, check out TeenLane.org. In addition to producing your PSA with TV professionals, you'll also win a scholarship.

[cheering]

And now, here's Serena's winning PSA. For Teen Kid News, I'm Katie.

[beeping]

(Describer) The video counts down. At the party, Rowan and the boy drink from the red cups. The boy gives up and Rowan drinks until she finishes, cheering with the others.

ALL: Chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug.

[cheering]

(Describer) Later, she leaves the house and has to lean on a railing. She staggers to the car. Inside, she struggles to get the key in the ignition.

[music playing]

(Describer) Later, she drives on a freeway. The speedometer blurs and she heads for a car. The video rewinds to when she reaches the car. She gets her phone and makes a call.

ROWAN: Hey, I can't drive. Can you come pick me up?

ERIC: When it comes to state flags, Louisiana holds the record. I'll tell you just what that record is in Flag Facts. Teen Kids News will be right back.

(Describer) Luke:

LUKE: Every state has one. But most of us don't know why they look the way they do. Here's Eric with Flag Facts.

[music playing]

(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.

ERIC: Louisiana holds a unique record. Since the first Europeans arrived, 10 flags have flown over the territory. That's more than any other US state. In 1519, Spanish explorers planted their flag. They were followed by the French in 1682. Later on, Napoleon's tri-color was displayed. Then in 1763 Great Britain gained a foothold in the region. In 1810, local colonists united against the British under a flag known as the Bonnie Blue.

(Describer) Blue with a white star.

Finally, in 1812, Louisiana achieved statehood. It looked like the stars and stripes were here to stay. But with the Civil War, Louisiana withdrew from the Union. It declared itself a Republic, with its own flag, of course. But two months later, it joined the Confederacy. Louisianans would live under two different Confederate flags before the war ended. Finally, in 1912, Louisiana adopted the flag we see today.

RANDY HOWE: The Louisiana flag I love because it's

(Describer) Randy Howe:

a story of unconditional love. What the settlers saw, according to Louisiana legend when they first arrived there, were these brown pelicans. And if food was scarce, what the mother pelicans would do is peck at their breasts until they bled, and they would feed that to their young. So on this state flag, you see a mother feeding three baby brown pelicans.

ERIC: Eventually, Louisiana adopted the brown pelican as its official state bird. By the way, Louisiana also has an official state donut, called a beignet. It's fried dough with powdered sugar on top. Fortunately, the official state drink is milk. For Flag Facts, I'm Eric.

STUDENT: This report is brought to you by Nintendo.

(Describer) Super Mario Brothers U Deluxe.

STUDENT: Rated E for everyone.

STUDENT: Big news. The new Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe game is now available for the Nintendo Switch system. Enjoy this revamped classic with up to three friends. Mario, Luigi, and Toad return, and are joined by Navit and Toadette, who are poor perfect for less experienced players. The suggested retail price is only $59.99. As a bonus, the new Super Luigi U game comes included. Between both games, there are 164 courses to play, plus three additional modes. For more, go to Nintendo.com.

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OLIVIA: Coming up, we continue our visit to Jordan. And my report will piece together the techniques for making art. Team Kids News will be right back.

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

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(Describer) In an animation, a Teen Kids News jet flies around a globe to a country between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Title: Jordan Journal.

(Describer) Trees and bushes stand in a valley.

OLIVIA: In the Northwestern part of Jordan is the ancient city of Madaba.

(Describer) Traffic moves on a street.

Known around the world as the City of Mosaics, some of the most amazing mosaics are here in the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George.

(Describer) Bells hang in a tower.

He's the guy who killed the dragon with a spear.

(Describer) Inside, a painting depicts the story.

The walls and columns of the small church are covered with mosaic pictures.

[music playing]

(Describer) One shows Mary holding Jesus as a small boy.

(Describer) Candles standing in sand burn in one of the halls. Another scene of George killing the dragon is shown in mosaic.

A mosaic is an image created by gluing together colored pieces. These mosaics are made from colored stones. The pride of the church is not what's on the walls but what's on the floor.

(Describer) It's an illustrated map.

Dating back to the 6th century, it's the earliest known map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land. This is only part of the original map. Much of it was destroyed over the centuries. Because it's so spread across the floor, it's hard to get a good view of the map. Fortunately, there's a photo outside that shows it more clearly. Originally made of two million pieces, the map is so accurate researchers say it helped them to locate places mentioned in the Bible but subsequently lost to history. So how do you make a mosaic? Glad you asked. At the Tree of Life Craft Center, we were given a quick introduction to the marvelous art of mosaic making.

WAEL DIBS: So the first step, we choose an image.

(Describer) Wael Dibs: Subtitles: So the first step, we choose an image. The second step, we copy it onto the cloth. The third step, we take and we bring the stones from different places and from different mountains of Jordan. All of the colors of stones that we use are natural, natural colors of stones. But when we bring pieces of stones from the mountain, usually we take them and we bring them as big pieces.

The second step, we copy it on the cloth. The third step, we take and we bring the stones from different places and often different mountains of Jordan. All of the colors of stones that we use are natural, natural colors of stones. But when we bring these stones from the mountains, usually we take them and we bring them as big pieces.

OLIVIA: A machine turns the big pieces of stone into thin strips. These are easily cut by the artisans into smaller pieces, and then glued one by one onto the outline, traced on the cloth-covered board. The work is labor intensive. Mosaics take days or even months to finish. This is a community program to enable disabled people to learn a craft and earn a living. It grew out of an initiative begun by Jordan's Queen Noor. Just like Meghan Markle, Queen Noor was an American who married into royalty.

(Describer) Dibs:

WAEL DIBS: What she did, she established Mosaic School. And all of us graduated from that school. And if you wanted to be proficient in mosaics, then you have to study there for five years. Five.

OLIVIA: Walking around the display area where the crafts are sold is a visual delight. While there's a wide variety of pictures, clearly the most popular image is the tree of life from the Old Testament. To create a mosaic, you need artistic flair, a steady hand, and patience. Lots of patience. For Team Kids News, I'm Olivia.

(Describer) A viewer email says, "The new episode is awesome! I was the first one to comment on the Alex Lemonade Stand and the third viewer that watched on YouTube on Wednesday." Signed, Malaki T.

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(Describer) Titles: Coming up, Pizza Perfection. A man tosses round flat dough in the air and later puts sauce and cheese on top.

[music playing]

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

(Describer) Ava:

AVA: What's your favorite type of fast food?

STUDENT: My friends and I like to go to pizza a lot.

STUDENT: I love pizza. Yeah, it's great.

STUDENT: Chicken nuggets.

STUDENT: Burritos. They're pretty good.

AVA: When you need a quick bite to eat, what do you get?

STUDENT: I probably, I guess, slice of pizza.

STUDENT: Probably pizza obviously.

AVA: No doubt about it, pizza is popular-- either as a snack or a full meal. So what do you like on your pizza?

STUDENT: Meatballs. Meatballs are great on pizza.

STUDENT: That sausage-pepperoni kind of thing. You know, that always gets the job done.

STUDENT: Pineapple. I know it's a little controversial.

STUDENT: Just a plain pizza.

STUDENT: I usually go plain because it's cheaper. But I'll have pepperoni if it's available.

STUDENT: I like a Buffalo chicken on it. And then I like-- sometimes I like pasta on it.

AVA: No one's quite sure who made the first pizzas. There's evidence that we've been eating pizza ever since people began baking bread, some 7,000 years ago. The ancient Greeks, Jews, and Romans all had versions of baked bread with toppings. But the undisputed home of modern pizza was in the Italian city of Naples. And while a lot has changed over the years, the way of making pizza has changed very little. To find out how to make pizza, we're going to Pizza Rustica in Hollywood, Florida. Claude Luciani is a pizza maker there. Welcome to Team Kids News.

CLAUDE LUCIANI: Hello.

(Describer) ...on another screen.

AVA: So what's the first step in making a great pie, Claude?

CLAUDE LUCIANI: Well, the first step is having a great attitude and, of course, having great ingredients.

AVA: OK. So we've got a great attitude and great ingredients. So do you have to do anything special to prepare your work surface?

CLAUDE LUCIANI: Yes. The first thing we do is we put flour on the-- on our work surface here. And what this does is it allows the dough not to stick.

(Describer) He spreads flour on a counter.

So you put a nice even amount here, and you also put a little bit here.

(Describer) ...on a disc of dough.

AVA: So I understand, according to tradition, you're not supposed to use a rolling pin.

CLAUDE LUCIANI: No, to tradition, no, you're not supposed to use a rolling pin. It's all in the hands. It's all feel. That's the best way to make it.

(Describer) He uses his hands.

So I'm doing now is I'm forming the dough. And I'm using consistent pattern with my hands and my fingers, putting an even amount of pressure.

(Describer) In fast-motion, he presses down on the dough and spreads it wider.

[music playing]

AVA: I've seen people make pizzas by throwing them up in the air. Is that for a show or is there a reason behind it?

CLAUDE LUCIANI: No, there's a reason. What it does is it actually keeps an even consistency with the dough and it allows the dough not to break.

(Describer) He picks it up.

[music playing]

(Describer) He tosses it up a couple times, spinning it in the air.

So now what you do here is also what I do with my thumbs is I play it around. And I grab it, and I give it a last stretch

(Describer) He stretches the edges.

before I'm ready to put it down, I'm ready to prepare it.

AVA: I guess flattening out the dough is a bit like the Goldilocks story-- not too thick, not too thin, but just right. So what's next?

CLAUDE LUCIANI: Next, we want to assemble the pizza and put the sauce on it. But before we do so, we have something here called the pizza peel.

(Describer) He sets it on the counter.

And it's just basically a wooden paddle where, once again you take your flour, you want to put a consistent amount on it on every angle. Because this is, again, is going to allow it not to stick. Now it doesn't have to be perfectly round. I mean, that's the beauty of a pizza. Every single pizza that's made by hand comes out a little different. It may taste the same. But it always comes out a little different in the form, and that's the beauty of it. So now we're ready to place the sauce on it.

(Describer) The dough lies on the peel.

You want an even amount of sauce. So what I like to do is I put it in the middle. And then you go, all by hand, and applying the correct amount of pressure with the spoon and making sure that it all comes out consistent throughout the whole pie. You want to leave a little bit of a crust, obviously, on the edge right there. You don't want too much crust here. You don't want to cheat anybody on their sauce.

[laughs]

AVA: [laughs] I bet I know what comes next-- the mozzarella cheese, right?

CLAUDE LUCIANI: Yes, traditionally, yes, mozzarella.

(Describer) He grabs handfuls of it.

Now you want an even amount of mozzarella on there. Want to be really, really-- you don't want to put too much because you don't want to make it very oily or so. But this is a-- this is a pizza right here. Just a tomato sauce. And, traditionally, most people like the classic-- just cheese and tomato and dough, obviously. But there are other ingredients. You could have, very popular, onion, green peppers, tomatoes, pepperoni, sausage, ham, mushrooms, olives, and also pineapple.

AVA: What are the most popular ingredients?

CLAUDE LUCIANI: The most popular in the United States are-- right now are pepperoni, mushroom, and onions. What would you like on your pizza?

AVA: Sausage, mushrooms, and anchovies. Just kidding. Hold the anchovies, and add some peppers instead, please.

CLAUDE LUCIANI: Sounds good.

(Describer) He lays out sausage slices.

What I love about pizza, in general, is that it's an art form. You know, like cooking in general, they say that baking is a science and cooking is an art. And pizza is definitely an art. When you're doing a multi-topping pizza like this, you don't want to put too many toppings on here,

(Describer) He adds more toppings.

just because you don't want it to get messy, heavy. And then at the very end, what I like to do before it goes in the oven, is put a little bit of cheese to fill out the little bit of red spots. But you also always want to have an even amount of red and white. Now this pizza's ready to go in the oven.

AVA: How long do you cook it for?

CLAUDE LUCIANI: Traditionally, depending on the oven,

(Describer) He slides it in. He shakes the wooden peel and the pizza slides off.

about eight to 10 minutes.

AVA: So this would be the perfect time to break for commercial. When Team Kids News news continues, we'll see how the pizza turned out. I can't wait.

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

AVA: We're learning how to make one of our favorite foods--

(Describer) Ava:

pizza. Our pizza chef is Claude Luciani. He made a pie with sausage, mushrooms, and peppers. Yum! And now it's in the oven. Claude, does this type of oven a pizzeria uses make a difference?

CLAUDE LUCIANI: Yes. Traditionally, classic pizza makers use a gas brick oven. And that's what we have here.

AVA: Since we won't have a brick oven at home, what do you suggest?

CLAUDE LUCIANI: You could actually buy at a supermarket or online retailer a little pizza stone that would fit perfectly in your stove, whether it's an electric stove or a gas stove. And it will work perfectly and get the same results.

AVA: How do you know when the pizza's ready?

CLAUDE LUCIANI: You'll know by looking underneath the-- underneath the pizza and to see if it's brown and to see how-- cooked it is, how well it is.

(Describer) He opens the oven.

OK. And we have a perfect pizza here. And that looks about done to me. Well done there, perfect.

(Describer) After lifting it with a metal peel, he slides the peel under it and pulls it out of the oven.

AVA: You used a wooden peel to put the pizza in the oven, but a metal peel to take it out. Why?

CLAUDE LUCIANI: Yes, we use a metal peel to take it out because it's thinner, and it's a lot more sturdier, and it won't get ruined over time.

AVA: So after you take it out of the oven, you should cut it right away?

CLAUDE LUCIANI: You should wait about 30 seconds

(Describer) He holds a round pizza cutter.

to a minute or so depending on what topping you have. Since we have a lot of moisture on these toppings, it's good to let it sit about that time.

AVA: Is there a trick to how you slice of pizza?

CLAUDE LUCIANI: Well, you just want to be consistent. You want to make a-- you want to make a cross, and you want to go--

(Describer) He cuts it into quarters.

use a lot of force to it because you want to cut it in eight slices.

(Describer) He cuts the quarters in half.

You want to go all the way through, and you want to hear that snap. That's a good-- that's a sign of a very good pizza when you hear that snap.

AVA: Some of my friends fold the slice. Others eat it with a knife and a fork. What do you recommend?

CLAUDE LUCIANI: Everybody has their own way of doing things. But I prefer to fold it.

(Describer) He folds a slice lengthwise as he picks it up.

Would you like a bite?

AVA: Unfortunately, the magic of TV isn't quite that magical. Why don't you taste it and tell us how it came out?

CLAUDE LUCIANI: My pleasure.

(Describer) He eats some.

Not bad, if I do say so myself.

AVA: I'm sure it's delicious. Next time I'm in Hollywood, Florida, I'll have to drop in at Pizza Rustica and try it out.

CLAUDE LUCIANI: And you will always be welcome.

AVA: Claude, thanks for showing us the fine art of making pizza.

CLAUDE LUCIANI: Thank you, once again.

AVA: Here's a slice of history. Pizzas weren't always cut into equal slices. When pizza came to America in the 1800s, it was a food mostly eaten by poor immigrants. In fact, few could afford to buy a whole pie, which cost them a nickel back then. So the size of the slice was determined by the amount of money the buyer could afford to pay. If only a whole pizza still cost just a nickel. I guess you could call that kind of wishful thinking, pie in the sky. For Team Kids News, I'm Ava.

LUKE: Well, that completes our show for this week.

(Describer) Luke:

But we'll have another episode of Team Kids News next week. Bye for now.

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(Describer) Titles: Producer: Marilou Yacoub. Director/Writer: Alan J. Weiss. Camera and Editing: Rick Lavon, David Lauterbach. Created by Executive Producers: Albert T. Primo, Alan J. Weiss. Copyright Eyewitness Kids News LLC, 2018. Alan Weiss Productions. Accessibility provided by the US Department of Education.