American Bullfrog

We just learned about Poison Dart Frogs.

Another type of frog is the American Bullfrog.
These frog get their name because they make a low deep croak that sounds like a bull's roar.

Just like there are some types of frogs called Bufonidae that are called "True Toads", there are also some types of frogs called Ranidae, that are called "True Frogs", and the bullfrog is a true frog.

Unlike a lot of other animals, the female bullfrog is usually larger than the male frog, and the male bullfrogs have yellow throats.
When a group of male bullfrogs gets together in a group, it is called a "chorus".
The male bullfrogs will all get together and croak to call out for female bullfrogs.

Bullfrogs can grow to be 6 inches long, and can jump 10 times their body, length. That means a 6 inch frog could jump 5 feet!


(from: wikipedia - american bullfrog)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Sri Lanka Cat Snake

Hair Growth

We just learned about the Hair Follicle.

Human hair doesn't always grow at the same speed.
Sometimes it is growing a lot, sometimes it is slowing down, and sometimes it stops growing.

We know that the hair on our head grows longer than the hair on our eyebrows or eyelashes.
Each part of the body has different rules for how long the hair should grow, and when it should stop.

The time for growing of hair is called the anagen phase.
catagen is when the hair growth is slowing down.
telogen is when the hair has stopped growing because it is long enough.

The hair for your eyebrows grows for about 4 months and then stops, but the hair on a human head will keep growing at a normal speed for about 2-7 years!
Human hair usually grows about 6 inches every year, so after 7 years your hair would be four and a half feet long!


(from: wikipedia - human hair growth)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Thalamus

Central Appalachain Mountains

We just learned about the Northern Appalachian Mountains.

Another part of the Appalachian Mountain area is the Central Appalachian Mountains,
which go through Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, New York and New Jersey.
In this area are some large valleys, plateaus, the Taconic Mountains and the Blue Ridge mountains.


(from: wikipedia - blue ridge mountains)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Mount Everest

Psalm 23 - The Lord is my shepherd

We just learned about Psalm 22 - Why have you forsaken me?.

Another very famous chapter in the Book of Psalms is Psalm 23.

This chapter talks about God as a protecting shepherd.
Because this Psalm talks so well about being protected by God in times of need, it is put on a lot of posters, quoted a lot, and has been in a lot of music by famous people including Johann Sebastian Bach.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.


(from: wikipedia - psalm 23)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Pentecost

Bamberg Horseman

We just learned about the Holy Thorn Reliquary.

Another Gothic Art sculpture was the Bamberg Horseman, made in Germany around 1225 AD.

This is a statue of a man riding a horse, and the man is either a king, emperor or saint, but no one knows for sure who it is supposed to be, because the history of it was lost or forgotten.

There were many statues of people on horses long ago, but for a long time people had stopped making statues like that until the Bamberg Horseman was made.

It is also one of the first statues to show the bottom of a horse's foot wearing a horseshoe.

Underneath the front part of the statue where the horse is standing is a sculpted face that looks like a man's face made out of leaves.
This type of sculpture is sometimes called the "Green Man" and can mean a lot of different things like respecting nature, the growth of spring, or maybe even mythological creatures.


(from: wikipedia - bamberg horseman)


(from: wikipedia - green man)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Block Statue of Pa-Ankh-Ra

ASL - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday

We just learned in ASL how to say Her Hands are Soft

Let's learn the days of the week in ASL!

To say "Monday" you make the hand sign for the letter "M" and then keeping that hand shape turn your hand around so your palm is facing you, and move your arm around in a circle.

"Tuesday" is the same thing, but use the hand shape for the letter "T", turn your hand and wave it around.

"Wednesday" is just like Monday and Tuesday, make the hand shape for the letter "W", turn your hand and wave it around.

Here is a helpful video to show how these signs are done.


ASL Days of the Week Lesson and Song - My Smart Hands



(from: wikipedia - american sign language)

Italian: Lunedi, Martedì, Mercoledì

German: Montag, Dienstag, Mittwoch

Spanish: Lunes, Martes, Miercoles

French: Lundi, Mardi, Mercredi

Drilling

We just learned about making metal holes bigger using Boring.

Another type of metal working is Drilling.

Drilling uses a cylinder shaped tool called a drill bit that spins around hundreds or thousands of times every second, and cuts into the metal, leaving a cylinder shaped hole, like a tunnel.


(from: wikipedia - drilling)


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