Monday, December 18, 2017

Coahuila


We just learned about the Mexico state of Sinaloa where some people still play the Mesoamerican ballgame.

Another Mexico state is Coahuila, which is on the north east part of Mexico, bordering the US state of Texas, along the Rio Grande river.


(from: wikipedia - coahuila)

There are many trees in the bottom and top left of the coat of arms, for the many trees that are found in the state.
The bottom part has the Monclova river that runs through the state, and the rising sun which is for the Mexican Revolution.
The top right has a lion and a column with the words Plus Ultra, which means Further Beyond.
The top left has two wolves by a tree.
The animals in these top two crests come from the people of Spain that came to Mexico.


(from: wikipedia - coahuila)

In the city of Torreón, there is a statue of Jesus called Cristo de las Noas.
It is the largest statue of Jesus in North America, and is over 70 feet tall.


(from: wikipedia - cristo de las noas)

The name of the city comes from the towers that were built to monitor the floods.


(from: wikipedia - torreón)

Underneath the city is a canal called "Canal de la Perla" which means the Pearl Watercourse, that was made to help bring the river water to the fields long ago.
It is not used anymore so they have opened it up like a museum that people can walk through.


(from: wikipedia - torreón)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Insular Mountains

Sunday, December 17, 2017

Desert Mothers


We just learned a little about Nuns.

We learned a while back about the Desert Fathers.

There were also Desert Mothers who were women living in the desert either as hermits or in small groups with other women.


(from: wikipedia - desert mothers)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Rachel

Saturday, December 16, 2017

George Washington - Canova


We just learned about the Columbus Doors by Randolph Rogers in 1855, in Washington D.C. at the US Capitol.

One of the most famous neoclassical sculptors of all time was Antonio Canova.
He was born in northern Italy, and traveled to Venice and Rome, and studied Michelangelo's works.
In his lifetime many people thought he was the best artist in Europe, and he made sculptures for France, England, Russia, Poland, Australia, Holland and even America.

He did sculptures of famous people like Napoleon and George Washington, and even designed and built his own church in Possagno, the town where he was born.

In 1820 he made a sculpture of George Washington while he was living in Rome, and had it sent over the Atlantic to North Carolina.


(from: wikipedia - antonio canova)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Stavelot Triptych

Friday, December 15, 2017

Greek - Six, seven, eight, nine, ten

We learned in Greek that 1-5 is ένα, δύο, τρία, τέσσερα, πέντε.
Now let's count up to ten!

6 έξι (éxi) - sounds like EH-k-see
7 εφτά (eftá) - sounds ef-TAH
8 οχτώ (ochtó) - sounds like o-kh-TOH
9 εννέα (ennéa) - sounds like en-NEE-ah
10 δέκα (déka) - sounds like DAY-kah

The letters for these words are:

έ (epsilon) ξ (xi) ι (iota)
ε (epsilon) φ (phi) τ (tau) ά (alpha)
ο (omicron) χ (chi) τ (tau) ώ (omega)
ε (epsilon) ν (nu) ν (nu) έ (epsilon) α (alpha)
δ (delta) έ (epsilon) κ (kai) α (alpha)

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

Do you remember how to say it in other languages?

ASL: Six, seven, eight, nine, ten

Italian: sei, setto, otto, nove, dieci

German: seis, sieben, acht, neun, zehn

Spanish: seis, siete, ocho, nueve, diez

French: six, sept, huit, neuf, dix

Thursday, December 14, 2017

Slow Earthquake


We just learned about the Remotely Triggered Earthquakes.

Another type of earthquake is the Slow Earthquake.

The earthquakes that we see in movies or see on TV are usually a fast earthquake that is over in just a few seconds or minutes.

Scientists have now found out that sometimes there are earthquakes that last for hours, days or even months!
These are called Slow Earthquakes, and they are very quiet or maybe not even noticed except by some special scientific tools used to measure earthquakes.


(from: wikipedia - slow earthquake)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Pig Iron

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Masked Tree Frog


We just learned about the Yellow Spotted Climbing Toad, the only toad that lives in the trees.

Another type of frog is the Masked Tree Frog, also called the New Granada cross-banded tree frog, or Smilisca phaeota.
They live mostly in Middle and South America, in tropical forests.

They get the nickname of masked tree frog because they look like they have a black mask on.
The black mask covers their eyes, which helps them hide from predators.


(from: wikipedia - new granada cross-banded tree frog)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Snake Molting

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Scapula & Clavicle Ligaments


We just learned about the Sternoclavicular Ligaments that connect your clavicle to your ribs and sternum.

We learned long ago that the clavicle (collarbone) and scapula (shoulder blade or wing bone) work together to hold the ribs and shoulders.

Another group of ligaments are the ones connecting the Scapula & Clavicle.

They are connected with a few different ligaments, at different parts of the bones.

The coracoid process and acromion are two parts of the scapula that stick out and hang on to ligaments that are tied to the clavicle.

The ligaments are:
Acromioclavicular - connects the clavicle to the acromion
Coracoclavicular - connects the clavicle to the coracoid process
Coracoacromial - connects the acromion to the coracoid process
Superior/inferior transverse scapular - covers part of the scapula to help hold nerves and blood vessels

(from: wikipedia - coracoacromial ligament)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Brachial Plexus

Monday, December 11, 2017

Sinaloa


We just learned about the Mexico state Baja California on the northwest part of Mexico.

Another Mexico State is Sinaloa.
This state borders the Gulf of California, which is a gulf on the west part of Mexico, and it also borders the Pacific Ocean.


(from: wikipedia - sinaloa)

The coat of arms of Sinaloa has four parts, for the four main cities in the state.
The top left is an Aztec picture for the city of Culiacán, the capital of the state, showing the bended mountain Colhuacan.
The top right is a fortress for the city of El Fuerte.
The bottom right is an anchor and deer's head for the city of Mazatlán, which is the place of the deer.
The bottom left is a torn rosary with a broken chain, for the city of El Rosario.


(from: wikipedia - sinaloa)

The oldest sport in the world to use a rubber ball is the Mesoamerican ballgame, where people would play on a court and hit a rubber ball around.
In Sinaloa they still play a type of game like that one, called ulama, where people have to hit the ball with their hips to keep it moving on the court.


(from: wikipedia - ulama (game))

There are many large rivers that go through the state.
The three largest are the Culiacán, Fuerte, and Sinaloa.


(from: wikipedia - culiacán river)

On the coast of Mazatlan are many beautiful rock formations to see from the ocean.

(from: wikipedia - mazatlán)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Coast Mountains

Sunday, December 10, 2017

Nuns


We've learned a lot about monks now, from famous monks to how and where they lived for hudnreds of years.

Monks through history were only men, but when women lived the same kind of life, they were called Nuns.
Many people believe the name Nun came from the word for grandmother "Nonna".

Just like Monks, Nuns usually live away from other people, only living with other Nuns.


(from: wikipedia - nun)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Jacob

Saturday, December 9, 2017

Columbus Doors - Rogers


We just learned about the Character Heads by Dutch artist Mathieu Kessels.

Another neoclassical art sculpture is the Columbus Doors by Randolph Rogers in 1855, in Washington D.C.

These bronze doors are on the east part of the US Capitol Building, and they show the life of Christopher Columbus.
There are 16 panels on the doors, with two archways above, telling everything from Columbus before he left for America, to him landing in the new world.

Rogers was an American sculptor born in New York, who later moved to Italy to work with other famous sculptors.
He made many famous American sculptures like these door and other statues across the country.


(from: wikipedia - columbus doors)


(from: wikipedia - columbus doors)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Shrine of the Three Kings

Friday, December 8, 2017

Greek - One, two, three, four, five

Let's count to five in Greek!

1 ένα (éna) - sounds like ay-nah
2 δύο (dýo) - sounds like dee-yoh
3 τρία (tría) - sounds like t-dee-yah
4 τέσσερα (téssera) - sounds like tay-say-dah
5 πέντε (pénte) - sounds like pay-n-tay

The letters for these words are:

έ (epsilon) ν (nu) α (alpha)
δ (delta) ύ (upsilon) ο (omicron)
τ (tau) ρ (rho) ί (iota) α (alpha)
τ (tau) έ (epsilon) σ (sigma) σ (sigma) ε (epsilon) ρ (rho) α (alpha)
π (pi) έ (epsilon) ν (nu) τ (tau) ε (epsilon)

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


ASL: One, two, three, four, five

Italian: uno, due, tre, quattro, cinque

German: Ein, zwei, drei, veir, fünf

Spanish: Uno, dos, tres, quatro, cinco

French: Un, deaux, trois, quatre, cinq