San Luis Potosí

We just learned about the Mexico state Sonora, where they do the Deer Dance.

Another Mexico State is San Luis Potosí.
It was named after Louis IX of France, and because they found gold and silver in this state they compared it to the mines in Potosi, Bolivia.


(from: wikipedia - san luis potosí)

The coat of arms of San Luis Potosí shows Louis IX of France on a mining hill, with gold and silver bars on either side for the mining in the area. The blue and yellow backgrounds are for night and day.


(from: wikipedia - san luis potosí)

There are many old gold and silver mines in the area that are not used anymore.


(from: wikipedia - san luis potosí)

There are some beautiful waterfalls and natural swimming places in the town of Tamasopo.


(from: wikipedia - tamasopo)

In the Wirikuta mountains, the Huichol people celebrate their ancient traditions with art, song and food.


(from: wikipedia - huichol)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Oregon Coast Range

Hildegard of Bingen

We just learned about Scholastica the Nun and sister of Benedict.

Another famous Nun was Hildegard of Bingen.

At a very young age, Hildegard was sent to live with Nuns, learn about God and worship.
She was very smart, and studied medicine, plants and animals in nature, music and writings about God.
There is even a special language she created by herself with it's own alphabet and words, that only she knew how to read and write.

She wrote hundreds of letters to people like popes, monks or other nuns, and she was one of the first people to study and write about medicine and biology.
People say that she also had visions from God that gave her instructions to write down the things she learned to help other people.


(from: wikipedia - hildegard of bingen)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Moses

George Washington - Greenough

We just learned about the statue Spinning Girl by Rudolph Schadow in 1810 in Rome.

Another famous neoclassical sculpture is George Washington by Horatio Greenough in 1832 in America.

We learned a while back of one of the most famous sculptures of Zeus at Olympia that was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

When Greenough was asked to make a statue of George Washington to be outside the US Capitol building, he felt that Washington was such an important person in history that he should be looked up to like the Greeks looked up to Zeus.

So he made a statue of George Washington that looked just like the old statue of Zeus at Olympia, with one arm raised to heaven and another holding out a sword to show Washington handing over the power to the people.

A lot of people did not like the statue because Washington did not have a shirt on, and it made it look like he was a god and not just a person to be respected, so eventually they moved the statue away from the capitol and into a museum.


(from: wikipedia - george washington (greenough))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Baptismal Font at St. Bartholomew's Church, Liège

Greek - Green, Blue, Purple, Pink

We just learned that in Greek, red, orange and yellow are κόκκινο (kókkino), πορτοκαλί (portokalí), and κίτρινο (kítrino).

Let's learn more colors!

green - πράσινο (prásino) - sounds like p-dah-see-no

blue - μπλε (ble) - sounds like blay

purple - μοβ (mov) - sounds like moh-v

pink - ροζ (roz) - sounds like - dr-oh-z


(from: wikipedia - center for the greek language)

ASL: green, blue, purple, pink

Italian: verde, blu, viola, rosa

German: grün, blau, lila, rosa

Spanish: verde, azul, morado, rosa

French: vert, bleu, violet, rose

Tsunami Earthquake

We just learned about the Supershear Earthquake.

Another type of earthquake is a Tsunami Earthquake.

This is an earthquake that happens underwater that may not be very big, but it causes a very big tsunami.
It can be dangerous because scientists might not be able to tell a big earthquake happened, and a tsunami might come by surprise.

(from: wikipedia - tsunami earthquake)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Gangue

Frog Skin

We just learned about tadpoles.

Frog skin is very interesting, because many frogs breathe through their skin underwater.

Frogs also shed their skin, pull it off and then eat it!

Some frogs even have poison come off of their skin for protection.


(from: wikipedia - frog)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Snake Fangs

Ulnar Collateral Ligament

We just learned about the Humeroradial Ligaments or RCL that connects the upper arm called the humerus to one of the forearm bones called the radius.

Another bunch of connective tissue connects the humerus to the other forearm bone called the ulna.
This is the Ulnar Collateral Ligament, sometimes just called the UCL.

Just like the RCL, the UCL helps hold the elbow joint together when you move your arm around.


(from: wikipedia - ulnar collateral ligament of elbow joint)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Parasympathetic Nervous System

Sonora

We just learned about the Mexico state of Hidalgo.

Another Mexico State is Sonora.

This state is on the north part of Mexico, bordering the US States of Arizona and New Mexico.
To the south is the Gulf of California.


(from: wikipedia - sonora)

The coat of arms of has a blue border, and the words "Estado de Sonora" which means "State of Sonora".
The top left has a mountain with a pick and shovel, for the mining in the state.
The top middle is a dancer doing a special Yaqui dance called the deer dance.
The top right shows some harvested crops, for the farms.
The bottom left is a bull for the ranches in the state.
The bottom right shows the coast with an island and a shark, over Tiburon Island, which means Shark Island.


(from: wikipedia - seal of sonora)

The Yaqui native people came from this state, and they have a well known dance called the Deer Dance, where they thank the deer for giving itself to nature so people can hunt it and have food.


(from: wikipedia - sonora)

The city of San Carlos is on the ocean, and has many nice rocks and marinas for people to visit.



(from: wikipedia - san carlos nuevo guaymas)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Cascade Range

Scholastica

We just learned about the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent in France.

One of the oldest known Nuns was Scholastica, who was the twin sister of the monk Benedict of Nursia that we learned about before.

She lived the eremitic or "hermit" life, living by herself but in an area where there were other women also living alone so sometimes they could meet up and talk about God.

Sometimes she would meet up with her brother Benedict and they would share the wisdom that each of them had learned.

She is said to be the first woman to set up a Benedictine convent, where other Nuns could meet up for worship.


(from: wikipedia - scholastica)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Joseph

Spinning Girl - Schadow

We just learned about the Jane Browne Memorial by John Flaxman in England.

Another Neoclassical sculptor is Rudolph Schadow, the son of Johann Gottfried Schadow that we learned about before, that made the statue of the two princesses.

Rudolph learned from his father, and one of his most famous sculptures was of a Spinning Girl made in Rome around 1810.


(from: wikipedia - rudolph schadow)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Reliquary of St. Maurus

Greek - Red, Orange, Yellow

We just learned about the alphabet in Greek.

Now let's learn some colors!

red - κόκκινο (kókkino) - sounds like KOH-kee-noh

orange - πορτοκαλί - (portokalí) - sounds like poh-r-toh-kah-LEE

yellow - κίτρινο - (kítrino) - sounds like KEE-tree-noh


(from: wikipedia - center for the greek language)

ASL: red, orange, yellow

Italian: rosso, arancione, giallo

German: rot, orange, gelb

Spanish: rojo, naranja, amarillo

French: rouge, orange, jaune

Supershear Earthquake

We just learned about the Submarine Earthquake that happens underwater.

Another type of quake is a Supershear Earthquake.

A lot of earthquakes happen with the earth moving side to side, like a slinky squishing and then stretching.
Some earthquakes happen like a slinky but you lift it up and the pull it down, causing a wave to go through it.
When this wave is very fast and strong, it can rip through the ground with a lot of force, and cause a lot of damage.
This is a supershear earthquake.


(from: wikipedia - supershear earthquake)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Slag

Tadpoles

We just learned a little about frog eggs, called Frogspawn.

When the eggs hatch, they turn into Tadpoles or pollywogs.

They are born with little flat tails, gills for breathing, and cartilage for bones.
As they get older, they will start to grow tiny lungs that they can use along with their gills to breathe.

Tadpoles mostly eat algae, but some bigger ones will eat insects or tiny fish.
They are in danger of being eaten by fish, large insects and birds, so some tadpoles are poisonous to protect themselves.

Eventually they will start to grow legs as they are on their way to becoming a frog.
This could be as fast as a week, or as long as a year!


(from: wikipedia - frog)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Snake Skull

Humeroradial Ligaments

We just learned about the Glenhumoral Ligaments in the shoulder.

Another piece of connective tissue is the Humeroradial Ligaments.

The upper arm bone is the humerus, and one of the bones in the forearm is the radius.
So the humeroradial connects the humerus to the radius.
Sometimes it is just called the RCL for radial collateral ligament.


(from: wikipedia - radial collateral ligament of elbow joint)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Parasympathetic Nervous System

Hidalgo

We just learned about the Mexico State of Coahuila.

Another Mexico State is Hidalgo.
It is one of the smaller states, but has many famous things like ancient ruins, hot springs and mountains.

Hidalgo is in the middle of Mexico, surrounded by other states.


(from: wikipedia - hidalgo (state))

The coat of arms of Hidalgo shows green mountains for the natural beauty of the state.
On the left is the Bell of Dolores, a famous bell used in the state's fight for independence.
On the right is a red cap with laurel branches, for victory.
The bottom has a round drum for the military battles they won.
The holes in the ground are for the mining that makes a lot of money for the state.


(from: wikipedia - hidalgo (state))

Tula is a famous city in Hidalgo, where there are ancient pyramids, buildings and statues going back over 2,000 years.


(from: wikipedia - tula (mesoamerican site))

The Basaltic Prisms of Santa María Regla are tall rocks with water running down them, and then turning into a waterfall.
The tall rocks were made by cooling volcanic lava.


(from: wikipedia - basaltic prisms of santa maria regla)

In Huasca de Ocampo there is a large canyon made by the Hueyapan river.


(from: wikipedia - huasca de ocampo)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Olympic Mountains

Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul

We just learned about the Desert Mothers who lived in the deserts and wrote wise sayings.

Another group of women living as nuns is the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul.

In the 1600s in France there were a lot of poor people needing help, but there was not a very good way to organize taking care of them.
The Daughters of Charity set up soup kitchens, hospitals, schools and homes for orphans.


(from: wikipedia - daughters of charity of saint vincent de paul)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Leah

Jane Browne Memorial - Flaxman

We just learned about the sculpture of George Washington by Antonio Canova in 1820.

Another famous sculpture is the Jane Browne Memorial made by John Flaxman in 1783 in Badger, Shropshire, England.

Flaxman was well known by a lot of people for making memorials for people that made the figures look tender and innocent, so he had a lot of work making those.


(from: wikipedia - john flaxman)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Gloucester Candlestick

Greek Alphabet

We just learned how to Count to ten in Greek.

The Greek alphabet has some letters that look a lot like the English alphabet, but other's don't.
Like the letter a (alpha) looks kind of like the letter a, and the letter b (beta) looks like the letter b.
The word "alphabet" even comes from the greek letters alpha and beta!

Just like English, some of the upper and lower case letters look different.

Α, α (alpha) - Sounds like "ah"
Β, β (beta) - Sounds like the letter "b"
Γ, γ (gamma) - sounds like the letter "g"
Δ, δ (delta) - Sounds like the letter "d"
Ε, ε (epsilon) - Sounds like "ay"
Ζ, ζ (zeta) - Sounds like the letter "z"
Η, η (eta) - Sounds like "ee" or "eh"
Θ, θ (theta) - Sounds like "th"
Ι, ι (iota) - Sounds like "ee"
Κ, κ (kappa) - Sounds like the letter "k"
Λ, λ (lambda) - Sounds like the letter "l"
Μ, μ (mu) - Sounds like the letter "m"
Ν, ν (nu) - Sounds like the letter "n"
Ξ, ξ (xi) - Sounds like "ks"
Ο, ο (omicron) - Sounds like "oh"
Π, π (pi) - Sounds like the letter "p"
Ρ, ρ (rho) - Sounds like the letter "r"
Σ, σ/ς (sigma) - Sounds like the letter "s"
Τ, τ (tau) - Sounds like the letter "t"
Υ, υ (upsilon) - Sounds like "oo" or "ee"
Φ, φ (phi) - Sounds like "ph"
Χ, χ (chi) - Sounds like "kh"
Ψ, ψ (psi) - Sounds like "ps"
Ω, ω (omega) - Sounds like "oh"


(from: wikipedia - center for the greek language)

ASL alphabet: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z The Italian alphabet looks the same as the English alphabet.

The German alphabet has the letters ä, ö, ü, ß

The Spanish alphabet:
A, B, C, D, E, F, G
H, I, J, K, L, LL, M, N, Ñ
O, P, Q, R, RR, S, T, U
V, W, X, Y, Z

The French alphabet:
A, B, C, D, E, F, G
H, I, J, K, L, M, N
O, P, Q, R, S, T, U
V, W, X, Y, Z

Submarine Earthquake

We just learned about the Slow Earthquake.

Sometimes earthquakes happen underwater, deep down at the bottom of the ocean floor.
When this happens, it is called a Submarine Earthquake.

The tectonic plates that cover the earth are also at the bottom of the ocean.
When they move and bump into each other, it causes a submarine earthquake.
This causes big waves to happen in the ocean, and can sometimes turn into a gigantic wave called a tsunami, which can cause flooding on cities that are right on the ocean.

Some of the places where these tectonic plates hit are in the very deep parts of the ocean, called "trenches".


(from: wikipedia - submarine earthquake)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Smelting

Frogspawn

We just learned about the Masked Tree Frog that looks like it is wearing a mask.

When frogs are babies, they are born in eggs, like a chicken.
Their eggs are in water, and are usually clear and covered in a kind of jelly.

Baby frog eggs are called Frogspawn.
Some frogs lay their eggs in long strings, some lay them into soft dirt, and some lay their eggs in foam.
Other frogs lay their eggs in trees and then drop into the water.

The eggs usually hatch after about a week.


(from: wikipedia - frog)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Snake Skeleton

Glenohumeral Ligaments

We just learned about the Scapula & Clavicle Ligaments.

Another group of ligaments are the Glenohumeral Ligaments that connect the humerus (upper arm bone) to the scapula (shoulder blade or wing bone), and helps hold the shoulder in place.

The scapula has a part sticking out called the coracoid process that helps it get tied to the other bones, and it has a part called the glenoid cavity which is like a rounded holder where the shoulder bone goes to help hold it in place.

The ligaments are:
- Capsule - Goes around the outside of the humerus bone
- Coracohumeral - Connects the coracoid process which is part of the scapula to the humerus bone
- Glenohumeral - Connects the glenoid cavity which is part of the scapula to the humerus bone
- Transverse humeral - Connects two parts of the humerus together
- Glenoid labrum - Helps make the glenoid cavity more stable and bigger


(from: wikipedia - articular capsule of the humerus)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Autonomic Nervous System

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

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

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

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)


(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

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