Typhoon

We just learned about Category 5 Hurricanes.

If a large tropical cyclone is in the northwest part of the Pacific Ocean, it is called a Typhoon instead of a hurricane.


(from: wikipedia - typhoon haiyan)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lightning

Grass Snake

We just learned about the Sri Lanka cat snake.

Another snake is the Grass Snake, also known as the ringed snake, water snake or Natrix natrix.

This snake lives in the United Kingdom, and is the largest reptile living there.

It is non-venomous, so sometimes when it is scared it makes a bad smell or even fakes like it is dead.
Sometimes it pretends to be dangerous by hissing and pretending to bite, but it does not bite.

If it plays dead, it might even throw up to make it look like it is dead.


(from: wikipedia - grass snake)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lhasa Apso

Hypothalamus

We just learned about the part of the brain called the thalamus.

Another part of the brain is the hypothalamus.

Just like the thalamus, this is part of the forebrain, and it helps control your body temperature, your hunger, sleep and even what you do when you are afraid.


(from: wikipedia - hypothalamus)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Plantar Arteries

K2

We just learned about Mount Everest.

The next highest mountain is K2.

It gets its name because it is part of the Karakoram mountains, and it is the second peak discovered.

It is such a dangerous mountain to climb, that 1 out of every 4 people that have tried to climb it, died.


(from: wikipedia - K2)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: New York

Trinity Sunday

We just learned about the church day of Pentecost, 50 days after Easter.

The next day in the calendar is Trinity Sunday.

This day is for Christians to celebrate the Trinity, the three Persons of God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.


(from: wikipedia - trinity sunday)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Jesus appears to Peter fishing

Charioteer of Delphi

We just learned about the ancient Egyptian sculpture the Block Statue of Pa-Ankh-Ra.

The ancient Greeks were also very famous for their sculptures.
One famous sculpture that has survived through the years is the Charioteer of Delphi.

It is a bronze sculpture of a man on a chariot, made to honor someone after they had won a race in a competition like the Olympics.
It was made to look like the person at the end of the race after winning, calm, confident and happy.

The statue has lost it's arm, and it used to have horses with it also.
It still has it's glass eyes, but it is missing its silver eyelashes and headband.

Many bronze statues were melted down for the metal long after they were made, but this statue had been buried under a building that had collapsed, so it survived and was found hundreds of years later.

Statues like this were usually made in a few different pieces and then put together when they were all sculpted.


(from: wikipedia - charioteer of delphi)


(from: wikipedia - charioteer of delphi)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Detroit Industry Murals - Diego Rivera

Italian - Thursday, Friday

We just learned that in Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday in Italian is Lunedi, Martedì, Mercoledì.

Let's keep learning the days of the week!

Thursday - Giovedì - sounds like Gee-oh-vay-dee /?/
Friday - Venerdì - sounds like Vay-nay-d-dee /?/


(from: wikipedia - accademia della crusca)

German:
Donnerstag, Freitag.

Spanish:
Viernes, Jueves

French:
Jeudi, Vendredi.