ASL - January, February

Let's learn about the months of the year in ASL!

There are no special signs for the months of the year in ASL.

To say a month, you just have to spell out the first three letters of the month.

January - J-A-N



February - F-E-B



wiktionary - appendix:sign language handshapes


Here is a helpful video to show how these signs are done.


ASL HANGOUT: HOW TO SIGN MONTHS OF THE YEAR! - Sign Duo



(from: wikipedia - american sign language)

Italian: Gennaio, Febbraio

German: Januar, Februar

Spanish: Enero, Febrero

French: Janvier, Février

Hole Saw

We just learned about the Twist Drill Bits.

Another type of drill bit is the Hole Saw.
Sometimes you need to drill a really big hole out of a piece of wood or metal, and this type of bit can grab on to the metal with the smaller bit in the middle called the "pilot drill bit".
Then the teeth on the larger bit can cut the hole for the right shape.


(from: wikipedia - hole saw)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Metalwork

Pouched Frog

We just learned about the Gray Tree Frog.

Another type of frog is the Pouched Frog.

This is a small red-brown frog with stripes that lives in Australia.

When the frog's eggs hatch, they stay in a small pocket on the hip of the male frog until they get bigger and turn into tiny frogs.

(from: wikipedia - pouched frog)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: False Coral Snake

Hair - Root Sheath

We just learned about the Hair - Plexus.

Another part of the hair is the Root Sheath.

Just like the skin has layers, the hair also has layers.
A sheath is like a wrapper, and the hair has a soft inner sheath and a harder outer sheath.


(from: wikipedia - rooth sheath)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Epithalamus

Canadian Provinces

We've learned about the mountains of North America.

Let's move on and talk a little about the Provinces and Territories in the country of Canada.

Canada has 10 provinces and 3 territories.

The ten provinces are: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan.

The three territories are: Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon

There is not much of a difference between provinces and territories, mostly just in how things work in the government.


(from: wikipedia - provinces and territories of canada)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Kangchenjunga

Psalm 103 - Bless the Lord, O my soul

We just learned about Psalm 51 - Miserere.

Another famous chapter in the book of Psalms is Psalm 103.

This song starts with the words:

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!.

It goes on to say how great the Lord is, and sings praises on his blessings.
This song has been used many times for songs and even musicals.


(from: wikipedia - psalm 103)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Ordinary Time

Tomb of Pope Julius II - Michelangelo

We just learned about the Pietà by Michelangelo Buonarroti.

Another Renaissance Art sculpture is the Tomb of Pope Julius II by Michelangelo.

Michelangelo had great plans to build a gigantic three story wall with 40 statues in it, but sadly he was told to make it a lot smaller and only put in a few statues.

The most famous of his statues in this tomb is a large almost 8 foot tall Moses sitting and holding the tablets of the Ten Commandments in his one hand.
In this sculpture Moses has horns on his head, because when Moses came down from the mountain after seeing God, his face was enlightened, and some people thought that meant he had horns on his head like rays of light pointing to heaven.
Michelangelo was so proud of his sculpture of Moses that when he was done he hit it on the knee and shouted "NOW SPEAK" because it looked so lifelike almost like it was real.

There are also statues of the sisters Rachel and Leah next to Moses.

The other sculptures above Moses were made by another sculptor.



(from: wikipedia - tomb of pope julius ii)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Sphinx of Naxos

ASL - Saturday, Sunday

We just learned how to say Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in ASL.

Let's keep learning the days of the week!

To say "Saturday" make the hand sign for the letter "S", turn your hand around and move it around in a circle.

To say "Sunday", put both of your flat open hands out in front of you with your palms facing out and your fingers pointed up, and then move them around in a circle.

Here is a helpful video to show how these signs are done.


ASL Vocabulary - Days of the Week - ASL THAT



(from: wikipedia - american sign language)

Italian: Sabato, Domenica

German: Samstag, Sonntag

Spanish: Sabado, Domingo

French: Samedi, Dimanche

Twist Drill Bits

We just learned a little about Drill Bits.

One type of drill bits is the Twist Drill Bit.
For these bits, there is a spiral cut along the bit, and the taller that spiral is, the faster the bit is meant to go.
The more compact and shorter the spiral is, the slower the bit goes.

At the end of the bit is the "tip", and there are many different types of tips.
Some bits have a "brad point" which is a tiny little spiky point that holds on to the metal or wood so the bit doesn't slide around when it is drilling.
Some tips are very flat, and some are very pointy, depending on what you are trying to drill.



(from: wikipedia - drill bit)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Typhoon

Gray Tree Frog

We just learned about the American Bullfrog.

Another type of frog is the Gray Tree Frog.

Many of the poison dart frogs we learned about were very colorful to warn off predators.
Other frogs that are not poisonous have to use camouflage to hide so they don't get eaten.

The Gray Tree Frog can also be green, black or white depending on where they live and where they need to hide.
They are tree frogs, and they almost never leave the trees.
These frogs are nocturnal, meaning they are awake at night, and sometimes can be found by windows and porch lights where bugs are flying around because of the lights.


(from: wikipedia - gray tree frog)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Grass Snake

Hair - Plexus

We just learned about the different speeds of Hair Growth.

Another part of the human hair is the Plexus.

These are very small nerves that are wrapped around the bottom of the hair follicle, that sense when the hair is moved.
They are very sensitive, which is how your body can feel a light breeze through the hair on your skin.


(from: wikipedia - hair plexus)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Hypothalamus

Southern Appalachian Mountains

We just learned about the Central Appalachian Mountains.

Another part of that mountain chain is the Southern Appalachian Mountains.

These mountains go through New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama.

This includes the Catskill Mountains, Poconos, Allegheny Plateau and the Cumberland Plateau.


(from: wikipedia - laurentian mountains)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: K2

Psalm 51 - Miserere

We just learned about Psalm 23 - The Lord is my shepherd.

Another chapter in the book of psalms is Psalm 51.

This chapter is sometimes called "Miserere" which means Have Mercy.
After King David had sinned against God, he wrote this Psalm to beg for mercy and forgiveness.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love;

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.


(from: wikipedia - psalm 51)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Trinity Sunday

Pietà - Michelangelo Buonarroti

We just learned about the Bamberg Horseman.

Another famous sculpture is the Pietà by Michelangelo Buonarroti in 1498 AD.
Michelangelo is one of the most famous Renaissance art sculptors of all time.
The Renaissance was a time when many artists from all over the continent of Europe got together and worked to share and create many masterpieces of art and music.

The word pietà means pity, and this is a sculpture of Mary the mother of Jesus sadly holding him on her lap after he was crucified.



(from: wikipedia - pietà (michelangelo))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Charioteer of Delphi

ASL - Thursday, Friday

We just learned how to say Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday in ASL.

Let's keep learning the days of the week!

To say "Thursday" make the hand sign for the letter "H" and then move your hand up and down in a circle.
You can also make the hand sign for "T" and then the hand sign for "H".

To say "Friday", make the hand sign for "F" but turn it around so your palm is facing you, and move it around in a circle.

Here is a helpful video to show how these signs are done.


Days of the Week - ASL Vocabulary - ASL THAT



(from: wikipedia - american sign language)

Italian: Giovedì, Venerdì

German: Donnerstag, Freitag

Spanish: Viernes, Jueves

French: Jeudi, Vendredi

Drill Bits

We just learned a little about Drilling.

When using the drill, the tool that goes at the end is called the drill bit.

There are lots of different types of drill bits, some that are used for cutting wood, some that are used for cutting metal or cement.

Depending on what is being drilled, the bits can be made of different things.
Most drill bits are made of steel, but many are made of titanium, tungsten, or even diamond tips.



(from: wikipedia - drill bit)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Category 5 Hurricane

American Bullfrog

We just learned about Poison Dart Frogs.

Another type of frog is the American Bullfrog.
These frog get their name because they make a low deep croak that sounds like a bull's roar.

Just like there are some types of frogs called Bufonidae that are called "True Toads", there are also some types of frogs called Ranidae, that are called "True Frogs", and the bullfrog is a true frog.

Unlike a lot of other animals, the female bullfrog is usually larger than the male frog, and the male bullfrogs have yellow throats.
When a group of male bullfrogs gets together in a group, it is called a "chorus".
The male bullfrogs will all get together and croak to call out for female bullfrogs.

Bullfrogs can grow to be 6 inches long, and can jump 10 times their body, length. That means a 6 inch frog could jump 5 feet!


(from: wikipedia - american bullfrog)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Sri Lanka Cat Snake

Hair Growth

We just learned about the Hair Follicle.

Human hair doesn't always grow at the same speed.
Sometimes it is growing a lot, sometimes it is slowing down, and sometimes it stops growing.

We know that the hair on our head grows longer than the hair on our eyebrows or eyelashes.
Each part of the body has different rules for how long the hair should grow, and when it should stop.

The time for growing of hair is called the anagen phase.
catagen is when the hair growth is slowing down.
telogen is when the hair has stopped growing because it is long enough.

The hair for your eyebrows grows for about 4 months and then stops, but the hair on a human head will keep growing at a normal speed for about 2-7 years!
Human hair usually grows about 6 inches every year, so after 7 years your hair would be four and a half feet long!


(from: wikipedia - human hair growth)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Thalamus

Central Appalachain Mountains

We just learned about the Northern Appalachian Mountains.

Another part of the Appalachian Mountain area is the Central Appalachian Mountains,
which go through Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, New York and New Jersey.
In this area are some large valleys, plateaus, the Taconic Mountains and the Blue Ridge mountains.


(from: wikipedia - blue ridge mountains)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Mount Everest

Psalm 23 - The Lord is my shepherd

We just learned about Psalm 22 - Why have you forsaken me?.

Another very famous chapter in the Book of Psalms is Psalm 23.

This chapter talks about God as a protecting shepherd.
Because this Psalm talks so well about being protected by God in times of need, it is put on a lot of posters, quoted a lot, and has been in a lot of music by famous people including Johann Sebastian Bach.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.


(from: wikipedia - psalm 23)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Pentecost

Bamberg Horseman

We just learned about the Holy Thorn Reliquary.

Another Gothic Art sculpture was the Bamberg Horseman, made in Germany around 1225 AD.

This is a statue of a man riding a horse, and the man is either a king, emperor or saint, but no one knows for sure who it is supposed to be, because the history of it was lost or forgotten.

There were many statues of people on horses long ago, but for a long time people had stopped making statues like that until the Bamberg Horseman was made.

It is also one of the first statues to show the bottom of a horse's foot wearing a horseshoe.

Underneath the front part of the statue where the horse is standing is a sculpted face that looks like a man's face made out of leaves.
This type of sculpture is sometimes called the "Green Man" and can mean a lot of different things like respecting nature, the growth of spring, or maybe even mythological creatures.


(from: wikipedia - bamberg horseman)


(from: wikipedia - green man)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Block Statue of Pa-Ankh-Ra

ASL - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday

We just learned in ASL how to say Her Hands are Soft

Let's learn the days of the week in ASL!

To say "Monday" you make the hand sign for the letter "M" and then keeping that hand shape turn your hand around so your palm is facing you, and move your arm around in a circle.

"Tuesday" is the same thing, but use the hand shape for the letter "T", turn your hand and wave it around.

"Wednesday" is just like Monday and Tuesday, make the hand shape for the letter "W", turn your hand and wave it around.

Here is a helpful video to show how these signs are done.


ASL Days of the Week Lesson and Song - My Smart Hands



(from: wikipedia - american sign language)

Italian: Lunedi, Martedì, Mercoledì

German: Montag, Dienstag, Mittwoch

Spanish: Lunes, Martes, Miercoles

French: Lundi, Mardi, Mercredi

Drilling

We just learned about making metal holes bigger using Boring.

Another type of metal working is Drilling.

Drilling uses a cylinder shaped tool called a drill bit that spins around hundreds or thousands of times every second, and cuts into the metal, leaving a cylinder shaped hole, like a tunnel.


(from: wikipedia - drilling)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Category 4 Hurricane

Poison Dart Frogs

We just learned about the Mimic Poison Frog & Splash-back poison frog.

There are many other types of poison dart frogs, and they come in just about every color and every type of decoration.
Some have stripes, some have polka dots, some have strange shapes, and some are just bright red, yellow or blue.
These frogs use their bright colors to warn people and predators not to eat them or touch them, because they might get sick or die.

(from: wikipedia - excidobates)


(from: wikipedia - oophaga)


(from: wikipedia - ranitomeya amazonica)


(from: wikipedia - blue poison dart frog)


(from: wikipedia - yellow-banded poison dart frog)


(from: wikipedia - phantasmal poison frog)

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spiny Bush Viper

Hair - Follicle

We just learned a little about human Hair.

One part of the hair is the hair follicle.

This is the part of the human skin that makes the hair that then grows up out of the skin.


(from: wikipedia - hair follicle)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Occipital Lobe

Northern Appalachian Mountains

We just learned about the Ozarks.

Another group of mountains is the Northern Appalachian Mountains.

These are the mountain ranges on the Eastern part of Canada's Newfoundland, Labrador, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, then going into the United States through Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut.


(from: wikipedia - long range mountains)

In the Harry Potter books and movies, they talk about the "Ilvermorny" school for magic in the United States that is supposed to be hidden on Mount Greylock in Massachusetts.

(from: wikipedia - mount greylock)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lake Vanern

Psalm 22 - Why have you forsaken me?

We just learned about the Bible book of Psalms.

One very famous Psalm from the Bible was Psalm 22.

The Psalm starts out with the words "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?".
In the book of Matthew chapter 27, it says that Jesus cried out the same thing as he was on the cross.

Many people believe that Jesus crying out this Psalm shows that it was a prophecy, because it also says:
"a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet"
and
"they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots."

The Psalm goes on to give praises to God and say that he will rule over the world some day.

"All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you.
For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations."


(from: wikipedia - psalm 22)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Easter Sunday

Holy Thorn Reliquary

We just learned about the Casket with Scenes of Romances.

Another Gothic art sculpture is the Holy Thorn Reliquary.

In the year 1239 AD, King Louis IX of France bought what he believed was the crown of thorns that Jesus wore on the cross.
Through the years later, the other Kings of France would give thorns from that crown as gifts to people.

One of the thorns that was sent out around 1400 AD was put into a special holder called a reliquary, made of gold, enamel and jewels.
This reliquary is about a foot tall, and weighs about 3 pounds.

The thorn is in a case behind a crystal window, and there are gold and enamel sculptures all around it, with jewels like sapphires decorating it.
The way the enamel sculptures are made is called ronde-boss, which means "in the round".
Enamel is shaped over top of gold or other metal sculptures, to look like a real rounded figure instead of just flat enamel.

The front is a sculpture of the Last Judgement, and shows God, some angels, a Dove for the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ with a crown of thorns, John the Baptist, the Virgin Marry, and smaller sculptures of the twelve apostles.

There is a scroll above it with the Latin words "Ista est una spinea corone / Domini nostri ihesu xpisti" which means "This is a thorn from the crown / Of Our Lord Jesus Christ"

On the back is a medallion with the face of Christ in a sunburst, above two doors.
On the left door is the archangel Saint Michael, spearing the devil, shown as a dragon.
On the right door is Saint Christopher, carrying Christ as a small child on his shoulders.





(from: wikipedia - holy thorn reliquary)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Ka Statue of Hor

ASL - His face is rough

We just learned in ASL how to say Her hands are soft

Let's learn how to say His face is rough.
To say "his" you push the palm of your hand out away from you toward the right, like you are going to hi-five someone.

To say "face" you draw a circle in the air around your face.

To say "rough" you put your left hand out in front of you, palm facing up, with your fingers curled up.
Take your right hand like a claw and act like you are scraping the air above the palm of your other hand.


Here are some helpful videos to show how these signs are done.


ASL Lessons: Pronouns and Family - Chris Wood


Sign Language: Describing People : Sign Language: Face& Eyes - expertvillage


Describing Surfaces of Objects in ASL - ASL THAT




(from: wikipedia - american sign language)

Italian: il suo volto è ruvida

German: Sein Gesicht ist rau.

Spanish: Su cara es áspera

French: Son visage est rude.

Boring

We just learned about Swarf.

Another part of metal machining is called Boring.

When a hole has been drilled into a piece of metal, sometimes you may want to make the hole bigger, or sometimes to make a tapered hole that starts small and opens up as it goes out.

The boring bar is put into the hole that was already drilled, and then it spins around and makes it bigger or tapered.


(from: wikipedia - boring (manufacturing))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Category 3 Hurricane

Mimic Poison Frog & Splash-back poison frog

We just learned about the Golden Poison Frog.

There are a lot of poison frogs in the wild, but some are not that poisonous, they just look a lot like other poisonous frogs so they don't get eaten.

The Mimic Poison Frog looks just like the Splash-back poison frog, but the Mimic is not as dangerous.
The Mimic still has some poison but not as much, but other animals can't tell the difference so they don't eat the Mimic frog just in case it is a super poisonous Splash-back!


(from: wikipedia - mimic poison frog)



(from: wikipedia - splash-back poison frog)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Indian Cobra

Hair

We just learned about the Adnexa, things that stick out of your skin.

Part of the Adnexa is Hair.

Even though hair just looks like small strings to us, there are a lot of parts to hair like the root, the follicle, shaft, cuticle, cortex and medulla.
Hair can be curly or straight, and can be many colors like brown, black, blond, red or even white.

It grows on every part of the skin except places like the palms, bottoms of the feet, and lips.



(from: wikipedia - hair)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Temporal Lobe