Monday, May 14, 2018

Caerlaverock Castle


We just learned about the Bodiam Castle.

Another famous castle is Caerlaverock Castle built in Scotland, in the late 1200s AD.

This castle is right on the border of England and Scotland, so it was part of many wars between the two countries for hundreds of years.

Because of it's high walls and towers, and moat protecting it, this castle was able to hold off entire armies with less than a hundred people inside defending it.




(from: wikipedia - caerlaverock castle)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Southern Appalachian Mountains

Sunday, May 13, 2018

Barnabas


We just learned about Nicolas, one of the seventy disciples.

Another of the seventy was Barnabas.

In the book of Acts, the apostle Paul started out as someone who hated Christians, and wanted them put in jail.
Later he changed his ways and became a Christian, but some people didn't believe that he was really changed.

Barnabas was a very well known Christian and trusted by other people.
He came to help Paul and told people that Paul was good, and they went together to different towns telling people about God's word.


(from: wikipedia - barnabas)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Psalm 51

Saturday, May 12, 2018

Six Ritual Jades - Cong


Let's keep learning about the ancient Chinese Six Ritual Jade sculptures

We already learned about the Bi disc - for the heaven or sky.

The second one is Cong, which is for the earth.

The cong is usually a tube with a circle shaped inside and a square shaped outside.



(from: wikipedia - cong (vessel))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Pietà - Michelangelo Buonarroti

Friday, May 11, 2018

Greek - Thursday, Friday


We just learned that Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday in Greek is Δευτέρα (Deftéra), Τρίτη (Tríti), Τετάρτη (Tetárti).

Let's keep learning the days of the week!

Thursday - Πέμπτη (Pémpti) - sounds like PEH-m-tee
Friday - Παρασκευή (Paraskeví) - sounds like pah-dah-skay-VEE

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

ASL: Thursday, Friday

Italian: Giovedì, Venerdì

German: Donnerstag, Freitag

Spanish: Viernes, Jueves

French: Jeudi, Vendredi

Thursday, May 10, 2018

Combustion Chamber


We just learned about the Rocket Propellant Tank.

Another part of a rocket is the Combustion Chamber.

We've learned about the propellant tank that holds the propellant, which is the fuel to make the rocket blast off.
Usually with solid propellants, the propellant tank is the same place where the fuel burns up and pushes the rocket along.
With liquid or gas propellants, the tank is usually separate, and there are tubes and pipes that bring the propellant into another area where the fuel burns up and pushes the rocket along.

This tank where things are burning up is called the Combustion Chamber.
Combustion basically just means burning up or even exploding.


(from: wikipedia - combustion chamber)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Drill Bits

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Red Cuttlefish


We just learned about the Lituites Nautilus.

Another type of cephalopod is the Red Cuttlefish, also called the Reaper Cuttlefish or sepia mestus.

This type of cuttlefish lives in the southern pacific area, and is seen a lot by divers in Australia, hiding out and waiting for prey to come by.

Just like other cuttlefish it has the ability to change to different colors, but for some reason this type of cuttlefish's favorite color is red!


(from: wikipedia - sepia mestus)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: American Bullfrog

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Human Mouth


We just learned about the Interphalangeal Ligaments.

We've learned a lot about the Connective Tissue that holds all of our bones and muscles together!

Another part of the human body is the Mouth.

We might not think about it much, but there is a lot going on in the mouth.
We use it to eat, drink and breathe, and we also use it to make words when we talk, or make sounds like whistles clicking or snapping with our lips and tongue.

From our teeth, to our lips and tongue, there are a lot of things to take care of in our mouths, and the professional person we go to see that takes care of our mouth is usually a dentist.

There are also orthodontists who work on moving teeth around, periodontists who work on the bones supporting the teeth, endodontists who specialize on the inside of the tooth, prosthodontists who work on building replacement teeth, and oral and maxillofacial surgeons who work on the areas around the jaw.


(from: wikipedia - dentist)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Hair Follicle

Monday, May 7, 2018

Bodiam Castle


We just learned about the Balmoral Castle.

Another famous castle is Bodiam Castle in Sussex England, built in 1385 AD.

In the old days of England, if you were the oldest son in the family, you were the one who got all the money and lands from your parents.
Second or third sons, or any daughters didn't really get anything, and had to work harder to make their own way.

Sir Edward Dalyngrigge was a son of a royal person, but not the first born son so he had to go get a job.
He spent some time as a knight, and he also worked as part of a "Free Company" which was a group of soldiers who would work for money. Sometimes these people are also called mercenaries.

After working as a soldier for a long time and saving up his money, he married a woman who owned a bunch of land, and together they built this big castle on the land surrounded by a big moat of water.

The castle towers are three stories tall, and they have a big courtyard in the middle.
There is only the one entrance on a bridge, and inside the castle there are places for guards to sit and shoot arrows out of little holes at anyone trying to attack the castle.




(from: wikipedia - bodiam castle)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Central Appalachain Mountains

Sunday, May 6, 2018

Nicolaus


We just learned about Parmenas, one of the seventy disciples.

Another of the seventy was Nicolaus.

Just like Parmenas, Timon, Nicanor, Prochorus and Stephen, Timon was one of the seven people that the Apostles chose to help watch over the poor people of Jerusalem.

Nicholas was from Antioch, which today would be in the country of Turkey.


(from: wikipedia - antioch)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Psalm 23

Saturday, May 5, 2018

Six Ritual Jades - Bi


We just learned about the Houmuwu Ding.

Another part of ancient Chinese art is the Six Ritual Jades.

Long ago in China there were six jade things that important people like kings or emperors would keep to show that they were powerful and important.

The first of these was called a "Bi", which was a round disc with patterns on it and a hole in the middle.

Some people believe that the six ritual jade things each had a different meaning, and "Bi" was for heaven or sky.



(from: wikipedia - bi (jade))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Bamberg Horseman

Friday, May 4, 2018

Greek - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday


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

Monday - Δευτέρα (Deftéra) - Sounds like day-f-TAY-dah
Tuesday - Τρίτη (Tríti) - Sounds like t-DEE-tee
Wednesday - Τετάρτη (Tetárti) - Sounds like tay-TAH-d-tee

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

ASL: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday

Italian: Lunedi, Martedì, Mercoledì

German: Montag, Dienstag, Mittwoch

Spanish: Lunes, Martes, Miercoles

French: Lundi, Mardi, Mercredi

Thursday, May 3, 2018

Rocket Propellant Tank


We just learned about the Rocket Engine Nozzle.

Another part of a rocket is the Propellant Tank.

This is where the rocket fuel goes, and is usually very large.
The tank used for the space shuttle rocket was over 150 feet tall, and weighed over 58,000 pounds empty, but over 1,680,000 pounds when filled up.


(from: wikipedia - space shuttle external tank)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Drilling

Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Lituites Nautilus


We just learned about the Argonaut Octopus.

Another type of cephalopod is the Lituites Nautilus.

This is an extinct type of nautilus from long ago that we know about because of fossils found in the ocean.

Just like the Chambered Nautilus it has a coiled body like a type of snail shell, but then it straightens out at the end like the ancient Orthoceras Nautilus we learned about.


(from: wikipedia - lituites)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Poison Dart Frogs

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Interphalangeal Ligaments


We just learned about the Metatarsal Ligaments.

Another set of connective tissue is the Interphalangeal Ligaments.

These are the ligaments that go underneath (plantar) and on the sides (collateral) of each toe.


(from: wikipedia - interphalangeal joints of foot)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Hair

Monday, April 30, 2018

Balmoral Castle


We just learned about the castle Alcazar of Segovia.

Another famous castle is Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire Scotland, built in 1856.

There were old castles in this spot going hundreds of years back, all the way to 1390, but they were all torn down over and over to build bigger and better castles.

In the 1800s, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert wanted to live there, so they had it built up to be bigger and fancier.
On one side of the castle is an 80 foot tower, the inside of the castle is about 480,000 square feet, and the castle grounds cover more than 50,000 acres.

When Prince Albert died, Queen Victoria had a pyramid built for him as a tomb to be laid in.

The granddaughter of Queen Victoria named Victoria Eugenie was born in this castle, and she would go on to be the queen of Spain in 1906.

There is also a picture of this castle on the back of £100 money from the Royal Bank of Scotland.





(from: wikipedia - balmoral castle)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Northern Appalachian Mountains

Sunday, April 29, 2018

Parmenas


We just learned about Timon one of the seventy disciples.

Another of the seventy was Parmenas.

Just like Timon, Nicanor, Prochorus and Stephen, Timon was one of the seven people that the Apostles chose to help watch over the poor people of Jerusalem.

He also went on to visit parts of Asia and tell people about Jesus.


(from: wikipedia - anatolia)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Psalm 22

Saturday, April 28, 2018

Houmuwu Ding


We just learned about the Jade Burial Suits.

Another famous ancient Chinese sculpture is the Houmuwu Ding.

A "ding" is a sculpture that was used to offer up sacrifices to different gods in ancient China.
This ding is the largest piece of ancient bronze artwork that was ever found.

On the ding it says "Queen Mother Wu" so people think this was made for her after she died, by her son Zu Geng of Shang.

It is 52 inches tall, 43 inches wide, 31 inches deep and it weighs over 1,800 pounds!
There are decorations around it of animals, like dragons and tigers attacking humans.


(from: wikipedia - houmuwu ding)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Holy Thorn Reliquary

Friday, April 27, 2018

Greek: His face is rough


We just learned in Greek her hands are soft is Τα χέρια της είναι μαλακά (Ta chéria tis eínai malaká).

To say his face is rough you would say Το πρόσωπό του είναι τραχύ (To prósopó tou eínai trachý).
That really says the face his is rough.

We can break it up into five words:

The - Το (To) - sounds like toh
face - πρόσωπό (prósopó) - sounds like p-DOH-soh-POH
his - του (tou) - sounds like too
is - είναι (eínai) - sounds like EE-nay
rough - τραχύ (trachý) - sounds like t-dah-HEE


So all together Το πρόσωπό του είναι τραχύ (To prósopó tou eínai trachý) sounds like toh p-DOH-soh-POH too EE-nay t-dah-HEE.

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

ASL: His face is rough

Italian: il suo volto è ruvida

German: Sein Gesicht ist rau.

Spanish: Su cara es áspera

French: Son visage est rude

Thursday, April 26, 2018

Rocket Engine Nozzle


We just learned about Gas Rocket Propellants.

Another part of rocket science is the Rocket Engine Nozzle.

When the rocket propellant is burning up coming out of the rocket, the nozzle makes it so that it pushes out very fast and very strong, by putting some pressure right at the end of the rocket.

This is kind of like putting your finger over the end of a water hose, to make the water spray farther.

The shape and size of the nozzle is very important.
It has to be just the right size to get the most thrust and use up just the right amount of fuel.



(from: wikipedia - rocket engine nozzle)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Boring

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Argonaut Octopus


We just learned about the Bigfin Reef Squid.

Another type of cephalopod is the Argonaut Octopus.

These octopuses are sometimes called a "paper nautilus" because the female argonaut will make a hard shell to lay their eggs in, and they will have part of their body in this shell, curled up and looking like a nautilus.

They lay their eggs in the shell, and then sometimes even after the eggs hatch they keep the shell and live in it.

The male argonaut does not have a shell. Both the males and females have eight arms just like all other octopuses.


(from: wikipedia - argonaut (animal))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Mimic Poison Frog & Splash-back poison frog

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Metatarsal Ligaments


We just learned about the Distal Intertarsal Ligaments.

Another group of connective tissue in the foot is called the Metatarsal ligaments.

The metatarsal bones are the long bones in your foot between your ankle and your toes.
There are five metatarsal bones, one for each toe.

The metatarsals have ligaments connecting them to the ankle bones, to each other, and to the toe bones.


- Tarsometatarsal - Connects the tarsus (ankle) to the metatarsals (foot) on plantar (bottom) and dorsal (top).

- Intermetatarsal - Connects the metatarsal (foot) bones to themselves, on dorsal (top), plantar (bottom) and interosseous (in between) and transverse (across).

- Metatarsophalangeal - Connects the metatarsal (foot) bones to the phalanges (toe) bones, on plantar (bottom) and side (collateral).


(from: wikipedia - tarsometatarsal joints)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Adnexa

Monday, April 23, 2018

Alcázar of Segovia


We just learned about Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany.

Another famous castle is Alcázar of Segovia.

This castle has been built and rebuilt in parts over hundreds of years by different people, from the Romans to the Spaniards.

It's been used as a fortress, a royal palace, a prison and military school.
Now it is a museum for people to come visit and look at.

In 1474, Queen Isabella I was crowned as queen in this castle.

In the room called the Hall of Kings, there are 52 sculptures of the different kings that ruled over the land for hundreds of years.






(from: wikipedia - alcázar of segovia)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Ozarks

Sunday, April 22, 2018

Timon


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

Another of the seventy was Timon.

Just like Nicanor, Prochorus and Stephen, Timon was one of the seven people that the Apostles chose to help watch over the poor people of Jerusalem.


(from: wikipedia - seven deacons)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Psalms

Saturday, April 21, 2018

Jade Burial Suits


We just learned about the Bianzhong of Marquis Yi of Zeng.

Another ancient Chinese work of art is the Jade Burial Suit.

In ancient times in China, people believed that if you were buried in a suit of Jade after you died, it could help you in the afterlife, and protect you from evil.

Jade is expensive, so only the truly rich people like princes or emperors could afford to be covered in a whole suit of jade.
Usually it was small squares of jade with holes in the edges and string used to tie them all together.
Sometimes there was artwork or carvings in the jade.


(from: wikipedia - jade burial suit)


(from: wikipedia - jade burial suit)


(from: wikipedia - jade burial suit)


(from: wikipedia - jade burial suit)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Casket with Scenes of Romances