Corundum

We just learned about the type of element Calcium.

Corundum is a type of gem stone that can be many different colors, red, yellow, pink-orange, green or blue.

If the corundum is red, it is called a ruby. Otherwise it is called a sapphire.

Corundum is very hard and rough, is sometimes used on sandpaper or on large cutting machines.
It is made up mostly of the chemical elements of aluminum and oxygen combined together.

(from: wikipedia - corundum)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Diode

Starfish

We just learned about the Koala.

Starfish are invertibrates. That means they don't have bones!

The bottom of the starfish legs have tiny little tubes, that are called tube feet.
These tube feet squish water in and out to slowly move the starfish along the ocean floor.
They also use them to breathe, like the gills of a fish.


(from: wikipedia - starfish)

Some starfish can regrow their arms if they get attacked by a fish and lose an arm,
and some are able to split themselves into two and make another starfish!


(from: wikipedia - starfish)

The hard poky parts on the outside of the starfish are called ossicles, and are one way that starfish keep themselves from being eaten.

(from: wikipedia - starfish)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Duck Billed Platypus

Ileum

We just learned that in your digestive system, after the duodenum comes the jejunum.

After that comes the ileum. It is a very long tube that also helps your body use up the good things in your food, like the vitamin B12.


(from: wikipedia - ileum)



Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Gluteus Maximus

Burkina Faso

We just learned about the country of Mali

Burkina Faso is a country on the north west part of the African continent.
The name of their country means honest people.

(from: wikipedia - burkina faso)

The flag of Burkina Faso has a red stripe above a green stripe, with a yellow star in the middle.
The red, green and yellow colors represent the continent of Africa all working together. They are called the Pan-African colors, and are found in some other African countries' flags.
The red is for the fight for freedom, the green for the riches from plants and land, and the yellow is the light of the fight for freedom.

(from: wikipedia - flag of burkina faso)

To drink in Burkina Faso you might have Bissap, which is like a tea made from flowers called Rosell.

(from: wikipedia - roselle (plant))

Ouagadougou (pronounced wah-gah-doo-goo) is the capital city in Burkina Faso.

(from: wikipedia - ouagadougou)

The dogon people are a group of people that have traditions where they dress up in masks and dance around.

(from: wikipedia - dogon people)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Ukraine

Parable of the Sower

We just learned about the wise man who built his house on the rock.

Sometimes when Jesus talked to his followers, he would try to explain things by telling stories called parables. They are stories that help teach lessons.

Once when Jesus was talking to some farmers he told a parable about someone who was planting seeds. This is sometimes called sowing, so we call it the parable of the sower.

He said that as a farmer was throwing seeds to the ground, some of it fell along the hard flat path. When that happened the birds came along and ate the seed right up!

Some of the seeds fell into some rocks, where it didn't have very good dirt to grow in. It grew quickly because the dirt was not deep, but because they couldn't put down deep roots they burned up in the sun.

Some seeds fell near some thorns, and when the plants grew they were choked by the thorns.

The last bunch of seeds fell into good soil, grew very well and made very good food.

Jesus explained what his parable meant:

The seeds are like the word of God and the message of his kingdom in heaven.

The seed on the path is when someone bad stops us from believing.

The seed on the rocks is someone who believes the word for a little while, but stops believing later.

The seed in the thorns is someone who worries too much about life and about money and things they want, and can't live for God.

The seed in the good dirt is someone who believes the word, understands it and spreads the word on to other people.


(from: wikipedia - parable of the sower)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Other Prophets

Mercury - Mariner 10, Messenger

We just learned about the space travel to Venus on the space crafts Venera 7-16, Mariner 10, Pioneer Venus

We have sent space crafts to study Mercury through the years, but it's difficult because it is closer to the sun.

The first space craft that was sent up was Mariner 10 on November 2nd, 1973.
It was sent mostly just to fly by Mercury and study the sky and look at the land.

The next space craft was called Messenger, launched August 3rd, 2004.
The letters in the name stand for: MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, Ranging.

It took almost 7 years for it to get to Mercury, and it orbited the planet for 2 years taking pictures.
It took close to 100,000 pictures of the whole planet!

(from: wikipedia - messenger)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Yellow Dwarf

Spanish - Counting to thirty nine

We just learned how to count to 29 in Spanish, let's keep going!

31 treinta y uno - sounds like t-day-n-tah ee oo-n-oh /?/
32 treinta y dos - sounds like t-day-n-tah ee doh-ss /?/
33 treinta y tres - sounds like t-day-n-tah ee t-day-ss /?/
34 treinta y cuatro - sounds like t-day-n-tah ee koo-ah-t-doh /?/
35 treinta y cinco - sounds like t-day-n-tah ee see-n-koh /?/
36 treinta y seis - sounds like t-day-n-tah ee say-ss /?/
37 treinta y siete - sounds like t-day-n-tah ee see-ay-tay /?/
38 treinta y ocho - sounds like t-day-n-tah ee oh-choh /?/
39 treinta y nueve - sounds like t-day-n-tah ee noo-ay-vay /?/


(from: wikipedia - Association of Spanish Language Academies)

Do you remember how to say it in French?
French - trente et un, trente-deux, trente-trois, trente-quatre, trente-cinq, trente-six, trente-sept, trente-huit, trente-neuf