North American River Otter

We just learned about the Sea Otter.

Another type of animal in the same family is the North American River Otter, or lontra canadensis.

This otter is a lot like the sea otter, and a lot of people think they are the same animal.
But the sea otter lives in the saltwater of the ocean, and sometimes lives their whole life in the water.
The river otter lives in the rivers and lakes of the northern parts of the United States and Canada.

They love the water and can swim all day, but they also have a home on land called a den where they raise their little baby otters.
River otters grow to be about 100 centimeters long, and weigh about 10 kilograms.
Their fur is short and very thick to keep them warm.
Just like the sea otter they can close their ears and noses to keep water out.


(from: wikipedia - north american river otter)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Mandrill

Primary Olfactory Cortex

We just learned about the Olfactory Bulb.

Another part of the way humans smell is the Primary Olfactory Cortex.

This is the last part of the brain that takes the messges from the Olfactory Bulb, figures out what the smell is that you are smelling, and tells the rest of your brain whether it is a good smell or a bad smell!

(from: wikipedia - primary olfactory cortex)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Sustained Angiogenesis

Anguilla

We just learned about the country of Montserrat

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

This country is in the Caribbean Sea, east of Puerto Rico.
It is about 91 square kilometers, and about 15,000 people live there.
The people in this country mostly speak English.


(from: wikipedia - anguilla)

The flag of Anguilla is blue, with the British flag in the top left, and shield on the right with the three orange dolphins and a blue and white background.
The dolphins stand for friendship, wisdom and strength, the white stands for peace, and the blue stands for the sea.


(from: wikipedia - flag of anguilla)

To eat in this country you might have breadfruit, which is a type of fruit that tastes kind of like potatoes, and looks like bread when it is cooked.


(from: wikipedia - breadfruit)

Visiting this country you might go see one of the many beautiful beaches like Juluca.
The beach is named after a legendary magical feathered creature that was lucky for fishermen.


(from: wikipedia - )


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Bahrain

Michael, Row the Boat Ashore

We just learned about the Down to the River to Pray.

Another famous African American spiritual is Michael, Row the Boat Ashore.

During the Civil War the Union troops of the north were fighting to end slavery, and the Confederates of the south were fighting to keep it.
When the northern Union troops came down to South Carolina, they freed the slaves and the southern Confederates ran away.

On one of the islands in South Carolina called Saint Helena Island, there was an old farm where people that used to be slaves were still working to keep the farm going.
When a man named Charles Pickard Ware came down to see how the freed slaves were living, he was in a boat with them and they were singing this song.
He wrote it down and shared it with others to show that the slaves were good Christian people and should never have been made slaves.

The song talks about Michael, which most people think is supposed to be the angel Michael that the Bible talks about.
Michael is rowing the boat ashore, and the song is about woring to a great place with milk and honey on the other side, which is supposed to be heaven.

Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah. Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah.
Sister help to trim the sail, hallelujah. Sister help to trim the sail, hallelujah.
Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah. Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah.
The River Jordan is chilly and cold, hallelujah. Chills the body but not the soul, hallelujah.
Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah. Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah.
The river is deep and the river is wide, hallelujah. Milk and honey on the other side, hallelujah.
Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah. Michael row the boat ashore, hallelujah.


(from: wikipedia - michael, row the boat ashore)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: It Is Well With My Soul

Sagrestia Nuova - Medici Chapel - Michelangelo

We just learned about Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel painting of The Last Judgement.

Another famous work of art by Michelangelo is the Sagrestia Nuova that he made for the Medici Chapel in Florence Italy, in 1524.

The Medici family was very rich, and also really liked sculptures, so before they died they paid Michelangelo to make sculptures for them in a church.
He made the Sagrestia Nuova, which means New Sacristy, which is a name for a room in a church.

In the church he made statues of people that were supposed to be for Day and Night, Dawn and Dusk.
This was because he wanted people to think about how time passes by from day to night and dawn to dusk.


(from: wikipedia - medici chapel)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Circles of Time - Alan Sonfist

Hindi - Saturday, Sunday

We just learned that Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday in Hindi is सोमवार (somavaar), मंगलवार (mangalavaar), बुधवार (budhavaar), and Thursday, Friday is गुरूवार (guroovaar), शुक्रवार (shukravaar).

Let's keep learning the days of the week!

Saturday - शनिवार (shanivaar) - sounds like shah-ee-vah-r 文A

Sunday - रविवार (ravivaar) - sounds like rah-vee-vah-r - 文A



(from: wikipedia - devanagari)

Swahili: Jumamosi, Jumapili

Russian: Суббота (Subbota), Воскресенье (Voskresen'ye)

Norwegian: Lørdag, Søndag

Greek: Σάββατο (Sávvato), Κυριακή (Kyriakí)

ASL: Saturday, Sunday

Italian: Sabato, Domenica

German: Samstag, Sonntag

Spanish: Sabado, Domingo

French: Samedi, Dimanche

Crude Oil

We just started to learn about Making Oil, which is also called petroleum.

One part of making oil is Crude Oil.

Before oil can be used in car engines or used to make things like plastics, it has to be cleaned up.
Almost like drinking water from a river might have a bunch of dirty things in it, oil can be the same way.

Crude oil means oil that is just found underground, and has to be cleaned up.
Sometimes it is floating above some water and below some gas, and doesn't need much cleaning.
Other times it is mixed up with sand and has to be filtered out. This is called bitumen or asphalt.
Other times it is thick almost like jelly and has to be made into more of a liquid. This is called heavy oil.


(from: wikipedia - petroleum)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Carburetor