There are many different kinds of mantids. Most are camouflaged in ways that help it to hide. Many are green and blend into grass and leaves. Some look like bits of tree bark. Some are long and thin like twigs. Some are brightly colored and hide among flowers. Mantids are large insects. Some mantids grow from 2 to 5 inches long.

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Interesting facts researched by our own fifth graders:

• Austria is a landlocked country in Europe.
• Henry John Deutschendorf Jr., more commonly known as John Denver, was a famous folk singer and songwriter.
• Miles Dewey Davis was a Jazz musician, a composer, and a band leader.
• Billy the Kid, a famous outlaw, became a criminal when he was 15.
• Bert Campaneris played all nine positions in one game, on September 8, 1965.
• The first U. S. public zoo opened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1874.

• November 2008 Wiki 5A blows past 20,000 hits. Not bad for a student-authored encyclopedia in its second full year of existence!

• October 2008 Wiki 5A adds audio recording for the first time. Visit the Ball Python article to hear it read over your computer speakers.

• BREAKING NEWS Wiki 5A reaches 1000 articles on October 20, 2008. All 1000 articles have been written and edited by SES fifth graders.
• September 2008 This year's fifth graders have been introduced to their new major responsibility: Wiki 5A. They have accepted this responsibilitiy and are beginning to make their mark on it. As always, check back often to see the latest updates.

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