Thursday, February 19, 2015

Altostratus cloud


We've now learned that cirrus clouds are thin wispy stringy clouds way up high in the sky,
cumulus clouds are big and puffy, almost like cotton balls,
cumulonimbus clouds are tall mushroom shaped clouds that are seen during storms,
stratus clouds are flat hazy foggy clouds that sometimes have light rain,
nimbostratus clouds are big, hazy and dark and are a sign of rain,
and cirrostratus clouds are very high up in the sky and flat and hazy.

Another type of cloud is called an altostratus cloud.
Just like stratus clouds they are flat and hazy, but they are not as high as cirrostratus clouds and not as low as stratus clouds.
They are in the middle of where stratus and cirrostratus clouds are.

(from: wikipedia - altostratus cloud)

Sometimes altostratus clouds have something called virga which is like rain or snow that never reaches the ground.
It leaves the cloud like rain, but evaporates or sublimates back to water vapor before it gets to the ground.


(from: wikipedia - virga)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Metamorphic Rock

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Spider Sheet Webs


We've now learned that orb weaver spiders that build big spiral webs,
some spiders build cobwebs or tangle webs,
some build funnel webs, and others build tubular webs.

Another type of web is called a sheet web.

Sheet webs are large webs that can cover very large areas, up to a meter wide!


(from: wikipedia - linyphiidae)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Oryx

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Dorsal Scapular Artery


We've learned about the oxygenated blood in the Subclavian Artery,
and how it branches into the Vertebral Artery to give blood to your brain,
and the Internal Thoracic Artery to give blood to your chest.

Another branch of the subclavian artery is called the Dorsal Scapular Artery.
This artery brings blood to the muscles in your back.


(from: wikipedia - dorsal scapular artery)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lungs

Monday, February 16, 2015

Maine


We just learned about the state of Louisiana.

Maine is a state in the north east part of the US, with the Atlantic Ocean on it's east side, and Canada to the north.

It's nicknames are: The Pine Tree State and Vacationland because it has so many nice forests and natural beauty.

It's motto is: Dirigo, which means I lead.

(from: wikipedia - maine)

The flag of Maine has the state seal on it, which shows a farmer, a sailor, a moose, a pine tree, the ocean and the north star.

(from: wikipedia - flag of maine)

Maine is famous for the lobsters that people catch in the ocean.

(from: wikipedia - american lobster)

Maine has close to 70 lighthouses because it is on the coast of the Atlantic and has so many ships coming and going.

(from: wikipedia - burnt island light)

Most of Maine is covered in forests. Of the 35,000 square miles in the state, about 30,000 is forests!

(from: wikipedia - acadian forests)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Saudi Arabia

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Campbell's Soup Cans - Andy Warhol


We just learned about the famous work of art Guernica by artist Pablo Picasso.

Another famous work of art was called Campbell's Soup Cans by artist Andy Warhol.

Andy Warhol started off working in advertising where he would use something called silk screening.
Silk screening is like using a stencil to fill in colors, and the open parts of the stencil have a screen over them with holes in it, just like a screen you might find in a window.
Using this silk screening it was easy to make the same picture over and over again.

Warhol made paintings of 32 different Campbell's soup cans.
When he showed them to people at an art gallery, some people were very upset and didn't think he was a good artist.
Other people thought it was very interesting, showing art using something you'd find at a grocery store.

Warhol was very famous for something called Pop Art.
This type of art was of famous people or things you might see in TV commercials.
Pop was short for popular, so anything that was really popular might end up in a painting.


(from: wikipedia - campbell's soup cans)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lunar Phase

Friday, February 13, 2015

German - You are sad


We just learned that I am happy in German is Ich bin glücklich.

Now let's learn how to say You are sad.

Sie sind traurig

We can break it up into three words:
You - Sie - sounds like zee /?/
are - sind - sounds like zin /?/
sad - traurig - Sounds like tuh-ow-uh-ee-hh /?/


So all together Sie sind traurig sounds like zee zin tuh-ow-uh-ee-hh.

Goethe Institute
(from: wikipedia - Goethe Institute)

Do you remember how to say it in Spanish?
Estas triste

Do you remember how to say it in French?
Vous êtes triste