Electric eel

We just learned a little about the Octopus.

There is an animal in the water called the electric eel that can shock you with real electricity!

Their shock is five times stronger than if you got electrocuted from a plug in your house!

(from: wikipedia - eletric eel)

Even though it's called an electric eel, it's really a type of fish called a knifefish and not actually a type of eel.

Electric eels have sodium and potassium chemicals in their body that store up electricity, almost like a battery, or like a static shock before you zap someone.
When they are ready to zap their enemy, they mix up another chemical in their body that causes the electricity to zap whoever is close enough or touching them.


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Cheetah

Tongue

We just learned about the Plantar Foot Muscles.

Your tongue is also a muscle!

There are eight different muscles in your tongue, with big long names:
genioglossus, hyoglossus, styloglossus, palatoglossus, superior longitudinal, inferior longitudinal, verticalis and transversus.

Your tongue is the most flexible parts of your body, all because of so many muscles.

You can move your tongue up, down, left and right. Stick it out or pull it in.
Some people can curl it back on top or bottom, fold it in half, turn it sideways, or even make it round or flat!

It's such an important muscle that we use every day!

(from: wikipedia - tongue)



Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Hand Bones - Metacarpals

Israel

Israel is a small country in Asia.
It is right on the border of the continent of Africa, and it is the only country in Asia that touches Africa where it borders against the country of Egypt.
So if you wanted to drive from Asia to Africa, you'd have to drive through Israel!

(from: wikipedia - israel)

For lunch in Israel, you might have a felafel pita, kind of like a sandwich.

(from: wikipedia - israeli cuisine)

A very famous city in Israel is Jerusalem, which is very old and has a lot of history in the Bible.

(from: wikipedia - tourism in israel)

Natalie Portman is a famous actress from Israel.
She played Queen Amidala in the Star Wars movies.

(from: wikipedia - queen amidala)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Africa Continent

Jesus' Apostles - Matthew

We've learned about 6 apostles so far:
Fishermen Andrew and Simon Peter
Fishermen James and John who were brothers and sons of Zebedee.
Philip and Bartholomew who were from the same town as the others.

In another town, Jesus called a man named Matthew who was a tax collector.
In Jesus days tax collectors were usually not very good people, they cheated and stole from people when they collected taxes.
So when Jesus called on Matthew a lot of people were upset because they thought he was bad.
Jesus told them that he didn't come to help the people who were perfect, he came to help out the sinners.

(from: wikipedia - calling of matthew)



Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Tenth Commandment

Moon Rille

We've learned so far about the lunar highlands and maria.

There are long deep marks like grooves on the moon that are called rilles.

(from: wikipedia - rille)



Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Sputnik

Spanish - Do you speak Spanish?

To ask if someone speaks Spanish, you say hablas español /?/

It sounds like ah-blah-s ess-pan-yoh-l.

To say yes, you would say si, sounds like see.
Or no, which sounds just like the way you say it in English.


(from: wikipedia - Association of Spanish Language Academies)

Do you remember how to say it in French?
parlez-vous français

Pillow Lava

We just learned about Igneous Rocks that are made from lava.

Sometimes volcanoes can be underwater!

When they erupt, they make what is called pillow lava, because the lava rocks end up looking like pillows.

(from: wikipedia - pillow lava)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Sound Waves