Sunday, August 31, 2014

Parable of the Weeds


We just learned about one of Jesus' teaching stories called the Parable of the Sower

Another parable Jesus told was called the Parable of the Weeds.

He said that God's kingdom is like a field where the farmer planted wheat seeds, but when he was sleeping a bad person came and planted weeds right next to his wheat seeds.

The farmer's helpers asked if they should pull the weeds out, but the farmer said they couldn't because that would uproot the wheat too.

He said to wait until the wheat is grown. Then go pull the weeds out to be burned up and bring the wheat to the barn.

Jesus was really talking about people, and saying that the bad people of the world would not go to Heaven, they would be thrown out like the weeds. But the good people of the earth would be brought to Heaven to live with him forever.
parable of the tares
(from: wikipedia - parable of the tares)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: New Testament

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Mars - Mars 1, Mariner 4, 6, 7 & 9


We've learned about the space exploration of Mercury and Venus, next up is Mars!

The first missions to explore Mars were to take pictures and science measurements as the spacecraft flew by the planet.

Russia was first in 1962 with the Mars 1.

The US sent the Mariner 4 in 1964, the Mariner 6 and 7 in 1969, and the Mariner 9 in 1971.
The Mariner 9 was the first spacecraft to take pictures of the Mars moon Phobos.
mariner 9 launch
(from: wikipedia - mariner 9)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Red Giant

Friday, August 29, 2014

Spanish - Counting to forty nine


We just learned how to count to 39 in Spanish, let's keep going!

40 quarenta - sounds like coo-ah-den-tah /?/
41 quarenta y uno - sounds like coo-ah-den-tah ee oo-n-oh /?/
42 quarenta y dos - sounds like coo-ah-den-tah ee doh-ss /?/
43 quarenta y tres - sounds like coo-ah-den-tah ee t-day-ss /?/
44 quarenta y cuatro - sounds like coo-ah-den-tah ee koo-ah-t-doh /?/
45 quarenta y cinco - sounds like coo-ah-den-tah ee see-n-koh /?/
46 quarenta y seis - sounds like coo-ah-den-tah ee say-ss /?/
47 quarenta y siete - sounds like coo-ah-den-tah ee see-ay-tay /?/
48 quarenta y ocho - sounds like coo-ah-den-tah ee oh-choh /?/
49 quarenta y nueve - sounds like coo-ah-den-tah ee noo-ay-vay /?/

association of spanish language academies
(from: wikipedia - Association of Spanish Language Academies)

Do you remember how to say it in French?
French - quarante, quarante et un, quarante-deux, quarante-trois, quarante-quatre, quarante-cinq, quarante-six, quarante-sept, quarante-huit, quarante-neuf

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Corundum


We just learned about the type of element Calcium.

Corundum is a type of gem stone that can be many different colors, red, yellow, pink-orange, green or blue.

If the corundum is red, it is called a ruby. Otherwise it is called a sapphire.

Corundum is very hard and rough, is sometimes used on sandpaper or on large cutting machines.
It is made up mostly of the chemical elements of aluminum and oxygen combined together.
corundum
(from: wikipedia - corundum)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Diode

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Starfish


We just learned about the Koala.

Starfish are invertibrates. That means they don't have bones!

The bottom of the starfish legs have tiny little tubes, that are called tube feet.
These tube feet squish water in and out to slowly move the starfish along the ocean floor.
They also use them to breathe, like the gills of a fish.

starfish tube feet
(from: wikipedia - starfish)

Some starfish can regrow their arms if they get attacked by a fish and lose an arm,
and some are able to split themselves into two and make another starfish!

starfish regrow legs
(from: wikipedia - starfish)

The hard poky parts on the outside of the starfish are called ossicles, and are one way that starfish keep themselves from being eaten.
starfish
(from: wikipedia - starfish)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Duck Billed Platypus

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Ileum


We just learned that in your digestive system, after the duodenum comes the jejunum.

After that comes the ileum. It is a very long tube that also helps your body use up the good things in your food, like the vitamin B12.

ileum
(from: wikipedia - ileum)



Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Gluteus Maximus

Monday, August 25, 2014

Burkina Faso


We just learned about the country of Mali

Burkina Faso is a country on the north west part of the African continent.
The name of their country means honest people.
burkina faso map
(from: wikipedia - burkina faso)

The flag of Burkina Faso has a red stripe above a green stripe, with a yellow star in the middle.
The red, green and yellow colors represent the continent of Africa all working together. They are called the Pan-African colors, and are found in some other African countries' flags.
The red is for the fight for freedom, the green for the riches from plants and land, and the yellow is the light of the fight for freedom.
burkina faso flag
(from: wikipedia - flag of burkina faso)

To drink in Burkina Faso you might have Bissap, which is like a tea made from flowers called Rosell.
bissap
(from: wikipedia - roselle (plant))

Ouagadougou (pronounced wah-gah-doo-goo) is the capital city in Burkina Faso.
ouagadougou
(from: wikipedia - ouagadougou)

The dogon people are a group of people that have traditions where they dress up in masks and dance around.
dogon masks
(from: wikipedia - dogon people)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Ukraine

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Parable of the Sower


We just learned about the wise man who built his house on the rock.

Sometimes when Jesus talked to his followers, he would try to explain things by telling stories called parables. They are stories that help teach lessons.

Once when Jesus was talking to some farmers he told a parable about someone who was planting seeds. This is sometimes called sowing, so we call it the parable of the sower.

He said that as a farmer was throwing seeds to the ground, some of it fell along the hard flat path. When that happened the birds came along and ate the seed right up!

Some of the seeds fell into some rocks, where it didn't have very good dirt to grow in. It grew quickly because the dirt was not deep, but because they couldn't put down deep roots they burned up in the sun.

Some seeds fell near some thorns, and when the plants grew they were choked by the thorns.

The last bunch of seeds fell into good soil, grew very well and made very good food.

Jesus explained what his parable meant:

The seeds are like the word of God and the message of his kingdom in heaven.

The seed on the path is when someone bad stops us from believing.

The seed on the rocks is someone who believes the word for a little while, but stops believing later.

The seed in the thorns is someone who worries too much about life and about money and things they want, and can't live for God.

The seed in the good dirt is someone who believes the word, understands it and spreads the word on to other people.

parable of the sower
(from: wikipedia - parable of the sower)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Other Prophets

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Mercury - Mariner 10, Messenger


We just learned about the space travel to Venus on the space crafts Venera 7-16, Mariner 10, Pioneer Venus

We have sent space crafts to study Mercury through the years, but it's difficult because it is closer to the sun.

The first space craft that was sent up was Mariner 10 on November 2nd, 1973.
It was sent mostly just to fly by Mercury and study the sky and look at the land.

The next space craft was called Messenger, launched August 3rd, 2004.
The letters in the name stand for: MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, Ranging.

It took almost 7 years for it to get to Mercury, and it orbited the planet for 2 years taking pictures.
It took close to 100,000 pictures of the whole planet!
mercury messenger
(from: wikipedia - messenger)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Yellow Dwarf

Friday, August 22, 2014

Spanish - Counting to thirty nine


We just learned how to count to 29 in Spanish, let's keep going!

31 treinta y uno - sounds like t-day-n-tah ee oo-n-oh /?/
32 treinta y dos - sounds like t-day-n-tah ee doh-ss /?/
33 treinta y tres - sounds like t-day-n-tah ee t-day-ss /?/
34 treinta y cuatro - sounds like t-day-n-tah ee koo-ah-t-doh /?/
35 treinta y cinco - sounds like t-day-n-tah ee see-n-koh /?/
36 treinta y seis - sounds like t-day-n-tah ee say-ss /?/
37 treinta y siete - sounds like t-day-n-tah ee see-ay-tay /?/
38 treinta y ocho - sounds like t-day-n-tah ee oh-choh /?/
39 treinta y nueve - sounds like t-day-n-tah ee noo-ay-vay /?/

association of spanish language academies
(from: wikipedia - Association of Spanish Language Academies)

Do you remember how to say it in French?
French - trente et un, trente-deux, trente-trois, trente-quatre, trente-cinq, trente-six, trente-sept, trente-huit, trente-neuf

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Calcium


We just learned about the element of Magnesium.

Another chemical element is Calcium, called "Ca" for short on the Periodic Table.

When you drink milk, did you know that you're also drinking some metal?
Calcium is a healthy ingredient found in milk, that helps us have strong bones and teeth.
You can't tell that it's metal because there's only a tiny bit of calcium in there, so little you can't even see it.

Calcium all by itself is a shiny gray colored metal.
calcium
(from: wikipedia - calcium)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Doping Semiconductors

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Koala


The Koala bear is a fuzzy little animal from Australia, that is not actually a bear.
It is from a family of animals known as marsupials like the kangaroo.

Just like the kangaroo, koalas carry their babies in pouches on their bellies until they are older.

Koalas mostly only eat eucalyptus leaves, and they don't eat very much or drink very much.
Because they don't get much energy, they sleep about 20 hours a day, and are only active and moving around for about 4 minutes a day!

koala
(from: wikipedia - koala)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Squirrel

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Jejunum


After the food goes through the duodenum, it continues down into the jejunum.

It is a very long twisting and turning tube that your food slowly goes through over several hours, and your body soaks up good things from your food while it is going through your jejunum.
jejunum
(from: wikipedia - jejunum)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Rectus Abdominis

Monday, August 18, 2014

Mali


We just learned about the country of Niger.

Mali is a country in the north west part of Africa.

mali
(from: wikipedia - mali)

The flag of Mali is green, gold and red.
The green is for the plants growing in the country.
The gold is for purity and the precious metals in the ground like gold.
The red is for the blood of the Mali people who fought for freedom.


(from: wikipedia - flag of mali)

To eat in Mali you might have millet, which is a type of grain.
millet
(from: wikipedia - millet)

The city of Timbuktu is in the country of Mali.
Since it has a silly sounding name, and was part of many stories written by a famous person named Leo Africanus, many people thought it was just a made up name and not a real place!
timbuktu
(from: wikipedia - timbuktu)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Netherlands

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Wise man built his house on a rock


We just learned about Jesus telling people to Do unto others in the sermon on the mount.

In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount he told his followers that if they heard his words and follow his ways they are like a wise man who built his house on a rock, and even though there were great storms it did not fall because it was built on a safe place.

He also said that if his followers did not follow his ways they were like foolish men who built their houses on sand, and the storms destroyed the houses because they were not built on a safe place.

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.
house on the rock
(from: wikipedia - parable of the wise and foolish builders)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Shadrach Meshach Abednego

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Venus - Venera 7-16, Mariner 10, Pioneer Venus


We've learned that Venus space exploration started in 1962 with the Mariner 2 space craft that flew by the planet, and then after that the exploration continued closer into the planet's atmosphere with the Venera 3-6 and Mariner 5 space crafts.

The exploration continued on, as scientists tried to land space crafts on the surface, or get the space craft close enough to take pictures of the surface from outer space.

For 13 years, the Russian space program sent 10 different space crafts to study Venus.
Venera 7 - 14 all were landers that studied the surface after landing on the planet, and 15 - 16 studied the planet from space.

For 5 years the US NASA space program sent 3 space crafts to study Venus. Mariner 10 and did a fly by on its way to Mercury. Pioneer Venus Orbiter orbited around the planet to study from space. Pioneer Venus Multiprobe studied the atmosphere and also had some probes land on the surface to study it.
pioneer venus multiprobe
(from: wikipedia - pioneer venus multiprobe)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram

Friday, August 15, 2014

Spanish - Counting to twenty nine


We just learned how to count to 20 in Spanish, let's keep going!
21 veintiún - sounds like bay-n-tee-oo-n /?/
22 veintidós - sounds like bay-n-tee-doh-ss /?/
23 veintitrés - sounds like bay-n-tee-t-day-ss /?/
24 veinticuatro - sounds like bay-n-tee-koo-ah-t-doh /?/
25 veinticinco - sounds like bay-n-tee-see-n-koh /?/
26 veintiséis - sounds like bay-n-tee-say-ss /?/
27 veintisiete - sounds like bay-n-tee-see-ay-tay /?/
28 veintiocho - sounds like bay-n-tee-oh-choh /?/
29 veintinueve - sounds like bay-n-tee-noo-ay-vay /?/

association of spanish language academies
(from: wikipedia - Association of Spanish Language Academies)

Do you remember how to say it in French?
French - vingt et un, vingt-deux, vingt-trois, vingt-quatre, vingt-cinc, vingt-six, vingt-sept, vingt-huit, vingt-neuf

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Magnesium


We just learned about the element Obsidian

Another chemical element is Magnesium, called "Mg" for short on the Periodic Table.

Magnesium is a metal that is very common on our planet.
It is also in our bodies, and is used a lot to help plants grow.

One of the most interesting things about magnesium is that you can light it on fire.
It can even stay burning if it is underwater!

Since it burns so well, it is used a lot in fireworks, and even the metal sparklers that you light up for the 4th of July.
magnesium
(from: wikipedia - magnesium)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Anode and Cathode

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Firefly


We just learned about a Butterfly Imago.

Catching fireflies in the summer time can be pretty fun!
Fireflies are sometimes also called lightning bugs, but their real fancy name is lampyridae.

firefly
(from: wikipedia - firefly)

Even when the fireflies are babies (called larvae) they glow, and are sometimes called glow worms. glow worms
(from: wikipedia - firefly)

The fireflies light up because of something called bioluminescence. That's a fancy word that means there are some chemicals in their body that mix together and glow.

firefly
(from: wikipedia - firefly)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Armadillo

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Liver


We just learned about the Gall Bladder

The liver is a part of your digestive system near your stomach.

The parts of your body like your stomach or gall bladder are called organs, and the liver is the largest organ in your body.

Just like the gallbladder, it helps put bile into the duodenum, but it does a lot of other things too.

It helps store the sugar in your body for when you need energy, it helps the blood in your body clean and healthy, it helps create chemicals called hormones that help change your body, and it helps clean out bad things in your blood called toxins.

liver
(from: wikipedia - liver)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Latissimus Dorsi

Monday, August 11, 2014

Niger


We just learned about the country of Zambia.

Niger (sounds like "nah-ee-jer") is a country in Southern part of Africa.

niger map
(from: wikipedia - niger)

The flag of Niger has an orange stripe at the top, then a white strip with an orange circle in the middle, and a green stripe at the bottom.

The orange stripe is for the desert, the white stripe is for purity, the green stripe is for hope and the plants and trees, and the orange circle is for the sun and freedom.
flag of niger
(from: wikipedia - flag of niger)

To eat in Niger, you might have jollof rice which is rice, tomatoes, onion, salt and red pepper, with some meat added.
jollof rice
(from: wikipedia - jollof rice)

The Erg of Bilma is a large desert in Niger.
erg of bilma
(from: wikipedia - erg of bilma)

There is a festival in Niger called Guérewol, where men dress up in outfits, get their faces painted, dance and sing to try to get young women to marry them.
guerewol
(from: wikipedia - guérewol)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Finland

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Do Unto Others


We just learned about Ask, Seek and Knock for his help.

In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount he told his followers to treat other people the way that they themselves want to be treated.

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

This is a very popular saying that is sometimes called the golden rule.

golden rule
(from: wikipedia - golden rule)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Daniel

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Venus - Venera 3-6, Mariner 5


After the Mariner 2 space craft got close to the planet Venus, scientists kept trying to get closer.

Starting in 1967, the Russians sent some spacecrafts to study the air around Venus (called the atmosphere).
The Venera 3 was first but it crashed on the planet and never sent back any information.
They sent 3 more spacecrafts, the Venera 4, Venera 5 and Venera 6.

The USA also sent the spacecraft Mariner 5 to Venus to study the sky.

mariner 5
(from: wikipedia - Mariner 5)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Luminosity Class

Friday, August 8, 2014

Spanish - Counting to Twenty


We just learned how to count to 15 in Spanish, let's keep going!
16 dieciséis - sounds like dee-ay-ss-ee-say-ss/?/
17 diecisiete - sounds like dee-ay-ss-ee-see-eht-ay /?/
18 dieciocho - sounds like dee-ay-ss-ee-oh-choh /?/
19 diecinueve - sounds like dee-ay-ss-ee-noo-ay-vay /?/
20 veinte - sounds like bay-een-tay /?/

association of spanish language academies
(from: wikipedia - Association of Spanish Language Academies)

Do you remember how to say it in French?
French - seize, dix-sept, dix-huit, dix-neuf, vingt

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Obsidian


We just learned about the metalloid semiconductor called Silicon.

One type of rock found on the earth is Obsidian.

Obsidian is a dark black glassy igneous rock that is made from lava.

By itself it is not a chemical element on the Periodic Table, it is usually made up of other elements combined, like Silicon, Magnesiu, Iron and Oxygen.
obsidian
(from: wikipedia - obsidian)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Electrodes

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Butterfly - Imago


After a butterfly has spent some time as a pupa in its chrysalis, it will come out as an adult.

An adult butterfly is called an imago, and when they first come out of their chrysalis their wings are all crumpled up. They have to spend a few hours waiting for them to dry and unfold before they can fly.

butterfly imago
(from: wikipedia - butterfly)

Butterflies have four wings. The top left, bottom left, top right and bottom right are all different wings that just all flap together.

If you look very very close, you can see that the patterns on the wings are all made up of tiny scales, like you might see on a snake or a fish.

butterfly wings
(from: wikipedia - butterfly)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Manatee

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Gallbladder


We just learned about the Pancreas

The gallbladder is part of our digestive system, connected to the duodenum.

When food comes through the duodenum, it sends a message to the gallbladder.
The gall bladder lets out something called bile which is a chemical that takes fat from our food and breaks it up into smaller chunks.

gallbladder
(from: wikipedia - gallbladder)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Trapezius

Monday, August 4, 2014

Zambia


We just learned about the country of Angola.

Zambia is a country in the southern part of the African continent.

zambia map
(from: wikipedia - zambia)

The flag of Zambia is mostly green, with an orange eagle in the right corner above three smaller stripes of red, black and orange.

The green is for the country's natural beauty like trees and animals, the red is for the battle for freedom, the black is for the people of Zambia, the orange is for the minerals like gold in the land, and the orange eagle means the people can rise above the country's problems.
flag of zambia
(from: wikipedia - flag of zambia)

To eat in Zambia you might have nshima, which is corn ground up into flour, then rolled into a paste kind of like mashed potatoes.
nshima
(from: wikipedia - nshima)

Victoria falls is one of the largest waterfalls in the whole world.
victoria falls
(from: wikipedia - victoria falls)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Denmark

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Ask, Seek and Knock


We just learned about Jesus' telling people not to judge others

In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, he told his followers to always ask God for help.

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

He told his followers to think of us as God's children. Since people give food to their children and help them, God who is all powerful will give even more to us, his followers.

Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

god the father
(from: wikipedia - kingdom of god)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Ezekiel

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Venus - Mariner 2


We've learned about the Space Exploration of the moon, all the way up to the Apollo 11 moon landing.

We've also sent space crafts up to study other planets.
The first one was in 1962, called the Mariner 2.

It was launched on August 27, and on December 14 it got as close as 22,000 miles from Venus.
mariner 2
(from: wikipedia - mariner 2)

That might not seem very close, but the Earth is about 25,000,000 miles from Venus, so it got a lot closer than we are!

The last time the space craft sent data back to us was on January 3, 1963, then it stopped working and has just been floating in space, orbiting around Venus for over 50 years.

The Mariner 2 was used to try and measure the temperature and collect other information in the air near the planet.

mariner 2
(from: wikipedia - mariner 2)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Star Absolute Magnitude