Stratocumulus Clouds

We've learned about many types of clouds already, like the Altocumulus Clouds!

Another type of cloud is called the stratocumulus cloud.

Stratocumulus clouds are large dark and round, usually in groups or waves, and they are lower in the sky.

In the cold polar oceans there are many very large stratocumulus clouds.
They look very similar to altocumulus, but much larger sized groups.

(from: wikipedia - stratocumulus cloud)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Basalt

Siberian Husky

We just learned about the Basset Hound.

Another type of dog is the Siberian Husky.
The husky was a dog used by the Inuit people who live in Alaska and Siberia, who were once called Eskimos.
Some people think the name husky came from esky which was a nickname for eskimos.

Huskies were used as sled dogs in Alaska when people were looking there for gold.
The dogs have lots of energy and can survive temperatures colder than -70 degrees!
Unlike most dogs, some huskies have blue eyes!

Huskies have two types of fur, they have a short coat of fur that stays close to their body, and a longer coat of fur that goes on top of the first one. This is like wearing two fur coats so it keeps them nice and warm.

(from: wikipedia - siberian husky)


Huskies have a curved tail, and when they lay down they can curl their nose right into their tail to keep warm. Some people call this the "Siberian Swirl".

(from: wikipedia - siberian husky)

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Suni

Radial & Ulnar arteries

We know that the subclavian artery in the chest goes to the axillary artery in the armpit and then the brachial artery in the upper arm.

After that it goes further down the arm, and splits into two arteries: the ulnar and radial arteries.

These arteries go right along the radius and ulna bones in the forearm.

The radial artery is the one that ends up at your wrist right by your thumb, where you can feel your pulse.

(from: wikipedia - radial artery)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Bronchioles

Michigan

We just learned about the US State of Massachusetts.

Michigan is a state in the midwest of the US, bordering Canada to the north.

The state of Michigan is split up into two pieces of land, the Upper Peninsula and the Lower Peninsula.
A peninsula is a piece of land that is surrounded by water on 3 sides.
The two peninsulas are connected by a long bridge called the Mackinac Bridge.
People that live in the Upper Peninsula are sometimes called yoopers because when you say the letters U and P it sounds kind of like Yoop.

The state nicknames are: The Great Lake State, The Wolverine State, The Mitten State, Water (Winter) Wonderland
The state mottos are: Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice, which means If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you.


(from: wikipedia - michigan)

The Michigan flag is dark blue, and has the words E Pluribus Unum which means Out of many, one.
it says Tuebor, which means I will defend, and it also says Si Quæris Peninsulam Amœnam Circumspice, which means If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you.
There is a moose an elk and an eagle on the state crest, and in the middle is a man standing on the edge of water holding a rifle, meaning that he will defend Michigan from invaders.

(from: wikipedia - flag of michigan)

Michigan has the largest bunch of fresh water lakes in the world, with the 4 lakes that it borders: Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and Lake Erie. There is one more lake called Lake Ontario that Michigan does not border, and these lakes are called The Great Lakes.

(from: wikipedia - great lakes)

The Mackinac Bridge is a five mile long bridge that goes from the Lower Peninsula to the Upper Peninsula.


(from: wikipedia - mackinac bridge)

There are many islands in the great lakes, but the biggest one is Isle Royale.
It is 45 miles long of natural beauty, and has moose and wolves living on the island.


(from: wikipedia - isle royale national park)

Another big island in Michigan is Mackinac Island.
It used to be a military base for ships to go to long ago, and now on the island they don't allow cars so people have to go everywhere by hiking and biking.

(from: wikipedia - fort mackinac)

In the city of Sault Ste Marie (sounds like soo saint marie) the St. Mary's River connects Lake Huron to Lake Superior.
The rapids on the St. Maries river fall down 21 feet, so it was very tough for boats to go from one lake to another,
so someone built a machine where the boats can go into something called a lock, wait for the water to lower them slowly down 21 feet, then go to the lower lake.


(from: wikipedia - soo locks)

On the coast of lake Michigan, there are many nice beaches, and some very large sand dunes.
One of the biggest is called Warren Dunes, where there is a beach, campground and large sand dunes to climb.

(from: wikipedia - warren dunes)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Syria

Jesus Crucifixion - With criminals

When Jesus was nailed to the cross he was put between two criminals.

Crucifixion was one of the worst punishments for anyone, so even though Jesus was a good person he was punished with bad people.

One of the criminals was not nice to him, said nasty things to him and said that if Jesus was really the Messiah he should save himself.
The other criminal told the nasty one that he was wrong, and that while both the criminals were being punished for things they did wrong, Jesus hadn't done anything wrong.
He asked Jesus to remember him in his kingdom.

Because this man had faith in Jesus, even though he was a criminal Jesus said that the nice criminal would be with him in paradise that day.


(from: wikipedia - crucifixion of jesus)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Jesus' Miracles - Healing in the land of Gennesaret

The Snail - Henri Matisse

We just learned about the painting Relativity by M. C. Escher.

Another famous work of art was called The Snail by French artist Henri Matisse.

Matisse was very famous for many of the paintings that he did through his life, but one day he got sick and could not paint the same way anymore.
He still wanted to make art, so instead of using a paintbrush he did something called decoupage which is like colored paper cut outs pasted together to make a picture.

Matisse drew a picture of the snail, then took the colored paper and set them together to look kind of like a colorful snail.

(from: wikipedia - the snail)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Full Moon

German - We are surprised

We just learned that I am happy in German is Ich bin glücklich,
you are sad is Sie traurig sind,
he is angry is er ist wütend,
and they are excited is sie sind aufgeregt.

Let's learn how to say We are surprised.

Wir sind begeistert.

We can break it up into three words:
We - Wir - sounds like veer /?/
are - sind - sounds like zint /?/
surprised - begeistert - Sounds like buh-gah-ee-stah-t /?/


So all together Sie sind aufgeregt sounds like Zee zint ow-f-guh-raykt.


(from: wikipedia - Goethe Institute)

Do you remember how to say it in Spanish?
Estamos sorprendido

Do you remember how to say it in French?
Nous sommes surpris