Michelangelo

We just learned about the Anatomical Drawings of Leonardo Da Vinci.

Another one of the most famous artists of all time is Michelangelo.

His full name was Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, and he was born in Italy in the area now called Tuscany.
The family moved to another town called Settignano right after he was born, where his father owned a farm and a marble quarry.
When he was only 6 years old his mother died, so he was raised by his father, a nanny, and the nanny's husband.
Michelangelo said that part of the reason he was good at sculpting was because he grew up learning to use a chisel and hammer at the marble quarry.

When he was about 13 he moved to Florence for school, but was only interested in art, and was given a job as an apprentice to Domenico Ghirlandaio, the artist who painted the walls of the Sistine Chapel.
Many years later Michelangelo would be hired to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

After making some sculptures Michelangelo later made the very famous sculpture of Pietà with Jesus being held by his mother Mary.
That sculpture helped people see how good of an artist he was, and helped him get people to hire him so he could become one of the greatest artists of all time.


(from: wikipedia - michelangelo)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Richard Yates - Albin Polasek

Swahili - Fruits

We just learned how to say some things to drink in Swahili.

Let's learn how to say some fruits.

apple tufaha - sounds like too-fah-hah 文A

orange machungwa - sounds like mah-ch-un-g-wah 文A

banana ndizi - sounds like n-dee-zee 文A



(from: wikipedia - swahili language)

Russian: яблоко (yabloko), апельсин (apel'sin), банан (banan)

Norwegian: eple, appelsin, banan

Greek: μήλο (mílo), πορτοκάλι (portokáli), μπανάνα (banána)

ASL: apple, orange, banana

Italian: mela, orange, banana

German: Apfel, Orange, Banane

Spanish: manzana, naranja, banana

French: pomme, orange, banane

Pixel

We just learned about the Computer Monitor.

Another part of a computer monitor is a Pixel.

The picture that you see on a computer monitor is made up of thousands or millions of little dots that can change color to show different pictures.
Each one of these tiny dots is called a pixel, which is short for "picture element".

On some old computers monitors, the pixels were big and looked like little squares or blocks used to make pictures.
Now the pixels are so tiny they can show pictures on computer monitors showing people and places that look just like the real thing.


(from: wikipedia - pixel)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Brake Shoe

Bald Uakari

We just learned about the Azara's Night Monkey.

Another type of new world monkey is the Bald Uakari.

This type of monkey has a bright red face and a bald head.
It lives in South America, spending most of its life in the trees.

Bald Uakari monkeys grow to be about 7 pounds and 18 inches long, and eat mostly fruits, nuts and bugs.
Even though their red face and bald head look weird, a healthy red face means that this type of monkey is healthy!



(from: wikipedia - bald uakari)



Red-Faced, Hairless and Handsome: Meet the Bald Uakari Monkey - Great Big Story

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Napolean Cat

Ear Hair Cells

We just learned about the Cochlea.

Another part of the ear is the Hair Cells.

Inside the Cochlea are tiny microscopic hairs that move when sound hits them.
When these hairs move, the part of the body they are attached to lets out some chemicals.
Those chemicals then touch some other cells in the body which let out electricity.
That electricity sends the message to the brain that the body heard a sound.

Depending on how loud, soft, high or low the sound is, the hairs will wiggle differently,
and that will send different chemicals and different electricity to the brain to tell you what sounds you are hearing.


(from: wikipedia - hair cell)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Platelet

Vietnam

We just learned about the country of Turkmenistan

Let's learn a little about the country of Vietnam, also called the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Vietnam is a small country in Asia, about 128,000 square miles, with about 96 million people liveing there.
It borders China, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Phillippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and the South China Sea.


(from: wikipedia - vietnam)

The flag of Vietnam is a red background with a yellow star.
The red is for battle, and the yellow is for the different types of workers in Vietnam.


(from: wikipedia - flag of vietnam)

To eat in Vietnam you might have bún chả, which is pork with noodles served over rice noodles and dipping sauce.
The word bún means noodles and chả means pork.


(from: wikipedia - bun cha)

Visiting Vietnam you might go see Ban Gioc-Detian Falls, some big waterfalls in the country.

(from: wikipedia - ban gioc–detian falls)

Rice farming is a very important business in Vietnam, and rice is grown there in what are called terraces, that look like stairs.

(from: wikipedia - sa pa)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Cirque Glacier

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

We just learned about the Away in a Manger.

Another famous Christmas song is Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.

This was first written by Charles Wesley in 1739 in England.
When Wesley first wrote it, he called it "Hark! how all the welkin rings", where the word welkin means sky.
In 1840 another person changed it to the words Hark! The Herald Angels Sing that we know of today.

The tune for the song is from the famous composer Felix Mendelssohn's music called Festgesang.

Hark! The herald-angels sing "Glory to the newborn king;
Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled" Joyful all ye nations rise, Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim "Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald-angels sing "Glory to the new-born king"

Christ, by highest heaven adored Christ, the everlasting Lord,
Late in time behold Him come Offspring of a Virgin's womb:
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald-angels sing "Glory to the newborn King"

Hail the Heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings, Risen with healing in His wings;
Mild He lays His glory by Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing "Glory to the new-born king"


(from: wikipedia - hark! the herald angels sing)



Hark the Herald Angels Sing with Lyrics | Christmas Carol & Song - Christmas Songs and Carols - Love to Sing

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Mirabilia Descripta