Saturday, June 30, 2018

Da Ke ding


We just learned about the Da Yu Ding.

Another famous Chinese sculpture is the Da Ke ding, made around 1000 BC in Shaanxi China.

Just like the Da Yu ding, this is a large sculpted bowl on a tripod, used to hold things usually for special ceremonies.

Along with the Da Yu ding and another ding, it is one of the most sacred historical treasures in China.

During the many wars through the years in China, enemies would come through towns and try to destroy all of the special sculptures and take the treasures of people.

The Pan family was the owner of the Da Ke ding, and they knew people would try to destroy it so they buried it underground to hide it.
Armies came into town and tried to dig around and find it, but they never did, so it is one of the few pieces of history telling the story of what happened long ago.

It is about 36 inches tall and weighs over 400 pounds.
It has special patterns and dragons carved into it, and inside are 290 letters inscribed telling the story of Ke, the ruler of the Western Zhou dynasty.


(from: wikipedia - da ke ding)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Equestrian statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni - Verrocchio

Friday, June 29, 2018

Greek - November, December


We already learned that January, February is Ιανουάριος (Ianouários), - Φεβρουάριος (Fevrouários),
March, April is Μάρτιος (Mártios), Απρίλιος (Aprílios),
May, June is Μάιος (Máios), Ιούνιος (Ioúnios),
July, August is Ιούλιος (Ioúlios), August - Αύγουστος (Ávgoustos), and September, October is Σεπτέμβριος (Septémvrios), Οκτώβριος (Októvrios).

Let's keep going!

November - Νοέμβριος (Noémvrios) - sounds like no-AY-m-v-dee-oh-ss
December - Δεκέμβριος (Dekémvrios) - sounds like day-KAY-m-v-dee-oh-ss

center for the greek language
(from: wikipedia - center for the greek language)


ASL: November, December

Italian: Novembre, Dicembre

German: November, Dezember

Spanish: Noviembre, Diciembre

French: Novembre, Décembre

Thursday, June 28, 2018

GNC - Guidance, navigation and control


We just learned about Gimbaled Thrust.

After a rocket is launched, it needs to be guided to make sure that it goes to the right place, whether that's outer space or just up into the atmosphere.

This is called Guidance, navigation and control, sometimes shortened to just GNC.

GNC is the science of how to control a rocket after it's been launched up into the air.


(from: wikipedia - guidance, navigation and control)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Electrical Discharge Machining

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Plectronocerida


We just learned about the White Spotted Octopus.

Another type of cephalopod is the Plectronocerida.

These are an extinct type of cephalopod like a nautilus that had a shell on it's back.
These cephalopods would crawl along the bottom of the water and eat food, almost like an underwater snail.


(from: wikipedia - plectronocerida)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Eastern Narrow Mouthed Toad

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Maxillary Second Premolar


We just learned about the Maxillary - First Premolar.

The next teeth in the mouth are the Maxillary Second Premolars.

These also have two "cusps" on them like the First Premolars, so they are also bicuspids.
They are not as pointy as the First Premolars, so they are used more for grinding up food than tearing it up.

Just like the First Premolars, there are no baby or primary premolars.
The Second Premolars come up in the place where the baby molars were at when they fall out.


(from: wikipedia - maxillary second premolar)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Nails

Monday, June 25, 2018

Edinburgh Castle


We just learned about the castle Cité de Carcassonne.

Another famous castle is Edinburgh Castle, built around 1100 AD in Scotland.

This castle is believed to be one of the most attacked ever in the world, with over 26 battles where people tried to take over the castle.
It is built on top of an extinct volcano, called Castle Rock.
There are other buildings in the castle area, like a chapel, barracks and even a royal palace.




(from: wikipedia - edinburgh castle)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Manitoba

Sunday, June 24, 2018

Epænetus, bishop of Carthage


We just learned about Crescens - bishop of Carchedon in Gaul, one of the seventy disciples.

Another of the seventy was Epænetus, bishop of Carthage.

Epænetus was called "my beloved" by Saint Paul in the book of Romans, and was said to be the first person to become a Christian in Asia.

He is believed by many to be the first Bishop of the city of either Carthage or Cartagena.

(from: wikipedia - roman carthage)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Proverbs 31 - A Wife of Noble Character

Saturday, June 23, 2018

Da Yu ding


We just learned about the Yixian glazed pottery luohans.

Another ancient Chinese sculpture is the Da Yu ding.

A ding is used for storage or for special ceremonies and rituals.

This bronze ding sculpture was made around 1000 BC in Shaanxi China.
It has patterns and animal faces engraved on it, and on the inside of the ding is carved a speech from the Chinese King Kang of Zhou.

The speech talks about a few things:
Don't drink too much wine.
People need to support the king.
Everyone should try to be like the king's old grandfather Nang Gong.
All of the stuff the military owns and who is in charge of it.
The ding was made for his grandfather Nang Gong.

In the old days during wars a lot of times old sculptures like this would get destroyed, so it is hard to know what happened long ago because the history was erased.
This ding was hidden many times through the years so it was able to save the history of the past.



(from: wikipedia - da yu ding)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Christ and St. Thomas - Verrocchio

Friday, June 22, 2018

Greek - September, October


We already learned that January, February is Ιανουάριος (Ianouários), - Φεβρουάριος (Fevrouários),
March, April is Μάρτιος (Mártios), Απρίλιος (Aprílios),
May, June is Μάιος (Máios), Ιούνιος (Ioúnios),
and July, August is Ιούλιος (Ioúlios), August - Αύγουστος (Ávgoustos).

Let's keep going!

September - Σεπτέμβριος (Septémvrios) - sounds like say-p-TAY-m-v-dee-oh-ss
October - Οκτώβριος (Októvrios) - sounds like oh-k-TOH-v-dee-oh-ss

center for the greek language
(from: wikipedia - center for the greek language)

ASL: September, October

Italian: Settembre, Ottobre

German: September, Oktober

Spanish: Septiembre, Octubre

French: Septembre, Octobre

Thursday, June 21, 2018

Gimbaled Thrust


We just learned about how Rocket Thrust Vectoring is changing the direction the rocket is going using thrust in different dirctions.

Another part of rocket science is Gimbaled Thrust.

This is a way for a rocket to tilt its nozzle to change the direction of the thrust for rocket thrust vectoring.

When the nozzle is tilted, it sends the rocket in a different path.


(from: wikipedia - gimbaled thrust)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Stamping

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

White Spotted Octopus


We just learned about the Glass Squid.

Another cephalopod is the White Spotted Octopus, also known as the grass octopus or callistoctopus macropus.
It is red, with white spots and can grow to be about 5 feet wide.
If it gets scared, it's reds and whites will get very bright to try and scare off predators.

This octopus hunts its prey by wrapping its body around a big piece of coral, and then feeling around with its arms to try and find small fish or other animals that hide out in the coral.

Some other fish like groupers will follow this octopus around to try and catch fish that try to run away when the octopus comes to the coral to hunt.


(from: wikipedia - callistoctopus macropus)



White-spotted Octopus / Polvo da Noite HD - gogoimage

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Yellow Bellied Toad

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Maxillary First Premolar


We just learned about the Maxillary Canine.

Another tooth in the mouth is the Maxillary First Premolar, also sometimes called the bicuspids.

Just like the canine teeth had one "cusp" on them, these teeth have two cusps, which is why they are sometimes called bicuspids.

These teeth are used to help grind up the food in your mouth, but they also have sharp pointed ends so they can be used to bite down into food and help tear it up.

For baby or primary teeth, there are no premolars, only incisors, canines and molars.
When the first baby molar tooth comes out, the first premolar comes up in it's place.



(from: wikipedia - maxillary first premolar)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Sweat Glands

Monday, June 18, 2018

Cité de Carcassonne


We just learned about the Leeds Castle.

Another famous castle is the Cité de Carcassonne, built around 300 AD in Carcassonne, Aude, France.

This castle is actually a fortress with a wall that goes around a whole city.
The wall is almost two miles long, and there are 52 towers going around it, with a moat and a drawbridge at the gate.

The first parts of the wall and castle were built around 300 AD, and more walls and towers were built up through the years.



(from: wikipedia - carcassonne)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Alberta

Sunday, June 17, 2018

Crescens - bishop of Carchedon in Gaul


We just learned about Silvanus - Bishop of Thessalonica, one of the seventy disciples.

Another of the seventy was Crescens - bishop of Carchedon in Gaul.

He is mentioned in the Bible as going to Galatia on a missionary journey to help spread God's word.


(from: wikipedia - crescens)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Proverbs 3 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart

Saturday, June 16, 2018

Yixian glazed pottery luohans


We just learned about the Six Ritual Jades.

Another ancient Chinese sculpture is the Yixian glazed pottery luohans.

This is a set of life sized statues of Buddha that were made sometime around 1000 AD in China.

There have been at least eight found, but people think there may be many more.
All of the sculptures found are a little different, and were not just copies made from one sculpture.

They are made of terracotta which is a kind of clay, covered in glaze in a style called Sancai which means "three colors", brown green and white.




(from: wikipedia - yixian glazed pottery luohans)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Cantoria - Luca Della Robbia

Friday, June 15, 2018

Greek - July, August


We already learned that January, February is Ιανουάριος (Ianouários), - Φεβρουάριος (Fevrouários),
March, April is Μάρτιος (Mártios), Απρίλιος (Aprílios),
and May, June is Μάιος (Máios), Ιούνιος (Ioúnios).

Let's keep going!

July - Ιούλιος (Ioúlios) - sounds like YOO-lee-oh-ss
August - Αύγουστος (Ávgoustos) - sounds like AH-oo-go-stoh-ss

center for the greek language
(from: wikipedia - center for the greek language)

ASL: July, August

Italian: Luglio, Agosto

German: Juli, August

Spanish: Julio, Agosto

French: Julliet, Août

Thursday, June 14, 2018

Rocket Thrust Vectoring


We just learned about the Fire Arrow.

Another part of rocket science is Thrust Vectoring.

When a rocket is flying up in the sky, there needs to be some way to steer it.

Sometimes rockets are built with a nozzle at the end that can be moved around to thrust in different directions, and sometimes they are built with extra rocket propellant tanks on the sides to give extra thrust to steer it.

Thrust vectoring really just means steering the rocket by changing where the thrust is going.


(from: wikipedia - thrust vectoring)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Bending

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Glass Squid


We just learned about the Parapuzosia.

Another type of cephalopod is the Glass Squid, also known as the cockatoo squid, cranch squid, cranchiid or bathyscaphoid squid.

This type of squid lives in the ocean near the surface or in the middle of the water all over the world.
They are from about 4 inches long to almost 10 feet long.

They get their name because they are almost totally see through, almost like a floating piece of glass!
Because they are so clear, these squids can hide out so that their prey can not see them coming, and their predators can not come eat them.




(from: wikipedia - cranchiidae)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: African Clawed Frog

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Maxillary Canine


We just learned about the Maxillary Lateral Incisor.

Another tooth is the Maxillary Canine, also sometimes called the cuspid.

These are the teeth right next to the front four incisors.
Remember starting from the middle, there are two of each type of teeth:
Central Incisors
Maxillary Lateral Incisors

The Maxillary Canines are a little different than the incisors, because they have a "cusp" on them, meaning they have pointed ends, almost like a dog's tooth.
That's really why they are called "canine" teeth, because canine is another word for a dog, and it you look in a dog's mouth you will see some very sharp pointy teeth!
It's also why sometimes they are called the "cuspid" teeth, because they have a cusp on them.

The canines are like a tooth that can work as an incisor to cut and tear food, but also like the bigger teeth that help you grind up and chew your food once it's in your mouth.

The canine is the longest tooth in the mouth.



(from: wikipedia - maxillary canine)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Hair - Sebaceous Gland

Monday, June 11, 2018

Leeds Castle


We just learned about the Veste Coburg castle.

Another famous castle is Leeds Castle, built in 1086 in Kent, England.

Many famous kings and queens have lived there or stayed there, like Edward I, Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragon, Eleanor of Castile and Anne of Bohemia.

There is a sundial in this castle that has a matching one in Belvoir, Virginia, America.
In the garden there is a maze made out of 2,400 trees.






(from: wikipedia - leeds castle)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: British Columbia

Sunday, June 10, 2018

Silvanus - Bishop of Thessalonica


We just learned about Silas - Bishop of Corinth, one of the seventy disciples.

Another of the seventy was Silvanus, bishop of Thessalonica.

Silvanus was a person who helped write down the words for some of the letters in the Bible.
Many people actually think Silvanus was the same person as Silas the Bishop of Corinth.


(from: wikipedia - silvanus of the seventy)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Proverbs

Saturday, June 9, 2018

Six Ritual Jades - Zhang


We've learned about four of the ancient Chinese Six Ritual Jades:
Cong - earth, Bi - sky/heaven, Huang - North, Hu - West,
and Gui - East.

The last of the Six Ritual Jades was the Zhang.

This was a flat blade or axe, and it was used to mean "South".


(from: wikipedia - chinese jade)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Gates of Paradise

Friday, June 8, 2018

Greek - May, June


We already learned that January, February is Ιανουάριος (Ianouários), - Φεβρουάριος (Fevrouários),
and March, April is Μάρτιος (Mártios), Απρίλιος (Aprílios).

Let's keep going!

May - Μάιος (Máios) - sounds like MAH-ee-oh-ss
June - Ιούνιος (Ioúnios) - sounds like YOO-nee-oh-ss

center for the greek language
(from: wikipedia - center for the greek language)

ASL: May, June

Italian: Maggio, Giugno

German: Mai Juni

Spanish: Mayo, Junio

French: Mai, Juin

Thursday, June 7, 2018

Fire Arrow


We just learned about how Specific Impulse measures how a rocket works.

Some of the first rockets that were made came from China over a thousand years ago, after the invention of gunpowder.

These were known as Fire Arrows.

At first people just had the idea to tie an explosive ball of gunpowder to the arrow that would blow up after the arrow was shot with a bow.
Later on someone figured out how to use the gunpowder as a solid propellant for the rocket in a wooden tube as the propellant tank, and use the burning of the gunpowder to thrust the arrow up higher and farther.


(from: wikipedia - fire arrow)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Burr

Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Parapuzosia


We just learned about the Giant Cuttlefish.

Another type of cephalopod is the Parapuzosia.

This animal is extinct now, but it was part of the ammonite family, which look a lot like the shelled nautilus, but are actually their own family in the world of animals.

These Parapuzosias would grow to be around 2 feet wide, but one person found pieces of an old shell showing one that was over 8 feet tall!


(from: wikipedia - parapuzosia seppenradensis)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Tomato Frog

Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Maxillary Lateral Incisor


We just learned about the Central Incisors.

The next set of teeth that show up in your mouth are the Maxillary Lateral Incisor.

These are right next to the two front teeth, one on either side.
Just like the central incisors they are used for cutting and biting things.



(from: wikipedia - maxillary lateral incisor)

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Hair Muscle

Monday, June 4, 2018

Veste Coburg


We just learned about the Castel del Monte.

Another famous castle is Veste Coburg built in Coburg Germany around 1000 AD.

This castle was built up on a hill, and was added onto over and over again through the years as it became a more important place.

In the 1506 a man named Martin Luther had some different ideas about the way people should go to church and study their Bible.
This made some people very upset and they wanted to put him in jail, so he went into hiding at this castle for a while, and worked on writing the Bible in the German language, which had never been done before.

This castle stayed strong for some very big battles, and one time the people inside lasted for five months while people outside tried to fight them.

It is one of the biggest castles in Germany, at over 375,000 square feet of space inside!



(from: wikipedia - veste coburg)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Quebec