welcome to "teen kids news." i'm mwanzaa. >> and i'm jessica. here's our top story for this week. >> for families touched by the tragic events of "9/11" the memories are still very fresh, and very painful. but as the attack recedes into the past, the efforts continue to make sure that the rest of uz also remember what happened that day in 2001. kristen reports on one of those efforts, at ground zero. >> i wanted to create a place that i would like to go to myself to reflect and to mourn. >> reporter: architect michael arad is talking about his concept for a 9/11 memorial plaza. the plaza is being built on the site where the world trade center once stood. it will pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks, almost ten years ago. >> when you stand at the edge of this pool at plaza level, you'll actually be standing in front of a bronze panel, where all the names of the victims will be inscribed. i think it is going to be a very moving moment for visitors when they come here. >> committee members for the memorial selected michael's design out of 5,000 submissions. 30-foot water falls will cascade into reflecting pools, built exactly where the twin towers once stood and lots of trees will surround the falls creating serenity in an otherwise bustling city. >> it will provide a gathering place for quiet contemplation where you might come here alone, but you wont be here alone. >> reporter: like so many other americans, michael was deeply affected by the terrorist attacks. the idea for the memorial came to him out of his own sense of loss. that sense of loss is reflected many michael's designs. the cascading waterfalls disappear into an abyss far beneath the pools. >> despite the gallons and gallons of water that flow here every minute, thousands and thousands of gallons, this pool will never fill. it's that sense of continued absence, of marking time, but also marking a continued sense of loss. >> reporter: the memorial is on schedule to be completed in time for the tenth anniversary of 9/11. >> i think it is going to be one of those touchstone places that will have a meaning to every american. >> reporter: for "teen kids news" i'm kristen. >> stay with us. there's still lots more to come on "teen kids and now our fox in the classroom update. >> general david petraeus hands over command of american and coalition forces in afghanistan to general john allen. transferring responsibility for the nearly ten-year war. general allen saying he will support the campaign to draw down u.s. forces and transition some areas to afghan control but acknowledges that it will not be easy. >> there will be tough days ahead. and i have no illusions about the challenges we will face. challenges we will face together. >> generalá6 petraeus who commanded international forces in afghanistan for one year is retiring from the military, to become the director of the central intelligence agencagenc. an extreme heat wave is spreading across the country. heat advisories and warnings in place from texas to michigan as temperatures and humidity send the heat index soaring into triple digits in areas. the blistering heat is expected to move east. with no end in sight, cities are opening cooling centers and warning residents to be aware of signs of heatstroke. harry potter cast its biggest spell yet on movie sw goers. the eighth andá final part shattering box office records domestically and worldwide. according to studio estimates "harry potter and the deathly hallows part 2" took in $92.1 million in north america on opening day and went on to earn a weekend total of $168.5 million. topping past record holders "the dark knight" and twilight saga "new moon." for "teen kids news ""i'm david lee miller, fox news channel in all right, young america, what's your opinion? we'll find out in "speak of the week." >> if you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? >> i would probably want to go to the galapagos actually and um i don't know, my sister went there and it looked really, really cool. like everyone possible. so many places, like how could you choose? >> spain, just because i went there one summer. i loved the food. i loved the culture. i loved being able to take a siesta during the day. that definitely flows well with me. >> los angeles is a really fun city or chicago. >> i would go to london because i've never been there. a lot of my camp counselors are from there. i'd love to go visit them. >> i know where i'd like to go. wherever shia labouf is. for "teen kids news," i'm sam. this season we were invited to do some behind the scenes reporting on the new york yankees. here's this week's segment. >> tyler here with the field report. today we're getting a tour of yankee stadium with tony morante. let's go check it out. >> how's it going? tyler. >> good morning, tyler. how you doing? >> good, nice to meet you. >> nice to meet you! we're going to visit some sites, like the museum, monument park, and talk a lot about yankee history, and !ç whatever else comes along. >> great. >> right now we're in the museum. this is where we have some of the artifacts and memorabilia. you'll see the trophies. trophies didn't come about until 1967, and the tiffiny people introduced them. we're very proud of the fact that we do have seven in all. great ball players, icons, legends that have contributed to them. i started coming to the stadium in 1949 and i had the privilege of seeing the great ballplayers in the '50s. this is the mickey mantle era. probably the most dynamic period for baseball in new york. and as you see the jersey, mickey had worn it. >> that's mickey mantle's jersey! so you've been here at yankee stadium for a long time. what's the best memory for you? >> that would have to be going back to 1960. mickey mantle was probably the heart and soul of the team, during that era. and he was my idol. what would happen after the game was over, six ushers had to run out and meet mickey by second base, escort him in off the field. when i got the call for this, to go out and to protect my idol, i couldn't be more thrilled, just running, hey mick follow me! and it was great. >> so what do people really want to see when they come in the museum? >> one of the most popular sites in the museum happens to be thurman munson's locker. thurman munson was the yankee captain back in 1979 when he was tragically killed in a plane crash. he was so well beloved that they decided not to use his locker anymore. this is the babe ruth exhibit. he changed the game of baseball. the home run record at that point was about 29. he responded by hitting 54 home runs, which was more than any other team in the american league had hit. monument park. it's so, so dear to me. to take a look at the retired numbers plaques of those greats that i had lived through. >> there are a lot of yankee greats. so what was the first number retired? it was number 4, lou gehrig. and that was the first number retired in all of baseball. so why does jackie robinson have a different color? >> that was the colors of the brooklyn dodger uniform. >> jackie robinson, the only number retired in all of baseball. >> ladies and gentlemen, yankees stadium! >> we're on the field right now. how's it feel. >> unbelievable. >> that's what i want to hear. as many times as i've stepped on the field, i never lose that feeling just take it in, just enjoy that moment. >> it's the best view of the field. >> one very special item is in this refrigerator. it's the whipped cream that a.j burnett had popularized last year with about 16 walk-offs that we had here. this is it, right here. this is the inner sanctum, tyler. >> wow. >> when you look around, you an see some of the players. >> what do kids want to know when they come here for the first time? >> where's derek's locker? he's a very popular guy, and that would be his locker at the end. >> so are those tvs in the lockers? >> no, those are computers. all of the regulars have that. >> and what do they use them for? >> they could go online, go into the internet, they could check out weather, they could check out the stock market. >> update their status on facebook. >> possibly. i think you got a good point there. >> so giving tours is something that you do all the time, how do you keep it fun? >> when i know that i'm connecting with the fans, with the people that are coming on the tour, that's what makes it happen for me. >> tony, thank you very much. this is absolutely awesome. >> thank you for coming out. >> thank you. don't forget, visit yankee stadium tour next time you're in town. ever wonder what the world's smallest country is? it's the size of a golf course. and it's inside the city of rome, italy. vatican city is the headquarters of the catholic church. it's also its own country. by the way, the biggest country is russia. >> that's awesome. >> think that's pretty cool? that's because it is, literally. these teens are testing the chilly effects of liquid nitrogen at ex.i.t.e. camp. >> ex.i.t.e. is really about just that -- exciting girls, their interests that they already have, their aptitude in engineering, technology -- those kinds of stem discipline -- science, technology, engineering, and math. >> ex.i.t.e. stands for exploring interests in technology and engineering. the camp was started by ibm in 1999. and today, the program hosts locations all over the world. "teen kids news" visited one of their base sites to check it out. >> what i want you to do is have your -- what state in here? liquid. what state is in here? solid. >> i am lucky enough that once a year i come down from my poughkeepsie site and i teach the 8th grade girls a class called states of matter and we learn a bit about solids, liquids, and gas. it's a unique opportunity for them to get to see science in a different way. it reminds me of why i got involved in science in the first place. >> i think it's pretty cool because we get to do different experiments. it's a better way of expanding the way you think of science. >> if you look at the data worldwide you'll see that there are lots of girls that are very good at math and science in elementary school, middle school maybe into high school but in college and graduate school the numbers drop. we believe it's really important to keep these girls interested in science, and math and engineering for the future. >> and for some, ex.i.t.e. really does provide the inspiration to pursue their passions. for sarah and her sister, it means coming back year after to year to volunteer. >> i decided to come and help along with my sister and this is our fifth year helping out with the summer camp and this is the first year we're the main instructors. it's really fun to teach other kids to do what i love. >> you guys are going to open up the constructive pdf and start building again. >> from programming lego cars to drive -- to smashing frozen flowers to smithereens -- or even making homemade ice cream with liquid nitrogen -- this program is far from boring lectures. it's completely hands-on! >> the experiment that i found most interesting was how they froze with liquid nitrogen -- they froze ice cream in, like, two minutes. >> it tastes good. >> i hadn't thought of myself as becoming an engineer, but now i'm thinking of myself becoming a person to create new ideas for the world like they are doing right now. >> i'm convinced they'll come away with the notion that you can do fun stuff with science and math. they'll come away having met some really cool girls from other school districts. they'll come away with more self-confidence, that it's fogo to be smart and people believed in them which is why they're here. >> if you're interested in learning more about ex.i.t.e. camp or other educational opportunities through ibm, log on to our website. want to do your best in school? listen to what natalie has to say about how to make the grade. >> here it is -- the big test. if it's still more than a week away, you have a chance to make the most of each minute you study. stretching out your studty time is important. in fact, experts at the university ofa' north carolina y the more your study time is spaced out the more you'll remember. that means a half hour a day for five days a better than five hours on one day. so don't wait till the night before. plan out your week leading up to the exam, and give yourself a little more time each night for studying the test subject. i'm natalie here to help you make the grade. these students are rehearsing for their school's big winter play. this year they're staging "the sounds of music." >> i wanted the children to say good night the way they did last night. >> no, not here. >> please, the way they did it for me.$ >> originally a musical on broadway, most of us know the "sound of music" with the movie with julie andrews. ♪ the hills are alive with the sound of music ♪ >> in fact, the film classic is celebrating its 45th anniversary. so why did you choose the "sound of music?" >> it was tough, we went through a lot of possibilities. we have a very, very strong group of senior girls this year. great singers, stage veterans so we had to find a show with a lot of good parts for females. a lark who is learning to pray ♪ >> and it was only after we chose it that we found out it was an anniversary year for the "sound of music" so that was an added bonus. >> besides reading through their lines, the performers are learning the finer points of european ballroom dancing. helen koop is part dance instructor, part drill sergeant. >> right step. walk right, left, right. and two, three. ready, go. >> and, of course, they need to master the music. here they're working with vocal musical director pam simpson. so far this looks like any play rehearsal at just about any school in america. >> father, i don't think these people are having a very good time. >> but something very special is going to happen. these kids are about to receive a visit by one of the original cast members from the movie version of the "sound of music." ♪ with blue satin sashes >> one of the most popular musicals ever. the movie won five academy awards -- including best picture. the sound of music takes place in austria just before world war ii. it tells the real-life story of the von trapp family -- and the amazing young woman who entered and changed their lives, maria. ♪ how do you solve a problem like maria ♪ >> hello, everybody. >> this is kim karath. in the movie, she plays gretel, the youngest of the von trapp children. bronxville parent and msnbc anchor alex witt coincidentally grew up in the same los angeles neighborhood as kim and invited her to visit the school and watch a rehearsal. ♪ then it was kim's turn to take center stage, answering questions about her experiences shooting the movie. kim was only 5 when she appeared in the "sound of music." in this high school production, the part of gretel is played by 12-year-old natalie. >> it's really, like, an honor. it's really exciting. she's really sweet. >> so what do you think of the production? >> well i've only been able to see rehearsals and they're wonderful. >> did it bring back memories? >> no. [ laugh ] not exactly. not like that. always hearing those songs brings back feelings. if not memories. >> but kim told me not all of her memories are lovely. >> i couldn't swim. and the boat scene was not supposed to be done with me in it. they were going to use my double, because it was pretty dangerous to have me fall in the water when i couldn't swim and -- but in the end the director really did want it to look very authentic and asked if i would do it an i was kind of a trooper and said "okay, yeah." and julie andrews was supposed to catch me. in fact, she did catch me, but unfortunately he did not like that take so he did it again. i was terrified. and you can even see it if you watch the film really closely. my face is just horrified, because i know what's about to happen. and that time actually julie went in the opposite direction and i won't say i almost drowned but because there was someone who was ready to jump in and rescue me and he did, but it was kind of a close call. >> so what's your favorite part of the movie? >> probably our first scene, our first scene together which was "my favorite things" which was in actuality the first scene we filmed together. and that was a lot of fun and i loved the song and the little nightgown i was wearing, i loved my costume -- didn't always love my costumes, like i hated that curtain costume, that was just hideous, but i loved that particular little nightgown and it was just fun. >> so were there any discrepancies between the truth and what happened in the movie? >> one of the discrepancies is that the kids are not necessarily the ages and the characters.o the oldest child was actually a boy named rupert, not a girl named lisle. the youngest child of captain von trappe and his first wife was actually named martina, not gretel. and they didn't climb over the mountain because had they climbed over the mountain, geographically they would have been in germany, so they were able to take a train to italy and eventually made their way to the united states. so a few things that had to be adjusted for the purposes of the film. >> did she give you any acting tips? >> i asked her what she did when she giggled a lot during rehearsals and she just said she like took deep breaths and tried to pinch herself to stop giggling and sometimes just couldn't help it. >> was it a particular thrill to have kim in the audience? >> oh, it's one of the -- yes, it was totally a thrill. just to make that connection with somebody who's worked with that material in such a magnificent way and such a way that has become such a part of american cultural history, it's inspiring. >> what advice do you have for teens who want to become actors? >> go to school first. get an education. because it's really, really important. because it's really, really important. whatever better actor for having a better education. [ applause ] >> whether you're 16 going on 17, or younger, i have confidence that we can all say that the "sound of music" is one of my favorite things. i'm nicole for "teen kids news." ♪ so long, farewell, alfwerzein good-bye ♪ >> that wraps up our show. we'll be back with more "teen kids news." thanks for joining us. have a great week. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com write to us at info@teenkidsnews.com. here's a shout-out to american troops serving in africa. @