Kuwait

We just learned about the country of North Korea

Let's learn a little about the country of Kuwait!

Kuwait is a small country in the middle east that borders Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the Persian Gulf.
People in Kuwait speak the Arabic language.

It is about 6,800 square miles, and over 4 million people live there.
Even though many people live in Kuwait, only about 1 million of the people living there are actually citizens of Kuwait.
The other 3 million are people who are from other countries, that have come to Kuwait to work.


(from: wikipedia - kuwait)

The flag of Kuwait is a black trapezoid on the left, next to sideways stripes of green, white and red.
Black is for the winning battles, green is for the land, white is for purity, and red is for the blood of warriors who died fighting for Kuwait.

There are lots of shapes on other flags like diamonds, circles and stars, but Kuwait is the only flag with a trapezoid on it.


(from: wikipedia - flag of kuwait)

To eat in Kuwait you might have Balaleet, which is a breakfast made with sugar, cardamom, rose water, saffron noodles and eggs.

(from: wikipedia - balaleet)

Visiting Kuwait you might go to Sea City, which is a city in Kuwait that was built by digging canals into the ground to make a fake shoreline where 250,000 people built houses on the water, without being right on the persian gulf.

(from: wikipedia - sabah al ahmad sea city)

In Kuwait they have the largest dhow ever built, called the Al-Hashemi-II.
A dhow is a type of sailing ship, and this one is 274 feet long.


(from: wikipedia - al-hashemi-ii)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Subglacial Lakes

Blessed Assurance

We just learned about the All Hail the Power of Jesus Name.

Another famous hymn is Blessed Assurance, written by Fanny Crosby and Phoebe Knapp in 1873.

Phoebe and Fanny were working together in the church one day, and Phoebe played a tune on the piano.
She asked Fanny what it should be called, and right away she said Blessed assurance; Jesus is mine, which became the first words of the hymn.

Phoebe wrote music for over 500 hymns through her life.
Fanny was blind ever since she was a baby, and she wrote over 8,000 hymns and was sometimes called the Queen of Gospel Song Writers.

She was well known throughout America, and also wrote songs about the Civil War supporting the Union, as she liked Abraham Lincoln and wantd to get rid of slavery.

In 1843 when she was trying to get better education for blind people, she went and talked to the Senate to ask for help.
This was long before women were allowed to be part of the Senate, and in 1843 she was the first woman to speak to the US Senate.


(from: wikipedia - fanny crosby)

(from: wikipedia - phoebe knapp)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Basilica of Saint-Denis

Truncated Pyramid Room - Bruce Nauman

We just learned about the sculpture Tower by Sol Lewitt.

Another Truncated Pyramid Room by Bruce Nauman, made in Germany in 1982.


(from: wikipedia - bruce nauman)

This is a 24 foot high sculpture that is shaped like part of a pyramid with the top cut ouff and the insides open.
The pyramid is all black, and has some yellow lights shining on it at night.

Bruce Nauman was born in 1941 in Indiana, and studied art at the University of California.

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: George Washington as President - Alexander Stirling Calder

Swahili - November, December

We already learned that January, February is Januari, Februari, March, April is Machi, Aprili,
May, June is Mei, Juni,
July, August is Julai, Agosti,
and September, October is Septemba, Oktoba.

Let's keep going!

November - Novemba - sounds like noh-veh-m-bah 文A

December - Desemba - sounds like day-say-m-bah 文A



(from: wikipedia - swahili language)


Russian: ноябрь (noyabr'), декабрь (dekabr')

Norwegian: November, December

Greek: Νοέμβριος (Noémvrios), Δεκέμβριος (Dekémvrios)

ASL: November, December

Italian: Novembre, Dicembre

German: November, Dezember

Spanish: Noviembre, Diciembre

French: Novembre, Décembre

Car Battery

We just learned about the Manual Transmission.

Another part of a car is the Car Battery.

This is a rechargable battery in the car that helps start the car and run other electrical things in the car like lights and radios.

When the car is running, the alternator charges up the battery.

Sometimes a car battery can run out of power.
This can happen if the alternator isn't working, or if someone leaves a light on in the car and the battery all gets used up.

If this happens, the battery has two metal posts on it called terminals.
You can hook those terminals up to another car's battery, and use that electricity to recharge your battery.


(from: wikipedia - automotive battery)


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Maroon Leaf Monkey

We just learned about the Dusky Leaf Monkey.

Another type of monkey is the Maroon Leaf Monkey also called the red leaf monkey.

This monkey lives on the island of Borneo, spending most of their time in the trees.
They get their name from the color of the fur on their body.

These monkeys mostly eat fruits, seeds and leaves, but they also sometimes eat dirt!
There are termites that make dirt mounds for homes, and because the termites are living there they leave a bunch of other minerals like calcium, magnesium or aluminum.
The monkeys need these minerals, so they will go down to the dirt and eat it, but not the termites just the dirt!


(from: wikipedia - maroon leaf monkey)



Dusky Leaf Monkeys Thailand - TheMollytitti


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Serval

Helix

We just learned about the Auricle.

Another part of the ear is the Helix.

This is the curved part at the top of the ear on the outside.


(from: wikipedia - helix (ear))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Near Sightedness