Sunday, July 31, 2016

Iota Chi - IX Monogram


We just learned about the Christian Symbol of Iota Eta - IH Monogram.

Another Christian symbol is the Iota Chi - IX Monogram.

The Greek letter Iota (Ι) is the first letter in the Greek spelling for Jesus: ἸΗΣΟῦΣ
and the Greek letter Chi (Χ) is the first letter in the Greek spelling for Christ: ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ

So Iota and Chi were crossed together mean Jesus Christ.


(from: wikipedia - christian symbolism)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Saul's Conversion

Saturday, July 30, 2016

Alexander Sarcophagus


We just learned about the sculpture Lady in Blue.

Another famous sculpture is the Alexander Sarcophagus.

A sarcophagus is like a very fancy coffin, a place where the body of someone rich or powerful was buried after they died.
If someone was very famous, their sarcophagus would have a lot of art and sculptures on it.

This one was made of marble, and has some marks on it showing that it was painted in color long ago but has faded.

The carvings tell a story of Alexander the Great fighting the Persians, over 2,300 years ago.



(from: wikipedia - alexander sarcophagus)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Le Boulevard de Montmartre, Matinée de Printemps - Pissarro

Friday, July 29, 2016

Italian - Counting to Thirty Nine


We counted to 29 in Italian, let's keep going!

30 Trenta - sounds like t-day-n-tah /?/
31 trentuno - sounds like t-day-n-too-noh /?/
32 trentadue - sounds like t-day-n-tah-doo-ay /?/
33 trentatré - sounds like t-day-n-tah-t-day /?/
34 trentaquattro - sounds like t-day-n-tah-koo-ah-t-doh /?/
35 trentacinque - sounds like t-day-n-tah-chee-n-koo-ay-ee /?/
36 trentasei - sounds like t-day-n-tah-say-ee /?/
37 trentasette - sounds like t-day-n-tah-say-tay /?/
38 trentotto - sounds like t-day-n-toh-toh /?/
39 trentanove - sounds like t-day-n-tah-noh-vay /?/

Goethe Institute
(from: wikipedia - Goethe Institute)

German:
einunddreißig, zweiunddreißig, dreiunddreißig, vierunddreißig, fünfunddreißig, sechsunddreißig, siebenunddreißig, achtunddreißig, neununddreißig

Spanish:
treinta y uno, treinta y dos, treinta y tres, treinta y cuatro, treinta y cinco, treinta y seis, treinta y siete, treinta y ocho, treinta y nueve

French:
trente et un, trente-deux, trente-trois, trente-quatre, trente-cinq, trente-six, trente-sept, trente-huit, trente-neuf

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Ball-peen Hammer


We just learned about the Anvil - Pritchel Hole.

When a blacksmith has a piece of hot metal, there are a few different types of hammers they can use.

One is called a ball-peen hammer.
This hammer has one flat side, and one rounded ball shaped side.

Peening metal means to hit the metal with a hammer to bend or shape it.
Because the one side of the ball-peen hammer is ball shaped, it will bend and shape the metal differently than a flat hammer.

The ball shaped side has a few different uses.
It can be used to make small marks in the metal for a different look.
It can help hammer small nails called rivets into holes.
It can help mush the metal up against corner pieces.


(from: wikipedia - ball-peen hammer)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lightning Rod

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

King Cobra


We just learned about the Jamaican Boa.

Another type of snake is the king cobra.

This is the longest venomous snake in the world, and can grow up to 18 feet long.
They have a great sense of smell and can smell their prey from 300 feet away.
When they get upset, they will stand up and flare out the hood on their head to look bigger.


(from: wikipedia - king cobra)


On the back of their head they have yellow stripes in an upside down V shape, called a chevron.


(from: wikipedia - king cobra)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Scottish Terrier

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Limbic System


We just learned about Midbrain.

Another part of the brain is the limbic system.

This part of the brain helps control the movement, feelings, learning and memories.


(from: wikipedia - limbic system)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Metatarsal Veins

Monday, July 25, 2016

Broad Peak


We just learned about the mountain peak Gasherbrum I.

The next highest mountain is Broad Peak in Pakistan and China.

It has this name because the mountain peak is almost a mile long.


(from: wikipedia - broad peak)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Tennessee

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Iota Eta - IH Monogram


We just learned about the Christian symbol Chi Rho.

Another Christian symbol is the Iota Eta, also called the IH Monogram.

In Greek, Jesus is spelled ἸΗΣΟῦΣ.

Ἰ - Iota
Η - Eta
Σ - Sigma
Ο - Omicron
ῦ - Upsilon
Σ - Sigma

Iota is like an I, and Eta is like an H.
Sometimes people would combine the ἸΗ into one symbol to mean Jesus.



(from: wikipedia - christian symbolism)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Philip and the Ethiopian

Saturday, July 23, 2016

Lady in Blue


We just learned about Athena Parthenos.

Another famous Hellenistic Greek sculpture is the Lady In Blue, also known as Dame en Bleu.

This type of sculpture is called a Tanagra figurine, because it was made in a town of Tanagra Greece, where artists made many of the same type of sculpture long ago.

The sculptures were painted with a liquid white coating, and then painted over with other colors like blue, red, pink, yellow or brown.

The tanagra figurines were sculptures of real women and men just wearing normal clothes, with hats, wreaths or fans.
They were made in layers, so there would be a sculpture for the clothing that was made over top of the sculpture of the person.


(from: wikipedia - tanagra figurine)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Woman with a bag - Schmidt-Rottluff

Friday, July 22, 2016

Italian - Counting to Twenty nine


We counted to 20 in Italian, let's keep going!

21 ventuno - sounds like vay-n-too-noh /?/
22 ventidue - sounds like vay-n-tee-doo /?/
23 ventitré - sounds like vay-n-tee-t-day /?/
24 ventiquattro - sounds like vay-n-tee-koo-ah-t-doh /?/
25 venticinque - sounds like vay-n-tee-chee-n-koo-ay-ee /?/
26 ventisei - sounds like vay-n-tee-say-ee /?/
27 ventisette - sounds like vay-n-tee-set-ay-ee /?/
28 ventotto - sounds like vay-n-tee-oh-toh /?/
29 ventinove - sounds like vay-n-tee-noh-vay /?/

Goethe Institute
(from: wikipedia - Goethe Institute)

German:
einundzwanzig, zweiundzwanzig, dreiundzwanzig, vierundzwanzig, fünfundzwanzig, sechsundzwanzig, siebenundzwanzig, achtundzwanzig, neunundzwanzig

Spanish:
veintiún, veintidós, veintitrés, veinticuatro, veinticinco, veintiséis, veintisiete, veintiocho, veintinueve

French:
vingt et un, vingt-deux, vingt-trois, vingt-quatre, vingt-cinc, vingt-six, vingt-sept, vingt-huit, vingt-neuf

Thursday, July 21, 2016

Anvil - Pritchel Hole


We just learned about the Anvil - Hardy Hole.

Another part of the anvil is the Pritchel Hole.

This is a small round hole by the edge, used to punch holes in the metal.
The blacksmith would put the piece of metal over the hole, then hold a tool like a nail over the metal and hit it with a hammer to make a hole in the metal.

(from: wikipedia - anvil)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lightning Strikes - Trees

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Jamaican Boa


We just learned about the Black Rat Snake.

Another type of snake is the Jamaican Boa.

This snake is not venomous, it is a boa so it uses its body to crush prey.
It is golden yellow around the head and middle, with black zig zags, and it turns black towards the tail.
It can grow up to around 6 feet.

The forest where these snakes live is being destroyed, so there are not many of them left.


(from: wikipedia - jamaican boa)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: German Shepherd

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Midbrain


We just learned about the Forebrain.

Another part of the brain is called the midbrain.

This part of the brain helps control your seeing, hearing, movement, sleeping and how hot or cold you feel.


(from: wikipedia - midbrain)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Plantar and Dorsal Digital Veins

Monday, July 18, 2016

Gasherbrum I


We just learned about the mountain peak Annapurna Massif.

The next highest mountain peak is Gasherbrum I in China.
It's name means Beautiful Mountain.
It's also known as Hidden Peak or K5.

The name Hidden Peak is because the mountain peak is very far away from any nearby towns or cities.


(from: wikipedia - gasherbrum i)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: South Dakota

Sunday, July 17, 2016

Chi-Rho


We just learned about Staurogram.

Another Christian symbol is the Chi-Rho.

In the Greek language, the name for Christ was spelled ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ, and sounded like "Christos".
Χ - Chi
Ρ - Rho
Ι - Iota
Σ - Sigma
Τ - Tau
Ο - Omicron
Σ - Sigma

The first two letters Chi and Rho, ΧΡ, were put together as a symbol to mean Christ.

Over 1,500 years ago one of the Emperors of Rome named Constantine became a Christian, and he had his armies put the Chi Rho symbol on their shields and armor to show that he was fighting for Christ.


(from: wikipedia - chi rho)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Choosing of Stephen

Saturday, July 16, 2016

Athena Parthenos - Phidias


We just learned about Statue of Zeus at Olympia.

Another famous sculpture from ancient Greece is the Athena Parthenos.

This was also made by the famous sculptor Phidias, who made the famous Zeus statue.
It was over 70 feet tall, and made of ivory and gold.
A fancy word for a statue made of ivory and gold is Chryselephantine.
The arms and face were made of ivory, and the gown and other parts were gold.

When the Romans came and took over, they destroyed the statue, but there were many writings about it, and some drawings.


(from: wikipedia - athena parthenos)

Some people have tried to make statues just like the old one to put in museums.


(from: wikipedia - athena parthenos)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Broadway Boogie Woogie - Mondrian

Friday, July 15, 2016

Italian - Counting to Twenty


We counted to 15 in Italian, let's keep going!

16 sedici - sounds like say-dee-chee /?/
17 diciassette - sounds like dee-cha-set-tay /?/
18 diciotto - sounds like dee-chee-oh-toh /?/
19 diciannove - sounds like dee-chee-ah-noh-vay /?/
20 venti - sounds like vay-n-tee /?/


academy of the bran
(from: wikipedia - accademia della crusca)

German:
sechzehn, siebzehn, achtzehn, neunzehn, zwanzig

Spanish:
dieciséis, diecisiete, dieciocho, diecinueve, veinte

French:
seize, dix-sept, dix-huit, dix-neuf, vingt

Thursday, July 14, 2016

Anvil - Hardy Hole


We just learned about the Anvil - Table.

Another part of the Anvil is the Hardy Hole.

This is a rectangle shaped hole in the top of the anvil that can be used to hold special tools called hardy tools that are used to help shape the metals.


(from: wikipedia - hardy tool)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lightning Plasma

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Black Rat Snake


We just learned about the type of snake the Colorado Desert Sidewinder.

Another type of snake is the black rat snake, also known as the western rat snake, pilot black snake, black chicken snake, black coluber, chicken snake, mountain black snake, mountain pilot snake, pilot, rusty black snake, scaly black snake, cow snake, or pantherophis obsoletus.

These snakes are not venomous, they are constrictors that squeeze their prey.

They are the largest snake in North America, with the largest one found being 8 feet long.


(from: wikipedia - pantheropis obsoletus)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Bulldog

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Forebrain


We just learned about the diancephalon.

The diencephalon, along with the cerebrum make up the forebrain. This is the large part of the brain that takes up most of the skull.

The forebrain is also known as the prosencephalon.


(from: wikipedia - cerebrum)

(from: wikipedia - diencephalon)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Vein

Monday, July 11, 2016

Annapurna Massif


We just learned about the mountain peak Nanga Parbat.

The next highest mountain peak is Annapurna Massif in Nepal.
It's name means full of food, or Goddess of the Harvests.

This mountain is one of the most dangerous to climb, and has the highest rate of death for all mountains in the world.
For every 3 people that have tried to climb the mountain, one has died.

In 2014, 39 people were killed from avalanches and snowstorms on the mountain.


(from: wikipedia - annapurna massif)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: South Carolina

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Staurogram


We just learned about the symbols Alpha and Omega.

Another Christian symbol is the Staurogram, which is like the letter P crossed with the letter T.

It comes from the greek word stauros (σταυρός), which means cross.
When you say the letters tau (τ) and rho (ρ) together as tau-rho it almost sounds like stauros, so that was a way to make a symbol of the tau and rho to mean stauros.

Some people think it also looks like Jesus on a cross.


(from: wikipedia - staurogram)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: The Apostles Persecuted

Saturday, July 9, 2016

Poseidon of Melos


We just learned about the Statue of Zeus at Olympia.

Another sculpture from the Hellenistic Art time is the Poseidon of Melos.

Poseidon in Greek mythology was a god of the sea.
The statue is made of marble, and is over 8 feet tall.

The statue's right arm is lifted up to hold a trident that was lost.
He is looking into the distance with a strong powerful pose.


(from: wikipedia - poseidon of melos)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Charing Cross Bridge - Derain

Friday, July 8, 2016

Italian - Fifteen


We counted to 10 in Italian, now let's learn some bigger numbers!

11 undici - sounds like oon-dee-chee /?/
12 dodici - sounds like doh-dee-chee /?/
13 tredici - sounds like t-day-dee-chee /?/
14 quattordici - sounds like koo-ah-toh-d-dee-chee /?/
15 quindici - sounds like koo-een-dee-chee /?/


academy of the bran
(from: wikipedia - accademia della crusca)

In German:
elf, zwölf, dreizehn, vierzehn, fünfzehn

In Spanish:
once, doce, trese, catorce, quince

In French:
onze, douze, treize, quatorze, quinze

Thursday, July 7, 2016

Anvil - Table


We just learned about the anvil - horn.

Another part of the anvil is the table.

This part of the anvil is in between the face and the horn.
It is used for when the metal needs to be cut, but the blacksmith doesn't want to scratch up the face of the anvil.


(from: wikipedia - anvil)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lightning Re-strike

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Colorado Desert Sidewinder


We just learned about the Aruba Island Rattlesnake.

Another type of snake is the Colorado Desert Sidewinder.


(from: wikipedia - crotalus cerastes)

Sidewinders get their name by the interesting way that they move around.
Most snakes move along the ground face first, with their tail following along.
Sidewinders move facing sideways, like their face to the left and their tail to the right.
This helps them move better in wind blown desert sand, and when they walk they leave a J shape in the sand.


(from: wikipedia - crotalus cerastes)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Poodle

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Diancephalon


We just learned about the hindbrain.

Another part of the brain is the diancephalon.

We learned before about the thalamus, hypothalamus and subthalamus.
All of those parts together are what make up the diancephalon.


(from: wikipedia - diencephalon)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Venules

Monday, July 4, 2016

Nanga Parbat


We just learned about the mountain peak Manaslu.

The next highest mountain peak is Nanga Parbat in Kashmir.
The name means Naked Mountain.

It has very steep peaks on the mountain, and is very difficult to climb.


(from: wikipedia - nanga parbat)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Rhode Island

Sunday, July 3, 2016

Alpha and Omega


We just learned about the Christian Ichthys symbol.

Another symbol Christians use is the Alpha and Omega.

In the Greek alphabet, the first letter is the letter Alpha which looks like an A.
The last letter is Omega, which looks like an O but like a horseshoe.

In the book of Revelation it says "I am the Alpha and the Omega meaning that God is the beginning of everything and the end of everything, and everything in the middle.


(from: wikipedia - alpha and omega)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Peter and John put in Jail

Saturday, July 2, 2016

Statue of Zeus at Olympia - Phidias


We just learned about the Elgin Marbles.

Another famous sculpture is the Statue of Zeus at Olympia.

This statue was so famous that it was listed as one of the seven wonders of the world.
There are drawings of the sculpture, and writings about it, but it was destroyed in a fire over a thousand years ago.
Because it was so famous, some people have tried to make copies of what they thought it looked like back then.
It was also made by Phidias, the famous Greek sculptor.


(from: wikipedia - statue of zeus at olympia)


(from: wikipedia - statue of zeus at olympia)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Landscape in Graubünden with Sun Rays - Kirchner

Friday, July 1, 2016

Italian - November, December


Let's keep learning about the months of the year in Italian!

We already learned that January, February is Gennaio, Febbraio,
March, April is Marzo, Aprile,
May, June is Maggio, Giugno,
July, August is Luglio, Agosto.
and September, October is Settembre, Ottobre.

Let's keep going!

November - Novembre - sounds like noh-vem-b-day /?/
December - Dicembre - sounds like dee-chem-b-day /?/

academy of the bran
(from: wikipedia - accademia della crusca)

In German:
November, Dezember

In Spanish:
Noviembre, Diciembre

In French:
Novembre, Décembre