Greek - Their car is tall

We just learned in Greek:
this chair is small is Η καρέκλα είναι μικρή (I karékla eínai mikrí),
my drink is cold is Το ποτό μου είναι κρύο (To potó mou eínai krýo), and your food is hot is Το φαγητό είναι ζεστό (To fagitó eínai zestó).

To say their car is tall you would say Το αυτοκίνητό τους είναι ψηλό (To aftokínitó tous eínai psiló).
You're really saying "the car their is tall" because Greek works a little differently than English.

We can break it up like this:

The - Το (To) - sounds like toh
car - αυτοκίνητό (aftokínitó) - sounds like ah-f-toh-KEE-nee-TOH
their - τους (tous)- sounds like too-ss
is - είναι (eínai) - Sounds like EE-nay
tall - ψηλό (psiló) - Sounds like ps-ee-LOH

So all together Το αυτοκίνητό τους είναι ψηλό (To aftokínitó tous eínai psiló) sounds like toh ah-f-toh-KEE-nee-TOH too-ss EE-nay ps-ee-LOH.



(from: wikipedia - center for the greek language)

ASL: Their car is tall

Italian: La loro auto è alto

German: Ihr Auto ist groß

Spanish: Su coche es alto

French: Leur voiture est haut

Solid Rocket Propellants

We just learned that Rocket Propellant is the fuel that pushes a rocket along, and they can be solid, liquid or gas.

Solid Rocket Propellants are made up of a few different types of chemicals all mixed together.
Some parts of the mixture are to make a big explosion that will push the rocket along.
Other parts are soft and sticky almost like dough that help hold all the explosive stuff together.
Different chemicals will make bigger explosions or burn longer or hotter, so the rocket scientists have to pick the right kind of propellant for the right job.

Solid propellants are easier to store than liquid or gas, because they don't leak out much.
Also some liquid or gas propellants can eat away at the rocket tanks or rubber seals holding it in.

Solid propellants are heavier than liquid or gas, and a rocket with the same amount of liquid or gas would get more power and weigh less.
Sometimes the solid propellants can even get cracks or bubbles in the mix.
If you think about it like a big ball of playdough, any of the parts that aren't smooth, or any folds in the middle that have air pockets would cause problems.

The NASA space shuttle used two rockets with solid propellant, called the "Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs)"
At the time they were the most powerful solid rocket motors ever flown, and the two of them together weighed 2.6 million pounds.


(from: wikipedia - space shuttle solid rocket booster)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Skivving Machine

Orthoceras Nautilus

We just learned about the Firefly Squid that can light itself up.

Another cephalopod is the Orthoceras.

This is a type of nautilus that is extinct, which means they aren't around anymore.
We only know they existed because people have found fossils from a long time ago.

They are a type of nautilus, but very different because their body is shaped like a long cone.


(from: wikipedia - orthoceras)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Red Eyed Tree Frog

Talocalcaneal Ligaments

We just learned about the Talocrural and Ankle Ligaments.

Another group of ligaments are the Subtalar and Talocalcaneal Ligaments.

The talus and calcaneus are two of the seven ankle and foot bones.
The talus is the middle foot bone, and the calcaneus is the heel.

Posterior is for back, anterior is for front, lateral is for outside, medial is for inside, and interossus is for in between.
There five talocalcaneal ligaments: anterior, posterior, lateral, medial and interosseous


(from: wikipedia - anterior talocalcaneal ligament)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Epidermis

Colima

We just learned about the Mexico state of Campeche.

Another Mexico state is Colima.

This is one of the smallest states, and has the least number of people living in it of any Mexico state.
It is on the south west part of Mexico, right on the Pacific ocean, and it has four islands off its coast.


(from: wikipedia - colima)

The coat of arms of Colima is an arm for the strength of the elders who ruled the Mayan people.
There are jaguars, palm trees and volcanoes for the things in the area.
The words on the bottom are "El temple del brazo es vigor en la tierra" which means "The arm's steadiness is strength on the land".


(from: wikipedia - colima)

There are four islands off the coast of Colima, called the Revillagigedo Islands.
These are volcanic islands, with lots of marine life and natural beauty.
No one lives there, but sometimes people come to go scuba diving or learn about nature.


(from: wikipedia - revillagigedo islands)

One of the busiest cities in Colima is Manzanillo, where a lot of people go for fishing.
They call themselves the sailfish capital of the world.


(from: wikipedia - manzanillo, colima)

Tecomán is the capital city of Colima, and has many nice buildings like the Cathedral of Santiago Apostol.


(from: wikipedia - tecomán)

There are active volcanoes in Colima, like the Volcán de Colima which is one of the most active volcanoes in North America.
It has erupted more than 40 times since 1576.


(from: wikipedia - volcán de colima)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Rocky Mountains

Philip the Evangelist

We just learned about Saint Stephen, one of the Seventy Disciples.

Another of the seventy is Philip the Evangelist.

An evangelist is someone who goes out and tells other people about Jesus.

Philip traveled to many lands like Samaria and helped tell people about God's word and Jesus, and baptized people.
The Bible says that in Samaria people followed a man named Simon who some people believed was a sorcerer.
When Philip came to Samaria and told them all about Jesus, even Simon believed him and many people in the town became believers.

Later Philip was on the road to another town and met someone from Ethiopia who was trying to understand God's word but was having troubles.
Philip helped explain things to him, and then that Ethiopian went back to his country and helped spread God's word.

Because Philip helped spread God's word like this, he was known as Philip the Evangelist.


(from: wikipedia - philip the evangelist)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Elisha

Tang Dynasty Tomb Figures of Liu Tingxun

We just learned about the Terracotta Army.

Another famous ancient Chinese work of art is Tang Dynasty Tomb Figures of Liu Tingxun made in 728 AD.

These are sculptures from the tomb of a Chinese general named Liu Ting, who died in 782 AD.
There are 13 figures, made using the sancai type of art, which means "three colors".
This kind of art used copper, iron and other metals to make different colors when cooked in ovens.

The sculptures are a pair of human like creatures with wings and hooves to scare off intruders.
After that are some guards and servants, and at the back are horses and camels.



(from: wikipedia - tang dynasty tomb figures of liu tingxun)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Pulpit of San Andrea

Greek - Your food is hot

We just learned in Greek:
this chair is small is Η καρέκλα είναι μικρή (I karékla eínai mikrí),
and my drink is cold is Το ποτό μου είναι κρύο (To potó mou eínai krýo).

Let's learn about more things we see every day.

To say your food is hot you would say Το φαγητό είναι ζεστό (To fagitó eínai zestó).

We can break it up into four words:

Your - Το (To) - sounds like TOH

food - φαγητό (fagitó) - sounds like fah-gee-TOH

is - είναι (eínai) - Sounds like EE-nay

hot - ζεστό (zestó) - Sounds like zay-STOH



So all together Το φαγητό είναι ζεστό (To fagitó eínai zestó) sounds like TOH fah-gee-TOH EE-nay zay-STOH.


(from: wikipedia - center for the greek language)


ASL: Your food is hot

Italian: Il vostro cibo è caldo

German: Ihr Essen ist heiß

Spanish: Tu comida está caliente

French: Votre nourriture est chaud

Rocket Propellant

Let's learn a little more about Rockets!

One thing that all rockets need is something called propellant.

This is the fuel used to push a rocket through the air.
Propellants can be solid like gunpowder, liquid like water, gasoline or liquid oxygen, or they can be a gas, like compressed nitrogen, or just pressurized air.

When the rocket is started, the propellant shoots out of the rocket at a super fast speed, pushing it along.
So this could be just a long skinny water balloon that shoots out it's water, or it could be a fireworks bottle rocket that burns up it's powder and shoots fire out the back.

The propellant is the stuff inside the rocket that makes the rocket go.


(from: wikipedia - ammonium perchlorate composite propellant)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Hobbing

Firefly Squid

We just learned about the Cirroteuthis.

Another type of cephalopod is the Firefly Squid also known as watasenia scintillans.
They are usually about 3 inches long, and live in the Pacific Ocean.

This type of squid is bioluminescent.
That means parts of its body light up, kind of like a firefly.

There are tiny little dots all over the squid's body with organs called photophores.
The squid uses these photophores to light up, which makes small fish swim toward them, and they eat them up!

It also uses its body lights to make its top bright and bottom dark so it can hide from other predators.

When it is looking around for another firefly squid it will light up it's whole body as a signal.


(from: wikipedia - firefly squid)



Firefly squid / Shine blue beach in Toyama Bay - SuiTube5


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Goliath Frog

Talocrural and ankle ligaments

We just learned about the Inferior Tibiofibular Joint connecting the tibia to the fibula.

Another set of ligaments are the Talocrural and ankle ligaments.
These connect the tibia and fibula of the lower leg to the talus, navicular and calcaneus bones of the foot.

There are a bunch of ligaments in this area to make sure your ankle works right, and all the bones are tied together.

They all have big names, but they make sense based on the two bones they are connecting:

tibiotalar (anterior/posterior) - connects the tibia (shin bone) to the talus (middle foot bone)
tibiocalcaneal - connects the tibia to the calcaneus (heel bone)
tibionavicular - connects the tibia to the navicular (foot bone)
talofibular (anterior/posterior) - connects the fibula (inside lower leg bone) to the talus
calcaneofibular - connects the fibula to the calcaneus


(from: wikipedia - calcaneofibular ligament)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Skin

Campeche

We just learned about the Mexico state of Nayarit.

Another Mexico state is Campeche.
This state is on the southeast part of Mexico, on the Gulf of Mexico.
It borders Belize and Guatemala to the south.


(from: wikipedia - campeche)

Campeche's coat of arms has pictures of castle towers for the strength of the Campecheans, and sailing ships for the people who were sailing on the ocean.


(from: wikipedia - campeche)

Just like many other states in Mexico, there are ancient pyramids in Campeche.


(from: wikipedia - calakmul)

There are many ancient places in this state where they have found sculptures from over a thousand years ago, like in a small island called Jaina Island.


(from: wikipedia - jaina island)

The Fort of San Miguel in San Francisco de Campeche was built hundreds of years ago to fight against pirates.


(from: wikipedia - campeche city)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Brooks Range

Saint Stephen

We just learned about Ananias of Damascus, one of the Seventy Disciples.

Another of the seventy is Saint Stephen.

After Jesus died on the cross, Stephen was telling people about him and some of the leaders who did not like Jesus were getting angry.
They told some people to tell lies about Stephen, which made other people very angry.
Stephen was put on trial in front of everyone where he told the truth and talked about Jesus.
This made the leaders who did not like Jesus even more angry, and they threw stones at him and killed him.

Because he was killed for believing in Jesus, he is called the first martyr.
A martyr is someone who is killed because of something they believe in.


(from: wikipedia - saint stephen)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Elijah

Terracotta Army

We just learned about the sculpture of The Buddha, flanked by Herakles and Tychee.

Another famous set of sculptures is the Terracotta Army made in China around 200 BC.

When the Emperor of China Qin Shi Huang died, he was put into a tomb with over 8,000 sculptures in it.
These were small sculptures of soldiers, chariots, horses, acrobats and musicians that were buried with him as they believed these soldiers would protect the Emperor in the afterlife.

These thousands of soldiers all had real weapons like spears, swords or arrows.
Many of these weapons have been stolen, but people believe there were over 40,000 weapons in the original sculpture.
The statues were all painted at first, but the paint has all worn off.

The place where these sculptures were buried with the emperor was part of a very large cemetery area that was about 38 square miles.
There were people that visited it long ago and wrote about it saying that there were miniature palaces, towers, 100 rivers of flowing mercury, and paintings on the ceiling of heaven.

Over the thousands of years, many things have been stolen or broken, but there are still thousands of sculptures there to see.


(from: wikipedia - terracotta army)



(from: wikipedia - terracotta army)



(from: wikipedia - terracotta army)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Fontana Maggiore

Greek - My drink is cold

We just learned that in Greek to say this chair is small you say Η καρέκλα είναι μικρή (I karékla eínai mikrí).

Let's learn about more things we see every day.

To say My drink is cold, we say Το ποτό μου είναι κρύο (To potó mou eínai krýo).

Some languages say words in a different order, so in Greek you're really saying "The drink mine is cold".

Here's how to say it:

The - To (Το) - sounds like TOH

drink - ποτό (potó) - sounds like poh-TOH

mine - μου (mou) - sounds like MOO

is - είναι (eínai) - sounds like EE-nay

cold - κρύο (krýo) - sounds like KREE-oh


So all together Το ποτό μου είναι κρύο (To potó mou eínai krýo) sounds like TOH poh-TOH MOO EE-nay KREE-oh.


(from: wikipedia - center for the greek language)

ASL: My drink is cold

Italian: La mia bevanda è freddo

German: Mein Getränk ist kalt

Spanish: Mi bebida es fría

French: Ma boisson est froid

Rockets

We've learned a whole lot about earthquakes.
Everything from tectonic plates, to faults, to aftershocks and the Richter scale!

Let's learn a little about rockets!

Usually when people are talking about rockets, they mean the ones that fly up into the air and go into outer space.
A rocket really just means something that uses fuel in an engine to push itself forward.
So this could be a rocket on the back of a car, a rocket pushing a train, or even a rocket jet backpack!
Even a water balloon filled with air or water that flies around when it is let go is a type of rocket.

Some people think the science of learning about rockets is so hard,
that there is a saying when you want to say something is easy:
"it's not rocket science!"


(from: wikipedia - rocket)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Milling Cutter

Cirroteuthis Octopus

We just learned about the Grimpoteuthis - Dumbo Octopus.

Another type of cephalopod is Cirroteuthis.

This is an octopus that has webbing in between its arms holding them together.
It almost looks like an octopus wearing a dress!

It can grow to be almost five feet long, and is usually white or purple.
Just like the dumbo octopus, this octopus has fins on its head that it can flap.

They live in the deep sea in cold water, like the Arctic ocean or the south pacific near Antarctica.
Scientists have not been able to find a lot of these, because they live over 6,000 feet deep in the ocean, where there is almost no light.


(from: wikipedia - cirroteuthis)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Paedophryne Amauensis

Inferior Tibiofibular Joint

We just learned about the Superior Tibiofibular Ligaments.

Another piece of connective tissue is the Inferior Tibiofibular Joint.

This is down by the ankle, connecting the tibia and fibula together at the bottom.
There are 3 ligaments in total. Anterior for the front side, posterior for the back side, and an interosseous membrane in the middle.

(from: wikipedia - inferior tibiofibular joint)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Integumentary System

Nayarit

We just learned about the Mexico state of Tlaxcala.

Another Mexico state is Nayarit.
It is a smaller state on the west coast of Mexico on the Pacific ocean, and includes the islands of Marías and Marietas.


(from: wikipedia - nayarit)

The coat of arms of Nayarit has a corn plant on the top left. This is for the capital city of Tepic, which comes from the Aztec word for corn, "tepictu".
The top right has a picture of a bow and arrow. The Cora people in this state believed in a mythical being called Nayarit, who their legends say invented the bow and arrow.
The bottom has white mountains, for the Sierra Madre Occidental montains.
The middle has the symbol of Mexico, an eagle eating a snake on a cactus.


(from: wikipedia - nayarit)

One of the islands named Marías has a prison on it, built in 1905 that is supposed to be "escape proof".


(from: wikipedia - islas marías)

On the island of Marietas, there is a hidden beach called "love beach" that is a place people go to visit.


(from: wikipedia - islas marietas national park)

There is a place named Ahuacatlan, that means "place where there is a lot of avocado".
In the Nahuatl language, the word ahua means avocado, and the word tlan means place.


(from: wikipedia - ahuacatlán)

Like many other states in Mexico, in Ixtlán del Río there are ancient ruins from people who used to live there thousands of years ago.

(from: wikipedia - ixtlán del rio (archaeological site))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Laramide Belt

Ananias of Damascus

We just learned about Thaddeus, one of the Seventy Disciples.

Another of the seventy is Ananias of Damascus.

Ananias was one of the followers of Jesus after he died on the cross, and he was known in the Bible as the person who helped give Paul his sight back after he was blinded to help him believe in Jesus.


(from: wikipedia - ananias of damascus)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Solomon

The Buddha, flanked by Herakles and Tychee

We just learned about the Bharhat Stupa.

Another sculpture from ancient Asia is The Buddha, flanked by Herakles and Tychee.

When the Greeks came through Asia, many of their stories about Greek mythology were told to people in the area, so when someone made a statue of the wise man Buddha, they put sculptures of the Greek characters Herakles and Tychee.

(from: wikipedia - greco-buddhist art)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Siena Cathedral Pulpit