Axon Terminal

We just learned about the Node of Ranvier.

Another part of the neuron is the Axon Terminal.

The Axon Terminal is the branch that goes out after the end of the long Axon, and it uses electricity and chemicals in the body to talk to other neurons.


(from: wikipedia - axon terminal)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Nervous System

Nevadan Belt

We just learned about the Sierra Madre Occidental.

We've learned about a lot of mountains in the Pacific Coast Belt of the North American Cordillera.
Another belt in the North American Cordillera is the Nevadan Belt.
This is a belt that are East of the Pacific Coast Belt.

Nevada is a word that means "Snow Covered".
These Mountains go through parts of Canada, The United States, and Mexico.


(from: wikipedia - sierra nevada (u.s.))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lake Titicaca

David

We just learned about the person from the Bible named Saul.

Another person from the Bible was David.

After Saul had made God angry, Samuel went out to pick a new King for Israel.
Samuel went to the farm of a man named Jesse, and God picked the youngest of his eight sons, a boy named David to be the new king.

David went to work for King Saul, and went Saul was not feeling well he would play his harp, also called a lyre, to help him feel better.

One day the people of Israel were in a battle with the Philistine people, who had a giant warrior named Goliath.
Everyone was afraid to fight Goliath, except David, because David had faith that God would help him beat Goliath.
They tried to give him armor, but he said that God would protect him.
David took a rock and used his slingshot to throw it at Goliath and killed him, and won the battle for God.

Later on David was the king, and he won many battles for God's people.
He also wrote many songs which are in the book of Psalms.

One day David was up on the roof of his palace, and he looked over and saw a woman bathing.
He knew that he should not be looking at her, but instead of looking away he told his servants to go get the woman and bring her to him.
She was married to someone else, so this was a very bad thing that David did.
God was very angry with David for taking someone else's wife, since he was king and had so many wonderful things already.

David ran away and begged God for forgiveness, and that made God happy, so he let David's son Solomon become king after David died.


(from: wikipedia - david)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lent

Portals at Chartres Cathedral

We just learned about the Pórtico da Gloria.

After the Romanesque time of sculptures, a new type of sculpture came around, called Gothic.
This was a lot like the Romanesque, but the statues and buildings were taller, had more windows, and were more pointed to the sky, like they were celebrating heaven.

One type of Gothic sculpture was the large sculptures above doorways, called portals at the Chartres Cahtedral.
There were three different entrances to the Cathedral, and each of them had three arch ways full of sculptures.
From the tympanum over the doorway, to the pillars holding the doorway up, there are hundreds of sculptures.

They all tell many stories from the Bible, from King Solomon, to John the Baptist, to Mary the mother of Jesus.





(from: wikipedia - chartres cathedral)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Copper Bull

ASL - We are surprised

We've learned in ASL how to say I am happy, you are sad, he is angry, and they are excited.

Let's learn how to say We are surprised.
To say "we" you point your finger down, and draw a half circle from your right shoulder to your left shoulder.

To say "surprised" you hold your hands up like you are pinching something.
Hold them up in front of your eyes, and then pop them open into the L hand shape, and open your eyes and mouth like you are surprised when you do that.


surprised - ASL sign for surprised - My Smart Hands




(from: wikipedia - american sign language)

Italian: Siamo sorpresi

German: Wir sind begeistert

Spanish: Estamos sorprendido

French: Nous sommes surpris

Lathe - Bed

We just learned about the Lathe Tailstock.

Another part of the lathe is the Bed.

The bed of the lathe is the part in the middle connected to the headstock and tailstock.
The tailstock is attached to a rail along the bed, so it can slide back and forth to fit the metal being worked on.


(from: wikipedia - lathe)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Heart Wall - Pericardium

Darwin's Frog

We just learned about the Common Midwife Toad.

Another type of frog is Darwin's Frog that lives in South America.
It is called Darwin's frog because it was discovered by Charles Darwin in 1841.

The white and brown on the frog makes it look like a dead leaf laying on the ground when they are sitting still trying to hide.

One very interesting thing about this type of frog is that the male frogs carries the eggs inside their mouth until they are ready to hatch.


(from: wikipedia - darwin's frog)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Green Vine Snake

Node of Ranvier

We just learned about the Schwann Cell.

Another part of the neuron is the Node of Ranvier.

We know that the myelin sheaths are covering the axons.
There are gaps in the myelin sheaths, and those gaps are called the nodes of ranvier.

These gaps helps the neuron send its information faster along the axon.


(from: wikipedia - node of ranvier)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Heart Wall - Pericardium

Sierra Madre Occidental

We just learned about the Peninsular Ranges.

Another group of mountains in the Pacific Coast Belt of the North American Cordillera is the Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico.

The name means western mother mountains.
This range has some very deep gorges like the Copper Canyon, and some very high waterfalls like the Basaseachic falls.


(from: wikipedia - sierra madre occidental)


(from: wikipedia - copper canyon)


(from: wikipedia - basaseachic falls)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lake Onega

Saul

We just learned about the person from the Bible named Samuel.

Another person from the Bible was Saul.

After God's prophet Samuel told the people that God would choose a king for them, God told him that Saul would be that king.

Saul was the most handsome and tallest man in all of Israel.
Samuel told everyone that Saul was the king, and with God's help Saul won many great battles.

Later on Saul didn't listen to God's instructions very well, so God was angry with him, and decided to replace him some day with David.
Saul met David, and when Saul was not feeling well David would play music for him on a harp.

Eventually David grew up and was a warrior for Saul's army, but Saul was jealous because people talked more about Saul than about him so he tried to get rid of David.
Saul got killed in a battle, and David became king after him.


(from: wikipedia - saul)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Epiphany - Transfiguration

Pórtico da Gloria - Mateo

We just learned about the Tympanum at Vézelay Abbey by Gislebertus.

Another Romanesque sculpture is the Pórtico da Gloria in Spain, made by sculptor Master Mateo in 1188 AD.

This is a large archway with three sculpted columns and a tympanum above the arch.
There are over 200 sculptures in this archway, showing Christ with his apostles and prophets, and also showing stories from the Old and New Testament.


(from: wikipedia - portico of glory)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Ram in a Thicket