Christina Brown, age 13, of Baton Rouge, La., for her question:

HOW WAS THE CANOE DEVELOPED?

A canoe is a light, narrow boat, generally with identically shaped bow and stern and curved sides, and usually propelled by at least one oar or paddle. The canoe was developed by many early cultures throughout the world.

The oldest form of canoe was probably a tree trunk hollowed out by tools or fire.

The North American Indians created the birch bark canoe, a vessel with a frame of light wood that is covered with pieces of bark sewn together and made watertight with melted pitch. Similar in design to the birchbark is the canvas canoe created by the Penobscot Indians of Maine in the 19th century.

Indians living in treeless regions made canoes of tule or other bull rushes lashed together. Indians living on the shores of Lake Titicaca in South America still make them this way.

The Inuit (Eskimo) created canoes which had whalebone or wooden frames and were covered with animal skins, generally those from whales or seals. The kayak, a boat used only by the male Eskimo, is completely enclosed except for an opening for the occupant.