Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Nomascus Gibbon


We just learned about the Siamang type of Gibbon Primate.

Another type of Primate is the Nomascus Gibbon.

This type of gibbon lives in southern China and Vietnam.
There are 7 types of these gibbons: Black crested gibbon, Eastern black crested gibbon, Hainan black crested gibbon, Northern white-cheeked gibbon, Southern white-cheeked gibbon, Yellow-cheeked gibbon, Northern buffed-cheeked gibbon.

Each of these types of Nomascus gibbons looks a little different and usually lives in a different part of China or Vietnam.
Some of them like the Northern White Cheeked Gibbon have some white fur on their cheeks, the Southern White-Cheeked Gibbon has a white mouth, and the Yellow-Cheeked Gibbon has yellow fur on it's cheeks.

They all have very long arms that help them live in the trees, and most of them start out brown and then the male Gibbons fur turns black when they get older.

Northern White Cheeked Gibbon:

(from: wikipedia - northern white-cheeked gibbon)

Southern White-Cheeked Gibbon:

(from: wikipedia - southern white-cheeked gibbon)

Yellow Cheeked-Gibbon:

(from: wikipedia - yellow cheeked-gibbon)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Snow Leopard

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia


We've learned about the different types of Leukemia, whether it is Acute or Chronic, and whether it is Lymphoblastic or Myelogenous.

If the Leukemia is Acute and Lymphoblastic, it is called Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia or ALL for short.

We know lymphocyte white blood cells are made in the bone marrow.

They start as stem cells, then turn into something called lymphoblasts, then later turn into lymphocytes, and then later turn into B-Cells, T-Cells or NK Cells.

The human body is only supposed to have so many B, T or NK cells, and only so many lymphoblasts.

With ALL, the body makes too many lymphoblasts over and over, they don't turn into B, T or NK cells, and the lymphoblasts cause problems in the human body like tiredness, pale skin, fever, bleeding, bruising, enlarged lymph nodes, or bone pain.

Chemotherapy is one of the ways to try and beat this cancer, which is a type of radiation that tries to kill the bad cells.


(from: wikipedia - acute lymphoblastic leukemia)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Rapid Eye Movement

Monday, February 22, 2021

Luxembourg


We just learned about the country of Lithuania

Let's learn a little about the country of Luxembourg!

Luxembourg is a small country in Europe, bordering Belgium, Germany and France.
People in this country speak either French, German or Luxembourgish.
It is less than 1,000 square miles, and has less than 1 million people living there.


(from: wikipedia - luxembourg)

The flag of Luxembourg is sideways stripes of red, white, and blue.
It's colors come from the royal family of Grand Duke Henry IV who was a rule back in the 1300s.


(from: wikipedia - flag of luxembourg)

To eat in Luxembourg you might have bouneschlupp, which is a soup with potatoes, bacon and onions.


(from: wikipedia - bouneschlupp)

Visiting Luxembourg you might go see the castle called Bourscheid Castle, built around the year 1000 AD.


(from: wikipedia - bourscheid castle)

The Court of Justice for the European Union is in Luxembourg City.


(from: wikipedia - court of justice of the european union)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Adrien de Gerlache

Sunday, February 21, 2021

Thirty Years' War


We just learned about Puritanism.

Another part of early Christianity was the Thirty Years' War.

We've learned that some people started becoming Protestants and worshipping God in different churches like Lutheran or Anglican instead of Catholic churches.

Sometimes leaders of countries like kings or queens would disagree with this.
The Thirty Years War was from 1618 AD to 1648 AD, where some countries in Europe went to war over whether people should be Protestants or Catholics.
Even though they all believed in God, they fought for 30 years and over 8 million people died in this war.


(from: wikipedia - thirty years' war)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Christianity in Bulgaria

Saturday, February 20, 2021

Four Squares in Square Arrangement - George Rickey


We just learned about the Noguchi Table by Isama Noguchi.

Another sculpture by a famous American is Four Squares in Square Arrangement by George Rickey made in 1969 in Berlin Germany.

Rickey was born in 1907 in Indiana, and spent his life traveling all over Europe and America learning art.
He was in the military and worked on mechanical things like aircrafts and tanks, and when he got out he decided to make sculptures out of metal that moved.

Moving sculptures like these are called Kinetic Art.
Rickey's Four Squares sculpture is a metal pole with four metal squares on it that move a little as the wind blows.


(from: wikipedia - george rickey)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Charles Sumner by Anne Whitney

Friday, February 19, 2021

Swahili - They are excited


We just learned that in Swahili I am happy is Nina furaha,
you are sad is Una huzuni,
and he is angry is Ana hasira.

Let's learn how to say they are excited.

Wanafurahi - Sounds like wah-nah-foo-rah-hee
- 文A



swahili
(from: wikipedia - swahili language)

Russian: Они взволнованы (Oni vzvolnovany)

Norwegian: De er begeistret

Greek: Είναι ενθουσιασμένοι

ASL: They are excited

Italian: Sono eccitati

German: Sie sind aufgeregt

Spanish: Ellos estan emocionados

French: Ils sont excité

Thursday, February 18, 2021

Oil Galleries


We just learned about the Coolant Passages.

Some other parts of a car's engine are called the Oil Galleries.

Oil in the engine helps things run smoothly, so that the metal parts don't grind against each other.
There are holes for oil that go like tunnels all through the engine block, carrying the oil around to keep everything slippery and smooth.


(from: wikipedia - engine block)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Negative Feedback

Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Siamang


We just learned about the Hylobates Gibbon.

Another kind of primate is the Siamang.

This is the biggest of all the kinds of gibbons, and can grow to be over 3 feet tall and weigh over 30 pounds.

They are covered in black fur, darker than any other type of gibbon.

When the siamang yells, their throat blows up like a balloon, almost like a bullfrog before they make their sounds.



(from: wikipedia - siamang)



Siamang apes go wild - diana feeney


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Black Panther

Tuesday, February 16, 2021

Lymphoblastic or Myelogenous Leukemia


We just learned about the Acute or Chronic Leukemia.

Another part of the Leukemia disease is whether it is Lymphoblastic or Myelogenous Leukemia.

If the leukemia is lymphoblastic, that means the problem is with the type of white blood cells called lymphocytes, usually the B cell lymphocytes.

If it is myelogenus, the problem is usually with red blood cells, some white blood cells, and some platelets.


(from: wikipedia - leukemia)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Smooth Pursuit

Monday, February 15, 2021

Lithuania


We just learned about the country of Liechtenstein

Let's learn a little about the country of Lithuania!

This is a small country in eastern Europe that borders Latvia, Belarus and Poland.
About 3 million people live there, and it's about 25,000 square miles. In this country they speak the language of Lithuanian.


(from: wikipedia - lithuania)

The flag of Lithuania is yellow, green and red stripes.
Yellow is for the sun and prosperity, green for nature and hope, red is for the blood of people who fought to protect the country.

(from: wikipedia - flag of lithuania)

To eat in Lithuania you might have cepelinai, which is potato dumplings stuff with meat, and covered with sour cream or gravy and bacon.
The name cepelinai means "zeppellins" because they look like the large flying blimps called zeppelins.


(from: wikipedia - cepelinai)

Visiting Lithuania you might go see Trakai Island Castle, built in the early 1400s.


(from: wikipedia - trakai island castle)

One special place is called the Hill of Crosses, where people have visited and left over 100,000 crosses through the years.


(from: wikipedia - hill of crosses)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Antarctic Territories

Sunday, February 14, 2021

Puritanism


We just learned about the King James Version of the Bible.

Another part of early Christianity is Puritanism.

During the Protestant Reformation time when people were protesting to be able to worship God the way they wanted, there was a group of people in England and America who called themselves Puritans.
The word Puritan meant they wanted to have a pure church because they thought the Catholic church and Anglican church were both bad.

They were a very powerful group in Great Britain and the American colonies and they had very strict rules on what people could do.
Men and women were not allowed to dance together, people were not allowed to go to the theater, and they did not even let people play musical instruments in their church services.

They also did not like Christmas, and for a few years even made it illegal to celebrate Christmas because they thought people were just having crazy parties, and not worshipping God.


(from: wikipedia - puritans)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Glagolitic Script