Friday, November 30, 2012

French - One two three four five


Let's count to five in French!
1 un - sounds like un /?/
2 deaux - sounds like doo /?/
3 trois - sounds like twah /?/
4 quatre - sounds like coo-ah-twah /?/
5 cinq - sounds like sahnk /?/

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Sound waves


We just learned about Positive and Negative sides of batteries.

When you make a sound, like plucking on a guitar string, it makes a vibration that pushes through the air.
guitar strings
(from: wikipedia - seven strings guitar)

Those invisible vibrations in the air are called sound waves and if you could see them you'd see they look a lot like the waves you see in the water.
sound waves
(from: wikipedia - sound waves)

The waves travel through the air until they hit your ear, then you hear the sounds!
ear
(from: wikipedia - ear)

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Wild turkey snood


The fleshy skin that flops over the top of a turkey's beak is called the snood.
snood
(From: Wikipedia - snood)

A male turkey is called a tom or gobbler, and a female turkey is called a hen.
turkey
(From: Wikipedia - wild turkey

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Wrist bones - carpals


We just learned about the Radius and Ulna in the forearm.

The bones in your wrist are called your carpals.

You can't even really feel them all, but there are eight carpal bones in there!
carpals
(From: Wikipedia - hand)

The bones have crazy names like scaphoid, lunate, triquetral, pisiform, trapezium, trapezoid, capitate and hamate.

Whew!

Monday, November 26, 2012

Equator


The middle of the earth, half way between North and South is called the equator.

The north and south parts of the earth are called hemispheres.

(From: Wikipedia - Equator)

The weather is always hot on the equator because that is where the sun's rays shine most directly on the earth.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Ninth commandment


We just learned about the Eighth Commandment to not lie.

The ninth commandment that God gave to Moses is:

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house.

This means that if your friend or someone else has something that you would like to have,
don't sit and think about how much you want that thing, be happy with what you have.
(from: wikisource - Luther's Small Catechism)



(from: wikipedia - moses)

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Hubble space telescope


We just learned about the first satellite in space called sputnik.

We use telescopes to look very far away into outer space at the stars and planets.
Just think how much farther we could see if we could put a telescope into outer space, and look from there!

That's exactly what the Hubble Telescope is:
hubble
(From: Wikipedia - hubble space telescope)

Using this telescope that's launched into outer space, we can see some beautiful things that we could never see before,
like this picture of a new star being created over 40 quadrillion miles away!
eagle nebula
(From: Wikipedia - hubble space telescope)

French - Dog, cat


To say dog in French, you say chien and it sounds like shee-ah.
Listen at Google Translate

To say cat in French, you say chat just like the word chat.
Listen at Google Translate

Friday, November 23, 2012

Batteries - positive and negative


We just learned a little about USB.

If you look close on a battery, you'll see a plus + for positive on one end and a minus - for negative on the other end.
batteries
(From: Wikipedia - battery)

When you connect a wire or a light bulb to the positive and negative ends of the battery,
the electricity will flow through the loop or circuit from the negative end to the positive end and light up the light bulb!

electrical circuit
(From: Wikipedia - electrical circuit, light bulb)

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Polar bear skin


We just learned about Corgis.

Polar bears are the largest meat eating animal living on land.

Their fur is white of course, but their skin is black underneath, just like their nose!
polar bear
(from: wikipedia - polar bear)

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Radius & Ulna


We just learned about the Humerus.

The bones in your forearm are called the radius and ulna.

The radius is the one on the inside top, and the ulna is the one on the outside bottom.
When you turn your hand over, your radius bone moves, but the ulna stays in one place.

radius ulna

(From: Wikipedia - radius, ulna)

Monday, November 19, 2012

South America


We just learned about Antarctica.

In the South part of the earth below North America is a continent called South America.

(From: Wikipedia - south america)

The most populated countries in South America are Brazil, Colombia and Argentina.

Most people speak either Portuguese or Spanish.

The Olympics will be in the Brazil city of Rio de Janeiro in the year 2016, and it is the first time the Olympics are being hosted in South America.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Eighth Commandment


We just learned the Seventh Commandment, about not stealing.

The eighth commandment that God gave to Moses is:

You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

This means you shouldn't lie.

(from: wikisource - Luther's Small Catechism)


(from: wikipedia - thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour)

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Big & Little Dipper


We just learned about the North Star.

Up in the sky at night, you can usually see one or two groups of stars that look kind of like a measuring cup, scooper, ladle or spoon.

A group of stars is called a constellation, and these are called the big dipper and little dipper.

The big dipper is also part of a constellation called ursa major.
big dipper
(From: Wikipedia - big dipper)


The little dipper is part of a constellation called ursa minor and the north star polaris is one of the stars in the little dipper
little dipper
(From: Wikipedia - ursa minor)

Friday, November 16, 2012

French - Do you speak French?


To ask if someone speaks French, you say parlez-vous français.
(google translate)

It sounds like pahlay voo fuansay.

To say yes, you would say Oui, sounds like wee.
Or no, which sounds just like the way you say it in English.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

USB


We just learned a little about Text Messages.

Let's learn about more fun stuff!

USB stands for Universal Serial Bus

It's the name of a type of connector for computers, to connect phones, computers, cameras, and just about anything else!

This is what a USB port looks like on a computer:



And this is what a USB cable looks like:

(from: wikipedia - usb)

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Corgis


We just learned a little about .

A corgi is a type of dog, and there are two types of corgis:

Cardigan Welsh Corgi (bigger, huskier, has a tail)
cardigan welsh corgi
(From: Wikipedia - cardigan welsh corgi)

Pembroke Welsh Corgi (smaller, no tail)
pembroke welsh corgi
(From: Wikipedia - pembroke welsh corgi)

The pembroke corgi is the more popular dog, most likely because the Queen of England has had several pet corgis through the years.

Old legends say that fairies used to ride corgis like horses, and that's why they have that white mark around their necks from where the saddle was.


(From: The Fairy Tale of Two Corgis)


(From: Custom Fairy Steed Corgi Dog Costume)

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Humerus


We just learned about the False Ribs.

The large bone for your upper arm is called your humerus.
humerus
(From: Wikipedia - humerus)

Sometimes when you bang the end of your elbow and it hurts, that's called hitting your funny bone.
Someone probably thought this up because the word humerus sounds just like humerous which means funny, and your humerus bone connects to your elbow!

Monday, November 12, 2012

Antarctica


We just learned about the country of Australia.

The big frozen chunk of ice at the bottom of planet earth is called Antarctica.
antarctica
(From: Wikipedia - antarctica)

It's another continent, just like North America and Australia.

Not many things can live in the frozen cold of Antarctica!
Living on the land are penguins and seals.
penguins

And living under the water are blue whales, orcas and colossal squid!
colossal squid

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Seventh Commandment


We just learned the Sixth Commandment about not committing adultery.

The seventh commandment that God gave to Moses is:

Thou shalt not steal.

(from: wikisource - Luther's Small Catechism)



(from: wikipedia - ten commandments)

Saturday, November 10, 2012

North Star


We just learned about the Milky Way

Let's learn about the North Star.

The North star is one of the brightest stars in the sky at night, and if you point toward the direction where the North star is, you will be pointing North!

Many people through the years have used the North star to find their way while traveling on land or sailing on ships at night.

It's also known as Polaris.


(from: wikipedia - polaris)

Friday, November 9, 2012

French - Please, You're welcome


Remember that to say thank you in French, you say merci.

To say please in French is s'il vous plait but it doesn't sound like it looks!
To say it right, it sounds like see voo play.

And to say you're welcome, you say de rien and it sounds like duh ree en.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Text Messages


We just learned a little about Car Ignition

Text messages are simple messages that you can send to your friends over your mobile phones.

After you type out a message on your phone, you click a send button and off it goes!
iphone
(From: Wikipedia - iphone)

The phone then connects through the air using something special called radio waves.
They are invisible energy, kind of like how you can't see what is pulling two magnets together, you can't see the gravity that is keeping your feet on the ground, and you can't see the light coming from a remote control talking to the TV.

The radio waves from the phone connect to something called a cell phone tower.
If you keep your eyes open and look around up high you might be able to find a cell phone tower.
They're usually big white towers with something on the very top.


(From: Wikipedia - cellular network)

The cell phone tower then talks to other cell phone towers until it finds out which one is closest to the mobile phone of the person you're trying to send your message to.
Once it finds them, it sends the message to their phone using those radio waves and BEEP they get your message!

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Deer


We just learned a little about Bald Eagles.

A male deer is called a buck, a female deer is a doe, and a baby deer is a fawn.

fawn
buck
(From: Wikipedia - deer)

Male deer grow new antlers every year, and at the end of the season they fall off.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

False Ribs


We just learned about the Pectoral Girdle

The lower five ribs are called the false ribs.

false ribs
(From: Wikipedia - false ribs)

The upper three false ribs are called the vertebro-chondral ribs, because they connect from the vertebrae to the rib above them.

The lower two false ribs are called the floating ribs or vertebral ribs because they only connect to your vertebrae, and the other end is just floating out there.

Monday, November 5, 2012

Australia


We just learned a little about Cardinal Directions.

Just like North America is a continent, there is another continent on the other side of the globe called Australia.
australia

(From: Wikipedia - Australia)

Australia is home to some very special animals like the kangaroo, koala and duck billed platypus!

kangaroo
koala
platypus

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Sixth Commandment


We just learned the Fifth Commandment about not killing.

The sixth commandment that God gave to Moses is:

Thou shalt not commit adultery.

This means that married people need to love and be faithful to each other.

(from: wikisource - Luther's Small Catechism)


(from: wikipedia - thou shalt not commit adultery)

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Milky Way


We just learned about Earth's Seasons.

Let's learn about the Milky Way.

The planet earth that we live revolves around the sun in our solar system.

The sun is one of many stars in our galaxy called the Milky Way

milky way
(From: Wikipedia - Milky Way)

It's called the Milky Way because up in the night sky it kind of has a milky white color.

Our galaxy has somewhere from 200 to 400 BILLION stars!

That's a whole lot of zeroes! 200,000,000,000

Friday, November 2, 2012

French - Very good thanks


In French, if someone asks How are you? by saying Comment allez-vous
you can answer Very good, thanks. by saying Très bien, merci.

The way you say it, sounds like Tray bee-en, mare-see.

It's also polite to ask how they are, so you can add et vous? to the end of that sentence.
That sounds like Ay voo? (The vowel in Ay sounds like Hay)

So using all the words we've learned:
Bonjour, Au revoir, Monsieur, Madamoiselle, Comment allez-vous and très bien merci, et vous

We can have a conversation in French like this:
Girl: Bonjour Monsieur.
Boy: Bonjour Madameoiselle, comment allez-vous?
Girl: Très bien merci, et vous?
Boy: Très bien, merci.
Girl: Au revoir!
Boy: Au revoir!

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Car ignition


We just learned a little about Spark Plugs.

The ignition or starter is the part of the car that you put your keys into, then turn them, and it starts the car.

When you turn your keys, the car takes electricity from the battery and sends it to the sparkplugs to make a spark.
That spark explodes the gas inside the piston and starts the engine.

ignition
(From: Wikipedia - ignition system)