INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Most, if not all, shoe stores will have the necessary tools to properly measure your foot. Some stores have a carpeted scale on which you can place your foot to find your shoe size. There are also devices that can fit around your foot and adjust to your foot dimensions in order to determine your shoe size. If you can’t find these tools around the store where you are shopping, simply ask a store employee if they could help you measure the size of your foot. Getting the proper measurements of your foot will allow you to pick out shoes that fit your foot best. An accurate shoe fitting can improve comfort, security, and appearance. Use a pencil, and trace the outline of both of your feet on two separate sheets of paper. Be sure to trace as close to your foot as possible. After you have traced all around both of your feet, use a ruler to measure front the top most part of your foot (at your toes), to the bottom of your heel. Then, measure across the width of your foot from the furthermost edges. Your traced foot should now have a giant cross in the middle of it. Lined notebook paper may work best for tracing your feet since it has straight lines to take measurements from. However, any sheet of paper will do.

SUMMARY: Get your foot measured at a shoe store. Measure your foot yourself.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Somehow, racism doesn’t just go away by avoiding discussions about it. Yes, it may feel uncomfortable, but get some friends and classmates together and have an honest discussion about racism, what it looks and feels like, and how it affects your school. When you talk about racism, it actually helps with more understanding and more tolerance. Put some signs around your school and advertise a group discussion one afternoon after school. Encourage people to talk about their experiences, their fears, their biases or stereotypes. Allow the space to be safe and caring, where no questions are too silly to ask. Maybe you have a friend that’s from a different country and hate seeing her treated unfairly. “But I’m from the majority group, what can I do?!”  You can be an ally. Use your position as someone in the majority to reach out to people that may not know better or that choose to make hurtful comments. Being an ally means you use your position to help others. If someone says something to your friend, stand up for your friend in that moment and say, “It’s not okay to say things like that; that’s racist.” You can start a club at school that encourages students to have friendships with students from other countries. More and more  schools participate in programs like this. Ask your teachers and school leadership to help you connect with students in other countries. It can be exciting to learn from other students your age about their way of life, what they eat, what they do for fun, and where they live. While some things may be really different, lots of things are likely similar. Immerse yourself in all things that celebrate cultural diversity. Often racism is rooted in misunderstanding or not bothering to take the time to learn. So, read books about Kwanzaa, Ramadan, and Chinese New Year. Read books and watch movies about kids living in other countries. Is there a new kid at school from Peru? Go up to her and talk to her. Ask her questions about her own culture and how it’s different. Meet as many people from as many places as you can. Even when traditions are different from your own, be respectful. If someone is telling you about a custom, refrain from saying, “Ewww!” or “That’s weird.” Remind yourself that it’s different, and that’s okay.

SUMMARY: Discuss race. Be an ally. Have international friendships. Educate yourself.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: You’ll need a bench to place your knee on. It should be sturdy enough so that it doesn’t move or shake while you’re exercising. If you’re starting with the left arm, place your right knee on the bench at a 90-degree angle. If the bench isn’t padded, you may want to put down a towel so that your knee isn’t injured. You can use a disc weight but the most ideal tool is a hand-sized dumbbell. Chose a weight based on your level of strength. Start with a weight that feels easy and only increase the weight in small increments as you gain strength. Bend at the waist so your back and legs are at a roughly 90-degree angle. Try to keep your back straight during the exercise. Grip the weight in your left hand and bring your arm back so that your bicep is parallel to your back and elbow is bent at a 90-degree angle.

SUMMARY: Use a stable bench. Position your legs. Get a hand-held weight. Position your back. Position your arms.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Sprinkle water over the soil after you plant and then when it becomes dry.  Do not saturate the seeds with water, even if the soil is dry. The soil should only feel moist once you sprinkle the water. Using a watering can will help regulate how much water you pour onto the soil. You can use an all-purpose fertilizer. The exact instructions for fertilizing depends on the directions on the package of your fertilizer. Typically, you just need to apply the fertilizer around the base of the plant. You can purchase fertilizer at a nursery or at many home improvement stores. Ask an employee at your nursery for fertilizer recommendations if you aren’t sure about which brand to buy. Jicama vines grow quite tall, so they will need support as they grow. Stake the vines when they are about 24 inches (61 cm) in length. Place wooden tomato stakes about 4 inches (10.2 cm) deep into the soil next to the jicama vine. Loosely tie each plant with twine. Don’t forget to keep the soil moist as the jicama grows. Test the soil out by feeling it with your hand or gently digging into it with your fingers. Only water when the soil is dry since jicama does not do well with over-watering. Remove the tiny flowers that bloom on the jicama. Removing the flowers encourages stronger root growth. You can remove them with your hand, scissors, or pruners. Jicama is not likely to have pest problems during growth. This is because the flowers, seeds, and leaves are poisonous. If you do find that you have a pest problem, remove the pests yourself, or use an organic pest spray. Make sure you know what type of pests you are targeting when you go to buy pest spray.

SUMMARY:
Lightly water the planted jicama seeds. Fertilize jicama once a month. Stake the vines of the jicama plant. Check the jicama plants daily for dry soil. Deadhead the blooms. Don’t worry too much about pests.