Spider silk - webs

We just learned about Spider's Silk Balooning When spiders make webs, they use different types of silk.

Some parts of the web like the spoke lines going straight out are not sticky. Those are called ampullate or dragline silk.

Other parts that are sticky and bugs can get caught on are called flagelliform, or capture lines.

(from: wikipedia - spider silk)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Mink

Aortic Arch

We've learned that the big tube leaving the heart is called the aorta, and the first part of the aorta that goes up is called the ascending aorta.

After the ascending aorta goes up, it turns toward the middle of your body by your trachea.
That curved part where it turns is called the aortic arch.

There are some smaller tubes that come out of the aorta at the arch and go up toward the neck and head, and then the large aorta tube turns to go downward.

(from: wikipedia - aortic arch)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Cheek Muscles

Idaho

We just learned about the US state of Hawaii.

Idaho is a state in the north west part of the US, bordering Canada.

It's state nickname is the Gem State because almost every kind of gem like diamonds or rubies have been found in Idaho.
It's motto is Esto perpetua, which is Latin for Let it be forever.


(from: wikipedia - idaho)

The flag of Idaho has the state seal on it, which shows a woman for equality, liberty and justice.
There is a man who is dressed as a miner to show that there is a lot of mining in Idaho.
It also has pictures of farming, animals and rivers.

(from: wikipedia - flag and seal of idaho)

There is a large waterfall in Idaho called Shoshone Falls.

(from: wikipedia - shoshone falls)

One of the main crops that comes from Idaho is the potato. There is even a museum for the potato, called the Idaho Potato Museum.

(from: wikipedia - idaho potato museum)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Bangladesh

Last Supper - Communion

We've learned that Jesus was having his Last Supper with his apostles, he said that Judas would betray him.

While Jesus was at the dinner, he took some bread and gave it to his disciples, told them to eat it, and that it was his body.
Then he poured some wine in a cup and gave it to his disciples, told them to drink it, and that it was his blood.

He told them to eat and drink the bread and wine like that to remember him because he was going to die on the cross for them.

This is sometimes called Holy Communion, or the Eucharist, or the Lord's Supper.
The word Eucharist means thanksgiving.

(from: wikipedia - eucharist)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Jesus' Apostles - Matthias

The Great Wave off Kanagawa - Katsushika Hokusai

We just learned about the famous painting American Gothic by Grant Wood.

Another famous piece of art is the painting The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Japanese painter Katsushika Hokusai in 1830.

This enormous wave in the painting is a wave of the open sea, called okinami.
If you look in the background of the painting you can see Mt. Fuji in Japan.

The style of painting for this artwork is called ukiyo-e, which means pictures of the floating world.
The paintings were woodblock printing, which was a special way for people to make paintings.

First a painter would paint a picture on a piece of very thin paper called washi.
Then someone would glue the paper on to a piece of wood, where a carver would carve traced lines through the paper into the wood to match the painting.
Then they would remove the paper, and paint the colors on to the wooden block.
Next another piece of fresh paper would be put on the block, and pressed hard against it using a tool called a baren. When the paper was pulled away, it would have a print copy of the original painting from the block.

Using this style, they could make many copies of the artwork and sell them to the rich people in the area.


(from: wikipedia - the great wave off kanagawa)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lunar Impact Craters

German Alphabet - ä, ö, ü, ß

The letters in the German alphabet look just like the ones in the English alphabet, but there are four extra letters:

ä, ö, ü, ß

ä sounds like the a in the word game.
The word gähnen means yawn, and it sounds like gain-en. - /?/

ö sounds like the u in the word put.
The word Löwe means lion, and it sounds like luavah - /?/

ü sounds like the oo in the word soon.
The word müde means tired, and it sounds like moo-dah - /?/

ß sounds like the letter s, just held out a little longer.
The word Straße means street, and it sounds like strah-ss-ss-uh. - /?/


(from: wikipedia - Goethe Institute)

Do you remember the Spanish alphabet?
A, B, C, D, E, F, G
H, I, J, K, L, LL, M, N, Ñ
O, P, Q, R, RR, S, T, U
V, W, X, Y, Z

Do you remember the French alphabet?
A, B, C, D, E, F, G
H, I, J, K, L, M, N
O, P, Q, R, S, T, U
V, W, X, Y, Z

Stationary Front

We've learned that a cold front is a bunch of cold air moving along, a warm front is a bunch of warm air moving along, and an occluded front is when one type of front catches up to another one and takes it over.

Sometimes cold and warm fronts crash into each other, but neither of them is strong enough to take over the other one.
So they just sort of mix together and sometimes make some interesting weather.

Since both fronts are fighting against each other but neither are moving much, this is called a stationary front.
The word stationary means not moving.

Many times because there is warm air up high being held up for a while, a stationary front can be the sign of rain or snow storms that last a long time.

On a weather map the stationary front is the red half circle picture for a warm front on one side of a line, and the blue triangle picture for a cold front on the other side of the line.

(from: wikipedia - stationary front)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lava Channel