Monday, October 31, 2016

North American Cordillera


We just learned about the Saint Elias Mountains in Alaska.

Most of the mountain ranges we've learned about have been in Asia, as those are the highest mountains in the world.

In North America, there are mountain ranges that are part of a group of mountain ranges.
The word cordillera means a group of different mountain ranges.

The North American Cordillera is a group of five different areas called belts that all have mountain ranges in them.


(from: wikipedia - north american cordillera)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: US Virgin Islands

Sunday, October 30, 2016

Noah


We just learned about Abel.

Adam and Eve had another child named Seth, who had many children.

The Great Great Great Great Great Great Grandson of Seth was Noah.

God told Noah to go build a giant boat called an ark that was 300 cubits long, which is about 1 and a half times as long as a football field.
He told Noah to bring animals on the ark, and then the flood came and flooded everything for 150 days.
After 150 days the waters started to go down, and the ark landed on a mountain.
Noah sent out a dove to go see if there was land.

After 40 days the water had gone down enough, and Noah and his family came out of the ark and built an altar to God.
God was happy, and promised to never flood the earth again.

The Bible tells the story of Noah in Genesis Chapters 5 - 9.


(from: wikipedia - noah)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Paul's Second Letter to Timothy

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Golden Madonna of Essen


We just learned about the Archangel Ivory.

Another ancient statue is the Golden Madonna of Essen.

This is a statue of the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus.
The Virgin Mary is sometimes called the Madonna.

It has a wooden sculpture inside, and is wrapped in gold leaf, which is thin sheets of gold.
The eyes are made from a type of colored glass.

It was made around the year 980, so it is over 2,000 years old.
It is the oldest known sculpture of the the Madonna.


(from: wikipedia - golden madonna of essen)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Le Bal élégant, La Danse à la campagne - Laurencin

Friday, October 28, 2016

ASL - Good Morning


We just learned a few ways to say hello and goodbye in ASL.

Let's learn how to say Good Morning, Good Afternoon, and Good Evening.

To start with, the word "Good" again uses the the "Open Hand" shape we learned about.

ASL open b
(from: wiktionary - appendix:sign language handshapes)

With your fingers pointing up and your palm toward your face, put your fingers on your chin, and then move your hand out forward and down.
That is the sign for Good.

Usually this sign is also done with your left hand out as your "base hand", and your right hand slaps down into your left hand.

For morning, put your left forearm up in front of you in a horizontal line.
Think of this like the horizon that the sun comes up from in the morning.

Take your left hand and put it on near the inside of your right elbow, and then bend your elbow inward, bringing your right hand up and toward your face.

Think of this like your left arm is the horizon, and your right hand is the sun coming up over the horizon.

For afternoon, use your left arm as the horizon again, but touch your left hand to the outside of your elbow by your forearm, and pointing your hand away from your face make a motion like the sun is going down a little.

For evening, your left arm is the horizon, and your right wrist goes onto the back of your left hand, and your hand goes over and down your left arm, almost like you are slam dunking a basketball.
That is the sun going down for evening.

So for each of these times of day, just put the sign for "Good" in front of them, and that is how you say Good Morning, Good Afternoon and Good Evening.

Here is a helpful video showing these signs:


GOOD MORNING, AFTERNOON, NIGHT | ASL - American Sign Language - ASL THAT


ASL
(from: wikipedia - american sign language)


Italian:
buongiorno, buon pomeriggio, buonasera, buona notte

German:
Guten Morgen, Guten Tag, Guten Abend, Gute Nacht

Spanish:
Buenos días, buenos tardes, buenas noches

French:
bonjour, bonsoir, bonne nuit

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Forge Welding


We just learned about the Punching.

Another thing blacksmiths do is called forge welding.

When a blacksmith has two pieces of metal that they want to stick together, like maybe a handle for a shovel, or a hilt for a sword, they get the two pieces of metal really hot, and then hammer them against each other.

The metal has to be so hot that it is almost melting into a liquid, and then the two metals get joined together.

In ancient times when people would make swords, they would take two types of metal and forge them together.
One type of metal would bend easily but never break, another type of metal would never bend, but could break.
By forge welding them together, they could make a sword that would never bend and never break.


(from: wikipedia - bladesmith)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Waterspout Tornado

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Mandarin Ratsnake


We just learned about the Vietnamese Long Nosed Snake.

Another type of snake is the mandarin ratsnake.
This snake is not venomous, and has colorful black and yellow marks on it's body.

It is one of the most popular snakes to be kept as a pet.
In the wild it is a sneaky snake, and likes to live in the homes of mice or rats to hide out.
Even though it is cold blooded, it likes cooler temperatures and is mostly outside in the evening.


(from: wikipedia - mandarin rat snake)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Labrador Retriever

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Cervical Plexus


We just learned about the Somatic Nervous System.

We know about the 8 cervical nerves in the spinal cord at the neck.

The first 4 of those, C1 - C4 have nerves that come out to be what is called the Cervical Plexus.

These nerves control the feelings and moving of the back of the head and the neck muscles.


(from: wikipedia - cervical plexus)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Median Cubital Vein

Monday, October 24, 2016

Saint Elias Mountains


We just learned about the Alaska Range mountains.

The next highest mountain range is the Saint Elias Mountains.

These mountains are on the southern coast of Alaska, right on the pacific ocean.
Because they are on the coast, they are called coastal mountains.
They are the highest coastal mountains on earth.


(from: wikipedia - saint elias mountains)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Puerto Rico

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Abel


We just learned about Adam and Eve's son Cain.

Cain's brother was named Abel.

While Cain was a farmer of crops, Abel was a farmer of animals.

When Cain and Abel would give offerings to God, Cain would offer up some crops, and Abel would offer up the best of all of his animals.

Because Abel's gift was so great, God liked it better than Cain's.
This made Cain mad, and he killed Abel.

After that God put a curse on Cain so he wouldn't be able to grow crops anymore, and sent him away.

The Bible tells the story of Abel in Genesis Chapter 4.


(from: wikipedia - cain and abel)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Paul's First Letter to Timothy

Saturday, October 22, 2016

Archangel Ivory


We just learned about the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus.

Another famous sculpture is the Archangel Ivory.

This is a carving in ivory of a powerful angel called an archangel holding a scepter, which is like a staff that rulers use, and an imperial orb, which is a ball with a cross on top.

This carving is the right half of something called a diptych, which is almost like the front and back covers of a book that opens, and the carving is on the inside.

Some people think the other half of the diptych was a carving of the emperor, and the archangel was giving him those gifts.


(from: wikipedia - archangel ivory)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Personnage Écrivant - Marcoussis

Friday, October 21, 2016

ASL - Hello and Goodbye


We've now learned a whole year of Italian words.
Molto bene!

Let's try another language now, how about ASL - American Sign Language?

This is a language created for people who can not hear, so you use your hands, to make most of the signs.

First let's learn how to say hello and goodbye.

To do this sign, you put your right hand in what is called the "Flat B" or "Flat Hand" shape. Then you put that hand up to your forehead pointed up with your index finger touching your forehead and your pinky facing out, and move your hand away from your face up and away, like a salute.

Here is the Flat B hand shape:
ASL flat b
(from: wiktionary - appendix:sign language handshapes)

To say goodbye, you hold your right hand up in what is called the "Open B" or "Open Hand" on your right side with your elbow bent and your palm facing forward.

Bend your your fingers down to your palm two times, like a closed hand wave.

Here is the Open B hand shape:
ASL open b
(from: wiktionary - appendix:sign language handshapes)

Here is a helpful video showing these signs:


Greetings, Introducing Yourself and Small Talk in American Sign Language - EmmaSigns


ASL
(from: wikipedia - american sign language)

Italian:
Ciao, arrivederci

German:
Hallo, Auf Wiedersehen

Spanish:
Hola! Adiós!

French:
Bonjour! Au Revoir!

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Punching


We just learned about blacksmith's Swaging.

Another thing they do is called Punching.

Remember we learned about the Pritchel Hole on the anvil.
When a piece of metal needs a hole in it, the blacksmith will hold the metal over the pritchel hole, and then hammer a hole into it with a shaped piece of metal called a punch.


(from: wikipedia - punch (tool))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Multiple Vortex Tornado

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Vietnamese Long-nosed snake


We just learned about the Gray Banded Kingsnake.

Another type of snake is the Vietnamese Long-nosed snake, also known as the rhinoceros ratsnake.

This type of snake is not venomous, it mostly lives in the trees in rainforests, and is awake at night.

They have a very long nose, which is where they got there nickname of rhinoceros snake.

When they are born, they are brownish grey, and when they grow up they turn green.

(from: wikipedia - viet)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Chesapeake Bay Retriever

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Somatic nervous system


We just learned about the coccygeal nerve, which is the last part of the Central Nervous System or CNS.

Remember we learned that the other part of the nervous system is the Peripheral Nervous System or PNS.

One part of that system is the Somatic Nervous System or SoNS, or voluntary nervous system.

These are all the nerves that go through your body to control muscles that you move on purpose, like your arms and legs.
The voluntary muscles are the ones you can control, like your feet.
Involuntary muscles are the ones you can't control, like your heart beating.


(from: wikipedia - somatic nervous system)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Axillary, Cephalic, Brachial Veins

Monday, October 17, 2016

Alaska Range


We just learned about the Andes Mountains.

The next highest mountain range is the Alaska Range.

These mountains are like a big wall blocking warm air from the Gulf of Alaska, so the weather on these mountains is very rough.

There are also earthquakes and volcanoes on this range, even though it is way up north in Alaska.


(from: wikipedia - alaska range)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Northern Mariana Islands

Sunday, October 16, 2016

Cain


We just learned about Eve from the Bible.

The next person in the Bible is Cain.

Cain was the first son born to Adam and Eve.

Cain was a farmer, and grew crops.

The Bible tells the story of Cain in Genesis Chapter 4.


(from: wikipedia - book of genesis)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Paul's Letter to the Hebrews

Saturday, October 15, 2016

Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus


We just learned about the Portrait of the Four Tetrarchs.

Another ancient Roman sculpture is the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus.

A sarcophagus is a large decorated coffin.
This sculpture shows many different stories from the bible, because Junius Bassus became a Christian before he died.
There are sculptures of Adam and Eve, Daniel in the Lion's Den, the Trial of Jesus, Moses with the ten commandments, and many more.


(from: wikipedia - sarcophagus of junius bassus)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Woman with a Fan - Metzinger

Friday, October 14, 2016

Italian - Vegetables


We just learned how to say some fruits in Italian.

Let's learn how to say some vegetables.


carrot carote - sounds like kah-doh-tay /?/
corn mais - sounds like may-ee-ss /?/
pea piselli - sounds like pee-sel-ee /?/

Goethe Institute
(from: wikipedia - Goethe Institute)


German: Karotte, Mais, Erbse

Spanish: zanahoria, maíz, guisante

French: carotte, maïs, pois

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Swaging


We just learned about Upsetting in blacksmithing.

Another thing blacksmiths do is called swaging.

When a blacksmith needs to make a shape, a mark or a bend on a piece of metal that they can't do using just their hammer and anvil, they can use something called a swage block.

The swage block may have shapes on it, like a rounded cave that the metal can be pounded into, when they need to make a spoon.



Some swage blocks have rounded edges for helping to make a wheel, or half hexagon shapes for making a rod that is hexagon shaped.


(from: wikipedia - swage block)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Landspout Tornado

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Gray Banded Kingsnake


We just learned about the King Brown Snake.

Another snake is the Gray Banded Kingsnake.

This snake is not venomous, and has orange and gray stripes.
It is a very calm snake, and very shy.
Even though it has orange stripes, it can be very hard to find in the wild!

Because this snake is calm, not venomous and very nice looking, many people keep these snakes as pets.


(from: wikipedia - gray-banded kingsnake)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Powderpuff Chinese Crested Dog

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Coccygeal nerve


We just learned about the Sacral Nerves.

Further down the spinal column is the Coccygeal nerve.
This is the last spinal nerve at the bottom of the spinal column.

The coccygeal nerve is the 31st pair of spinal nerves. It arises from the conus medullaris, and its anterior root helps form the coccygeal plexus. It does not divide into a medial and lateral branch. It is distributed to the skin over the back of the coccyx.

(from: wikipedia - spinal nerve)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Subclavian Vein

Monday, October 10, 2016

Andes Mountains


We just learned about the Nyenchen Taglha Mountains.

The next highest mountain rage is the Andes Mountains in South America.

These mountains are the longest mountain range in the world, and they go through seven different countries: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile.

The mountain peak of Chimborazo is farther from the Earth's center than any other mountain peak in the world.
This is because near the equator, the earth is wider than other parts of the world.

There are many active volcanoes on the Andes mountains.


(from: wikipedia - andes)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Guam

Sunday, October 9, 2016

Eve


We just learned about Adam.

Another famous person from the Bible was Eve.

The name Eve means "living one" or "source of life".

The Bible says that Eve was the first woman, and the wife of Adam.
They lived together in the Garden of Eden.

In the Bible, God warned Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The serpent tricked Eve and Adam into eating from the tree.
God was angry with them, and made them leave the Garden of Eden.

The Bible tells the story of Eve in Genesis Chapters 2 - 4.


(from: wikipedia - eve)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Paul's Second Letter to the Thessalonians

Saturday, October 8, 2016

Portrait of the Four Tetrarchs


We just learned about the Great Cameo of France.

Another ancient Roman sculpture is the Portrait of the Four Tetrarchs.

Around 300 AD, the Roman empire was ruled by four emperors.
Two senior emperors that were called Augusti, and two junior ones that were called Caesars.

This sculpture was made to show that the emperors were all working together.


(from: wikipedia - portrait of the four tetrarchs)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Portrait of Jacques Nayral - Gleizes

Friday, October 7, 2016

Italian - Fruit


We just learned how to say some things to drink in Italian.

Let's learn how to say some fruits.

apple mela - sounds like may-lah /?/
orange arancia - sounds like ah-dah-n-see-ah /?/
banana banana - sounds like bah-nah-nah /?/

Goethe Institute
(from: wikipedia - Goethe Institute)


German:
apple Apfel - ah-p-fell
orange Orange - oh-uh-ah-n-zh-uh
banana Banane - bah-nah-nuh

Spanish:
apple manzana - mah-n-zah-n-ah
orange naranja - nah-dah-n-hah
banana banana - bah-nah-nah

French:
apple pomme - poh-m
orange orange - oh-uh-ah-n-zh
banana banane - bah-nah-n

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Upsetting


We just learned about the bending in a blacksmith shop.

Another thing a blacksmith may do is called upsetting.

This is where a piece of metal is held upright and hit like a nail.
If only the end is hot, then the metal at the end will flatten out and the metal will get shorter.


(from: wikipedia - blacksmith)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Funnel Cloud

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

King Brown Snake


We just learned about the Madagascar Tree Boa.

Another snake is the King Brown Snake, also known as the mulga snake, pilbara cobra, or psuedechis australis.

These venomous snakes live in Australia and can grow to be 9 feet long.
When they bite, they use a lot of venom, sometimes 10 times more than other snakes.


(from: wikipedia - psuedechis australis)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Hairless Chinese Crested Dog

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Sacral Nerves


We just learned about the Lumbar Nerves.

The spinal cord continues down below your back and into your Sacral Nerves.
There are 5 sacral nerves, named S1, S2, S3, S4 and S5.

These nerves help control your hips, legs and feet, and they also help control the organs in your lower abdomen like your colon and bladder.



(from: wikipedia - spinal nerve)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Superior Vena Cava

Monday, October 3, 2016

Nyenchen Taglha Mountains


We just learned about the Kunlun Mountains.

The next largest mountain range is the Nyenchen Taglha Mountains in Tibet and China.

Since these mountains are very far from any large cities and roads, a lot of the peaks in the eastern part of the mountain range have never been climbed.

(from: wikipedia - nyenchen tanglha mountains)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: American Samoa

Sunday, October 2, 2016

Adam


We just learned about many Christian symbols.

Let's learn about some of the famous people of the bible like Adam.

Adam was the first person in the bible that God made in his image.

The Bible tells the story of Adam in Genesis Chapters 2 - 5.


(from: wikipedia - adam)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Paul's First Letter to the Thessalonians

Saturday, October 1, 2016

Great Cameo of France


We just learned about the Gonzaga Cameo.

Another Great Cameo of France.

10 12 This is another cameo carving of a sardonyx stone.
It is 10 inches by 12 inches, and has three different layers of people.

It is twenty four different people in the sculpture, and it is a picture of famous Roman people.


(from: wikipedia - great cameo of france)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Simultaneous Windows on the City - Delaunay