Salamanca

We just learned about the Pen-y-Darren Locomotive.

Another part of the history of locomotives is the Salamanca steam locomotive, built in 1812 by Matthew Murray from England.

Even though people were figuring out how to make steam engines and hook them up to boats and wheels, it took a while for anyone to make one that worked really well on a train track.

Even before there were locomotives, people made metal tracks for carts that would be pulled by horses.
It wasn't until Murray made the Salamanca in 1812, that someone would make a locomotive that was actually used for people to haul big heavy loads around and do some work.

The Pen-y-Darren locomotive was built in 1802, so for 10 years people mostly just saw these steam engines as an interesting invention, but did not put the engines to work yet.

The Salamanca ran on a rack and pinion track, which means the wheels were gears that worked on a track with teeth that it would go along.


(from: wikipedia - salamanca (locomotive))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Fire Investigation

Serval

We just learned about the Bay Cat.

Another type of wild cat is the Serval.

The serval lives in Africa, mostly in the southern part of the continent.
It is about 2 feet tall, and can weigh up to 40 pounds.
This cat has a head that is smaller than some of its other cat cousins.

Serval's have big ears, and yellow fur with black spots and stripes, and a black tipped tail.
The ears of a serval are probably the thing that makes them stand out the most.
They have black ears, with a white stripe right across the middle.
When they move their ears they can spin them all the way around from front to back.
Some people think that the colored ears that can move so well are one of the ways that servals can talk to each other, like giving signals about whether they are happy, sad or mad.

These cats have very long legs compared to their bodies, and they use them for jumping when they hunt.
They can jump over 6 feet in the air, and then pounce onto their pray like a mouse.




(from: wikipedia - serval)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Warty Comb Jelly

Near-Sightedness

We just learned about the Refractive Error.

One of the types of refractive errors is Near-Sightedness, also called myopia.

If someone is near-sighted that means they can see up close very well, but they can't see far away very well.
An easy way to remember that is that if you are "near-sighted" you are good at seeing nearby.

Of all the types of eye problems, more people are near-sighted than any other problem, about 1.5 billion people!

When light comes into the eye, the lens is supposed to try and make it focus right on the retina.
The lens is like a magnifying glass, and if it doesn't focus just right then it won't get a clear enough picture.

If the lens is focusing all of the light into a point before the retina, then this causes near-sightedness.
An eye doctor can make glasses to change the direction of the light coming into the eye so that it focuses right on the retina and helps the eye see near and far.


(from: wikipedia - near-sightedness)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: White Roll

Meltwater

We just learned about the Melt Pond.

Another part of Antarctica is glacial Meltwater.

Sometimes the ice or snow in Antarctica will melt a little, and turn into what is called meltwater.
Meltwater is different than the ocean water around Antarctica because it is fresh water.
This means animals can drink it, and it also means it can mix with the ice and snow of the glaciers and melt and refreeze over and over.
The meltwater usually melts because of the warmer summer weather, from magma underground, or from volcanic eruptions.

If the water stays in one place on top of the snow or ice, that is the melt pond.
Other times the melted snow or ice will turn into a small river and flow across the snow and ice.
There are even times when the snow or ice will melt underneath the top part, and make a small lake underneath the snow or ice.

Sometimes the meltwater is underground and is between two glaciers.
When this happens the glaciers can move around as they are sliding on the water in between.

Scientists study meltwater because it can help them understand climate change and how glaciers move.


(from: wikipedia - meltwater)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Ramparts

Notre-Dame de Paris

We just learned about the Decretum Gratiani.

Another part of early Christianity is the cathedral Notre-Dame de Paris.

In 1160 AD in Paris, the leader of the church there was Maurice de Sully.
He thought that they should build a really big nice church in a style called "Gothic style", and dedicate it to Jesus' mother Mary.

The cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris became very famous in Paris, and it was made even more famous later in 1831 when someone wrote a story about a hunchback who rang the bells in the tower.


(from: wikipedia - notre-dame de paris)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Holy Nails

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark - Charles Keck

We just learned about the Black Hawk Statue - Lorado Taft.

Another famous American statue is Meriwether Lewis and William Clark made by Charles Keck in 1919.

Keck was born in 1875 in New York, and went to school to study art in America and also in Italy.

He became famous for making statues of famous people across America.

The statue which is also called "Their First View of the Pacific" is of the famous explorers Lewis and Clark, along with their Native American guide Sacagawea.

In 1803 America made a deal with France to buy a big piece of land in the middle of North America.
This land later became the states of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana.

Because the land was so big, they needed someone to go explore, so Lewis and Clark went off from Pennsylvania and traveled all the way to the west coast to the Pacific Ocean.
Along the way they met Sacagawea, a 16 year old Native American woman who stayed with them and helped guide them safely all the way.

At the bottom of the statue are the words: "Bold and farseeing pathfinders who carried the flag of the young republic to the western ocean and revealed an unknown empire to the uses of mankind."


(from: wikipedia - meriwether lewis and william clark (sculpture))



(from: wikipedia - lewis and clark expedition)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Chiwara

Russian - September, October

We already learned that January, February is Январь (Yanvar'), Февраль (Fevral'), March, April is Март (Mart), Апрель (Aprel'),
May, June is Май (May), Июнь (Iyun'),
and July, August is Июль (Iyul'), Август (Avgust).

Let's keep going!

September - Сентябрь (Sentyabr') - sounds like say-n-tee-ah-b-dyah 文A

October - Октябрь (Oktyabr') - sounds like ah-k-tah-b-d-yah 文A



(from: wikipedia - russian academy of sciences)

Norwegian: September, Oktober

Greek: Σεπτέμβριος (Septémvrios), Οκτώβριος (Októvrios)

ASL: September, October

Italian: Settembre, Ottobre

German: September, Oktober

Spanish: Septiembre, Octubre

French: Septembre, Octobre