Mimic Octopus

We just learned about the Vampire Squid.

Another type of cephalopod is the Mimic Octopus.

This octopus lives on the sea floor, and tries to look like other animals.
It can change it's body color, puff it's head up, wave its arms around or hold its body in a certain way to look like other animals.

Sometimes it will try and look like it's prey like a crab, so that it can sneak up on the crab and eat it before the crab even figures out there is a dangerous octopus nearby.

Other times it will try and look like a poisonous animal like a lionfish, so that predators that might attack the octopus will stay away and not try to eat it.

Theses octopuses have been seen trying to look like a lion fish, sea snake, flat fish, jelly fish, crab or even a sponge!

They are very smart animals, and will decide which animal to try and look like depending on which other animal they meet.
These smart cephalopods have been seen looking like up to 15 different animals!







(from: wikipedia - mimic octopus)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Pouched Frog

Baby Teeth

We just started learned about human teeth!

Humans are usually born with no teeth, and around six months after they are born the teeth start to pop out!
We call these first teeth Baby Teeth, and they are also known as milk teeth, temporary teeth, primary teeth or deciduous teeth.

There are twenty baby teeth that come in, with ten on top and ten on bottom.
They usually start with the bottom middle ones, then the top middle and then next on the bottom and top until all twenty are in.

The baby teeth are very important, because they help keep the jaw strong and in the right place, and they are holding a place for the bigger adult teeth that come in later.


(from: wikipedia - deciduous teeth)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Hair Plexus

Schwerin Castle

We just learned about Caerlaverock Castle in Scotland.

Another famous castle is Schwerin Castle in Schwerin Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Germany, built in 973 AD. Germany.

As different rulers came and went in Germany, this castle was taken over by different people and used for things like military forts, schools, museums or palaces for royal people.

It is now where the state's parliament meets and works.

The castle has over 650 rooms, and is on an island in the middle of Lake Schwerin.

There is a legend of a good ghost named Petermännchen living in the castle, that sneaks around and unlocks doors at night, and will also scare away thieves or intruders.
Stories say that if soldiers guarding the castle fall asleep at night, the ghost will make noises to wake them up!






(from: wikipedia - schwerin palace)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Canadian Provinces

Mark the Evangelist

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

Another of the seventy was Mark the Evangelist.

This was the person responsible for writing the book of Mark in the Bible.


(from: wikipedia - mark the evangelist)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Psalm 103

Six Ritual Jades - Huang

We just learned about two of the ancient Chinese Six Ritual Jades: Cong - earth and Bi - sky/heaven.

Another of the Six Ritual Jades was the huang.

This jade sculpture was in the shape of an arc, and was worn as a pendant sometimes.

The arc shape was made for the direction of "North".

Sometimes the ends of these sculptures were carved into tigers or dragons.



(from: wikipedia - huang (jade))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Tomb of Pope Julius II

Greek - Saturday, Sunday

We just learned that in Greek:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday is Δευτέρα (Deftéra), Τρίτη (Tríti), Τετάρτη (Tetárti),
and Thursday, Friday is Πέμπτη (Pémpti), Παρασκευή (Paraskeví).

Let's keep learning the days of the week!

Saturday - Σάββατο (Sávvato) - sounds like SAH-bah-toh
Sunday - Κυριακή (Kyriakí) - sounds like kee-dee-ah-KEE


(from: wikipedia - center for the greek language)

ASL: Saturday, Sunday

Italian: Sabato, Domenica

German: Samstag, Sonntag

Spanish: Sabado, Domingo

French: Samedi, Dimanche

Rocket Engine

We just learned about the rocket's Combustion Chamber.

So we know about the rocket propellant, the propellant tank, the combustion chamber and the nozzle.

When these pieces are all put together it makes the Rocket Engine.

The engine is all of those pieces working together to push the rocket along up into the sky.


(from: wikipedia - rocket engine)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Twist Drill Bits

Vampire Squid

We just learned about the Red Cuttlefish.

Another type of cephalopod is the Vampire Squid.

This type of squid lives in the cold deep part of the ocean, over 2,000 feet below the sea.
It is very cold and dark at this part of the ocean, and there is not a lot of oxygen or food to eat.

Even though they are called the vampire squid, they do not drink blood of other animals.
They eat waste that is floating in the water.

These vampire squids are also kind of like an octopus, so they are their own type of squid and octopus cephalopod called "Vampyromorphida".

Just like the cirroteuthis octopus that looks like it is wearing a skirt, these cephalopods have their arms all webbed together.
Inside their webbed area their arms all have little poky looking spikes called cirri on them.
They are not sharp, and the vampire squid uses them to help collect the garbage food that is floating around in the water.

If they get scared, they can light up their body with photophores that make them glow.
Mostly just at the tips of their arms and the top of their head, but their whole body can make light.
They can also spit out some glowing goo, and sometimes they flip their webbed skirt area inside out and wrap it around their head to try and scare off someone who is trying to eat them.

These cephalopods can have black skin with a red eye, or red skin with a blue eye, so you can see why someone thought they looked like a scary vampire squid!
But mostly they are just a harmless animal floating deep in the ocean eating garbage and trying not to get eaten by a bigger animal.



(from: wikipedia - vampire squid)


(from: youtube - What the vampire squid really eats | Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI))

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Gray Tree Frog

Teeth

Let's keep learning about the Human Mouth.

Probably the most important part of your mouth is your Teeth.

An adult human can have up to 32 teeth, that's a lot of chompers!

People grow two sets of teeth, 20 baby teeth, and then those fall out and we get the grown up teeth.


(from: wikipedia - human tooth)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Hair Growth

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

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

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

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


(from: wikipedia - center for the greek language)

ASL: Thursday, Friday

Italian: Giovedì, Venerdì

German: Donnerstag, Freitag

Spanish: Viernes, Jueves

French: Jeudi, Vendredi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


(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

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

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

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

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

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

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