to a project to improve her community, to improve her world, the amount of hours that it takes to attain that, it's really a major commitment. >> the first step is deciding what your silver award project will be. it should be something that fulfills a need in your community and is important to you. >> they could be working in a senior citizen center and doing something creative for the senior citizens. it could be creating a literacy program for kids in elementary school, helping kids with math. >> girl scouts can work on their project individually or two or three can work together. leadership is important. scouts going for silver need to put together a project team. this could consist of friends, family, and even members of the community. most projects will need some funding. raising that money is each scout's responsibility. >> so today we're doing a bake sale to raise money to provide families of nonverbal special needs children with identification bracelets in case they get separated from their guardians or aides. and we're trying to raise the money so it costs them nothing. >> you're welcome. >> my uncle's cousin has special needs so we just thought it'd be an idea of -- better idea to do something that would help protect people and help them at the same time. >> i chose a topic that i'm very passionate about -- to ban the retail use of plastic bags in eastchester. every year americans use 100 billion -- that's billion, with a "b" -- plastic grocery bags and only 15% are recycled. many of these bags end up killing aquatic animals. they also end up in landfills where toxins seep into ground water or streams. >> to help get the plastic bags banned at stores in her community, katie reached out to her local legislator. >> i was really impressed with katie. you know, i love nothing better than to see a young person who has a real drive and enthusiasm and passion for doing something that's going to benefit everybody. >> in fact, legislator parker was already planning to propose a countywide ban on the bags. so she invited katie to participate in the press conference announcing the proposal. >> i met with legislator parker about a month ago and learned about her goal. i'm very happy to adjust my project into helping her get this law passed so that all of westchester county is plastic-bag-free. >> katie says speaking at the press conference was valuable experience. >> it's really good practice to speak in front of people because later on i'll have to speak in front of the eastchester board to try to persuade them into this cause, as well. >> while katie is still working on her project, lily, anaie, and caoilinn have completed theirs. they were honored at a silver awards ceremony with almost 300 other girl scouts. >> troop 2981. special identification for special needs. [ cheers and applause ] >> i feel, like, really successful, like i've succeeded. >> accomplished because we did so much work and we finally got the award. >> i actually feel really proud about this. we put a lot of effort into this, too. >> celine and alexandra earned their silver awards for planning events that brought together senior citizens and kids. the idea was to increase communication between the generations. >> i learned so much because we really got to understand, like, how our generations are the same, but also, like differences between us, and it was really cool to learn stuff about them, and i had a lot of fun, and it was, like, really great just like giving back to our community, you know? >> it was all worth it in the end. like, everybody was very happy with our project, and it was great to see the stories from the seniors and from the youth on, like, how fun it was and even, like, the seniors told us about their past and what they did in their lives, and it was a really nice experience. >> working towards a silver award is not only a nice experience, it helps you develop useful skills for the future. >> i think it's a good idea to do a silver award because you learn leadership and working in a group. you learn how to divide your abilities, so it's -- the workload is not as heavy. so it also helps with time management for, like, when college comes. >> another important requirement for the silver award is sustainability. that means the project needs to continue helping the community even after the scout receives her award. >> the girl scout law says that we should make the world a better place. this is something i strongly believe in, and it is up to my generation to make these changes. >> girl scout or not, i think we can all follow that advice. if you're interested in learning more about the silver award or joining the girl scouts, go to girlscouts.org. there's also a link on our website. for "teen kids news," i'm katie. >> don't go away. we've got lots more still to come on "teen kids news." we'll be right back. >> this report is brought to you by a grant from the connecticut tobacco & health trust fund. president bill clinton... singers eminem and pink... basketball player dennis rodman... and actress jessica alba -- what do they all have in common? >> they're all famous. >> they all have money. >> i'm not sure. >> did they all graduate from georgetown? >> actually, they all have asthma. >> asthma's a lung disease which causes the airways, which are the breathing tubes in your lungs, to become inflamed. when they're inflamed, they become small, and it becomes harder for air to get to your lungs. >> that's called an asthma attack, and it's not pleasant. >> people who have asthma, therefore, experience symptoms like wheezing. that's the sound of air having trouble getting into your lungs. they feel short of breath like it's hard to breathe, and they can even feel some chest pain. >> so, what's the connection between asthma and smoking? >> if you were to smoke when you have asthma, that's even worse. it can definitely trigger an attack. >> in fact, dr. carroll says it can be deadly. >> well, if you have asthma, you shouldn't even start smoking, but if you have asthma, and you smoke, you should quit as soon as possible. you are taking your life into your hands -- smoking -- if you have asthma. >> but here's something else you need to know. >> even if you don't have asthma and you're not a smoker, if you're around a lot of secondhand smoke, meaning you're breathing other people's smoke cigarette smoke, that increases your chance of developing asthma in the future and having asthma attacks, too. >> clearly, smoking is bad for everyone, but it's especially bad if you have asthma. and even if you don't, just being around those who smoke could trigger an asthma attack. the bottom line is simple -- when it comes to being able to breathe, smoke is no joke. >> sooner or later, it comes our way -- stress. daniella gets some expert advice on how to handle it. >> it shouldn't come as a surprise that the more nervous you feel before taking a test, the less likely you'll do well. dr. sian beilock is a psychology professor at the university of chicago. her book "choke" gives insights on how stress affects us. dr. beilock, most students i know have test anxiety. what can we do about it? >> well, there's actually a simple technique for coping with the stress. it's writing. my research found that students who write about their feelings of anxiety or stress for just 10 minutes before their exam actually perform better on tests. it has to do with the prefrontal cortex. that's the area of your brain that sits right above your eyes. your working memory is housed there. you can think of it as a mental scratch pad that helps you work through complex problems. when worries creep in, your working memory becomes overloaded, and that can cause you to cave in to the pressure. [ thunder crashes ] but when you write about your feelings, you're giving yourself an opportunity to express those worries. this actually frees up space in your head. writing can also give you insights into what specifically is stressing you out. so the next time you have a big test, take a few minutes. write about your feelings. it should make all the difference. >> i guess you can call it the "write" way to take a test. thanks, dr. beilock! >> you're welcome. and good luck on your next test. >> it's the scene of the most famous indian battle in history. i'll tell you how -- i mean where in "flag facts." >> every state has one, but most of us don't know why they look the way they do. here's "flag facts." >> it's home to cowboy ghost towns, custer's last stand seven indian reservations, the world's shortest river and largest migrating elk herd. the state animal is the grizzly bear... [ grizzly bear growls ] ...and it's sweeping vistas earned it the nickname "big sky country." we're talking montana, partner. >> montana is from the spanish word for mountains or mountainous. >> admitted to the union in 1889, its flag honors both the land and its people. >> so you see the tools of a miner -- a pickax, a shovel. you also see farming tools for the settlers who came and settled the land, and in the back you see the river the waterfall, and the rocky mountains in reference to the great nature they have in montana. >> montana's rich in precious minerals. the banner across the bottom boasts "oro y plata," which means "gold and silver." montana is also rich in wildlife. it has more species of mammals than any other state. our 41st state has some pretty strange laws. for example, it's illegal for unmarried women to go fishing by themselves on sundays. i guess in montana there's better ways to "hook" a husband. with "flag facts," i'm veronique. >> a soldier's uniform in the 1770s was nothing like it is today. sean dermond is a living history interpreter. he shows us how a colonial soldier would dress for battle. >> we have with us here a typical continental soldier, an enlisted man. we start at the bottom. he has the buckled shoes. this was before laces become very common. we have then the stockings and the knee breeches. they go right to the knee. he has summer wear here. this is linen. this is very lightweight. the coat is all wool. over the breeches, we have the vest or the weskit as it's known. over here, we have the bayonet. this goes on the end of the gun. it makes the gun then basically a 6-foot spear. it's named after bayonne france. a lot of the military names are french derivatives, and that goes on the end of the gun. on his shoulder carriage, he's got his canteen for his water. he's got his haversack right here, which is provisions -- would be his food -- the meat, the cheese, the bread when they were lucky enough to get that. on the other side, he's got his cartridge box. this is where all his ammunition would be stored. he's got a rag right here to wipe down his musket. he's got a neck cloth around his neck. this later becomes the three-piece suit -- the jacket, the vest, later becomes the trousers, and that becomes the necktie. on top of his head, he has the tricorn or the cocked hat. it's not a very practical hat. it doesn't keep the sun off his face, but it looks good, and back then, people were very fashion conscious. they loved their clothes. here is a common soldier of the american revolution. >> you might have heard about virgin galactic. the airline offers rich customers a ride on a space ship. now virgin is selling a trip in the opposite direction. for about a $100,000, you can ride on a special plane designed to take you 36,000 feet down into the ocean. that's almost 7 miles below the surface -- in many ways a world more alien than the moon. i'd like to drop out of high school and get a meaningless job that makes me feel bad about myself. i'd like to fall victim to the old boys' network. i don't want anybody to notice me. i just want to fly under the radar. i want to splatter against the glass ceiling. i don't have an opinion. i want to be a straight "c" student. i'm going to be a biomedical engineer. [ girls laughing ] i mean, i want to succumb to peer pressure all of my life. i'm going to be a best-selling novelist and win the national book award. i'm going to be a marine biologist. wait! i take mine back. i'm going to be a biomedical engineer. i think i'll be the president. i'm going to be secretary of state. world-class chef right here. race-car driver. artist. paleontologist. film director. surgeon. teacher. scientist. olympian. i'm going to be the boss. i'm going to change the world. >> hooplaha's motto is "life with a smile." their website features good news, inspirational stories, cute pictures, and funny videos. sound familiar? since "teen kids news" has a similar mission, we're presenting you with our "hooplaha pick of the week." >> the response i got from people, it was just 100% positive, and everyone was willing to help. >> fun day! >> fun day! >> my name is brendan murphy. i'm a sophomore at sleepy hollow high school. the whole program i have it's the stars program -- sponsor a trophy and reward a superstar. the athletes here at the special olympics today they all go home with a trophy. i hope that they all feel like winners today no matter what. [ starting gun pops ] [ crowd cheering ] >> jump! >> look-it. i won! >> at first i said, "what do i have a lot of that most people would like?" and my sister is a very enthusiastic irish dancer. she has boxes of trophies lying around in her attic, and once we finally found out what we were going to give the trophies to, i started off putting a little post on one of the message boards for the tristate area. the message went viral. they're all like, "give your trophies," cause everyone wants to get rid of these trophies and you couldn't get a better cause than giving the special olympics trophies. >> i'm just so happy i won this trophy. i won a medal. >> i won, i'm happy, and thank god. >> hopefully, yes, i do continue this for the special olympics. i can't shut off the supply line for the trophies. they just keep rolling in, rolling in. and like i said, this couldn't be a better place to give them to, and i hope i get to do it again for special olympics all over the place. >> are insects "bugging" you? before you reach for the spray try turning on a simple house fan. the cooler you are, the less you'll sweat, and it's chemicals in our sweat that help attract mosquitoes. and, of course, if the fan is on high enough, maybe it will just blow the mosquitoes away. >> car crashes are the number-one killers of teens. that's why the national road safety foundation wants you to keep your hands on the wheel your eyes on the road, and your mind on driving. [ indistinct conversations ] >> cool party! >> what do you guys want to drink? >> can i have a head-on collision with a concussion twist? [ tires screeching ] [ crash ] >> make mine a fatal accident with no survivors. [ tires screeching ] [ crash ] >> and you? >> a designated driver, please. you know, just a bottle of water. >> awesome! >> you're a lifesaver! >> coming up... i'll tell you about a scottish town that is famous for its connection to a popular sport. "teen kids news" will be right back. stay with us. ought i could ignore it, and i wished it would just go away. [rock music playing] it was my adhd. and like many kids with adhd i didn't outgrow it. one of the issues i had was not being able to focus. i would read and i would reread the same sentence. you'd read it over and over and over again. and then, five minutes later i wouldn't know what i just read. it wasn't sticking with me. it wasn't sinking in. and that, to me, was really frustrating. as i got older i was still having that issue. and that's when i knew i needed to talk to the doctor. announcer: if you were diagnosed with adhd as a kid you might still have it. find out more. take a quiz at ownyouradhd.com to help recognize the symptoms like inattention, impulsivity, hyperactivity, then talk with your doctor. i take responsibility for my adhd. it's your adhd. own it. >> it's been said that dogs are our best friends, but sometimes we make the mistake of thinking a dog is friendly when it's really not. eden tells us more. >> so you're walking down the street, and you come across a dog. it's wagging its tail, so you'd think he's happy to see you. but when you reach out to pet him, he suddenly turns mean. what happened? to find out, we have robin bennett and susan briggs. they call themselves the dog gurus. they're also the authors of the book "off-leash dog play." welcome. >> thanks. we're happy to be here. >> it's great to be here with you today. >> so, susan, we can't assume that a wagging tail is always a good sign, can we? >> no, you can't. we love our dogs, and they communicate a lot to us, and the tail is an important part of that, but just because it's wagging its tail doesn't mean it's friendly and you should approach it. >> do you have to worry about speed or where they're holding their tail? >> yes. you look at what position is the tail, whether they're holding it high or low, and you look at how fast that wag is. >> robin, can you give us some specific examples? >> well, sure. let's say you're going to pet that dog, and he ends up turning mean. you might have noticed the dog's tail was wagging, but he might have been protecting his owner. so that tail wag might have been way up over his back, really high, because that's a really good sign that the dog is protecting something, or maybe you have a dog that's afraid of something, and he's hiding. you'll find that those tail wags are gonna be really low, tucked under the body, but still wagging. but that's still a dog i wouldn't really want to pet right at that moment. >> susan, besides the tail, are there other signs we should be looking for? >> yes, we actually recommend we look at the other end. so let's look at the mouth. a dog that's safe to approach generally has an open mouth. a closed mouth means that a dog's starting to get uncomfortable. you can also look at their body. are their muscles relaxed? is it kind of curve and loose versus a dog that you wouldn't want to approach would be very stiff. those dogs are uncomfortable and it's not safe. >> but i guess the bottom line is, if you don't know the dog, don't approach him unless his owner says it's okay. >> yes. you want to first ask the owner, and if the owner says yes, still check in with the dog to see what the dog's body language is telling you. is the mouth open? is the body posture relaxed? >> so, really, we would say three steps -- number one, ask the owner, number two, ask the dog, and number three, pet the dog if both of them say it's okay. >> i certainly learned a lot. thank you both very much. >> you're welcome. thanks. >> it was great. >> so the next time you hear someone say that a wagging tail means the dog is friendly, you can tell them that's just an old wives' "tail." and you learned that here on "teen kids news." >> nicole continues her special series on the fascinating history, people, and places of the united kingdom. [ musical fanfare plays ] >> on the rocky eastern coast of scotland is the historic town of st. andrews. it has the ruins of an ancient castle, and it's home to one of the oldest english-speaking universities in the world. but the town owes its international fame to a game. in 1457, king james ii was angry that instead of practicing for war, his nobles were playing a game where they hit a ball with a stick. it was the game of golf. while there's some dispute as to exactly when and where golf was invented, there is no dispute that st. andrews is considered the home of modern golf. there are no fewer than seven golf courses here. while there have been various games where a rock or pebble is hit with a stick, the scots get credit for making one indispensable addition -- the hole. [ golf ball rattling ] by the way, there's no truth to the claim that golf originally stood for... some of the greatest golfers have been female. in fact, over the years, "teen kids news" has often reported on golf phenom michelle wie. >> michelle is a member of a new league of young players who are shaking up the golf world. >> she made history when she became the youngest golfer ever to play in the u.s. women's amateur championship. and she was only 10 years old! to those who claim that young girls can't play professional golf, i'd say either "putt" up or shut up. for "teen kids news," i'm nicole. >> we'll see you next time on "teen kids news." thanks for watching. have a great week. >> here's a shout-out to pr newswire for including "teen kids news" on their big screen in times square new york city. dventures brought to you by seaworld and busch gardens. for more than 40 years working to preserve the world we share. florida may be called the sunshine state but sunshine hardly matters to the millions of florida inhabitants who thrive on darkness. i'm talking about bats! hi everybody i'm jack hanna-- here at my base camp-- busc