Valve Gear

We just learned about the Train Whistle.

Another part of a steam engine is the Valve Gear.

This is a gear that is hooked up to the piston that is moving the train along, and lets the engineer open or close it to go faster or slower.

If they open the piston up all the way the train will go faster but will use more fuel.
If they close the piston all the way the train will go slower but will use less fuel.


(from: wikipedia - valve gear)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Shaft

Flat-Headed Cat

We just learned about the Fishing Cat.

Another type of wild cat is the Flat-Headed Cat.

These cats live in Southeast Asia, and there are not many of them left with less than 2,500 in the whole world.

Just like you might think from the name, these cats have a flat head!
They are a small cat, usually less than 2 feet long and weighing about 5 pounds.

Their eyes are very close together, and their canine teeth are very long for their body.
These cats have red/brown fur and a white belly, and they have some white stripes on their face.
In between the toes on their paws they have webbed feet to help them in the water.

These cats love the water and hunting fish.
When they hunt they put their whole head under the water and bite onto the fish, then drag it away and eat it!



(from: wikipedia - flat-headed cat)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Creeping Comb Jelly

Lymph Capillary

We just learned about Lymph.

Another part of the lymphatic system is the Lymph Capillary.

These are tiny little tubes a lot like the capillaries that carry blood, but they carry lymph instead, and they are a little smaller.

Remember that there are a bunch of left over liquids in the body that all make up what we call lymph.
The lymph gets sucked into these tiny capillaries that are all over the body.

These tiny tubes are like little collectors picking up all the lymph that gets left behind by the blood vessels or other organs, to carry it along the lymphatic system.


(from: wikipedia - lymph capillary)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Pupil

Ocean Gyre

We just learned about the Antarctic Convergence.

Another part of the geography of Antarctica is the Ocean Gyre.

A gyre is an area in the ocean where the water flows around in an oval shape.
Even though there are smaller waves everywhere, there is an overall flow of the water.

In the northern part of the globe it flows clockwise, and in the south it is counter clockwise.

The gyres mix up the cold and warm water in the ocean and also carry plants animals and even garbage all around the world.
The ocean gyres that go around Antarctica help carry the cold water away from Antarctica to the rest of the ocean.

These swirling waters are made by the earth spinning around, and the water, wind and land pushing everything around.


(from: wikipedia - ocean gyre)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Castle Keep

Orthodoxy

We just learned about the Heresy.

Another part of early Christianity is Orthodoxy.

Just like heresy is when someone breaks the laws of the church, orthodoxy is when someone follows the laws of the church.

The word orthodoxy comes from the Greek word ὀρθοδοξία (orthodoxía) meaning a correct opinion.
There are some churches like the Greek Orthodox Church that put that word in part of the name of their church to show that they try very hard to follow the rules of the church.


(from: wikipedia - orthodoxy)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Christology

Philadelphia City Hall - Calder, Struthers

We just learned about the Crazy Horse Memorial.

Another famous American sculpture is Philadelphia City Hall, made in 1901.

This building was made of brick, marble and limestone.
When it was made, it was the largest building in the world where people could live and work.

The sculptors Alexander Calder and William Struthers worked together to make hundreds of sculptures that are on and around the building.

On the top of the building is a sculpture of William Penn, the person who first started the land of Pennsylvania and named it after himself.
It is made of bronze and is over 30 feet tall.



(from: wikipedia - philadelphia city hall)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lalibela Cross

Russian - Counting to Forty Nine

We counted to 39 in Russian, let's keep going!

40 сорок (sorok) - sounds like soh-doh-k 文A

41 сорок один (sorok odin) - sounds like soh-doh-k oh-dee-n 文A

42 сорок два (sorok dva) - sounds like soh-doh-k d-vah 文A

43 сорок три (sorok tri) - sounds like sorok soh-doh-k t-dee 文A

44 сорок четыре (sorok chetyre) - sounds like soh-doh-k cheh-tee-dee 文A

45 сорок пять (sorok pyat') - sounds like soh-doh-k pee-yah-t 文A

46 сорок шесть (sorok shest') - sounds like soh-doh-k sheh-s-t 文A

47 сорок семь (sorok sem') - sounds like soh-doh-k seh-m 文A

48 сорок восемь (sorok vosem') - sounds like soh-doh-k voh-seh-m 文A

49 сорок девять (sorok devyat') - sounds like soh-doh-k day-v-yah-t 文A



(from: wikipedia - russian academy of sciences)

Norwegian: førti, førtien, førtito, førtitre, førtifire, førtifem, førtiseks, førtisyv, førtiåtte, førtini

Greek: τσαράντα (saránta), τσαράντα ένα (saránta éna), τσαράντα δύο (saránta dýo), τσαράντα τρεις (saránta treis), τσαράντα τέσσερις (saránta tésseris), τσαράντα πέντε (saránta pénte), τσαράντα έξι (saránta éxi), τσαράντα επτά (saránta eptá), τσαράντα οκτώ (saránta októ), τσαράντα εννέα (saránta ennéa)

ASL: forty, forty one, forty two, forty three, forty four, forty five, forty six, forty seven, forty eight, forty nine

Italian: quaranta, quarantuno, quarantadue, quarantatre, quarantaquattro, quarantacinque, quarantasei, quarantasette, quarantotto, quarantanove

German: vierzig, einundvierzig, zweiundvierzig, dreiundvierzig, vierundvierzig, fünfundvierzig, sechsundvierzig, siebenundvierzig, achtundvierzig, neunundvierzig

Spanish: quarenta, quarenta y uno, quarenta y dos, quarenta y tres, quarenta y cuatro, quarenta y cinco, quarenta y seis, quarenta y siete, quarenta y ocho, quarenta y nueve

French: quarante, quarante et un, quarante-deux, quarante-trois, quarante-quatre, quarante-cinq, quarante-six, quarante-sept, quarante-huit, quarante-neuf