Saturday, March 7, 2015

The Snail - Henri Matisse


We just learned about the painting Relativity by M. C. Escher.

Another famous work of art was called The Snail by French artist Henri Matisse.

Matisse was very famous for many of the paintings that he did through his life, but one day he got sick and could not paint the same way anymore.
He still wanted to make art, so instead of using a paintbrush he did something called decoupage which is like colored paper cut outs pasted together to make a picture.

Matisse drew a picture of the snail, then took the colored paper and set them together to look kind of like a colorful snail.

(from: wikipedia - the snail)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Full Moon

Friday, March 6, 2015

German - We are surprised


We just learned that I am happy in German is Ich bin glücklich,
you are sad is Sie traurig sind,
he is angry is er ist wütend,
and they are excited is sie sind aufgeregt.

Let's learn how to say We are surprised.

Wir sind begeistert.

We can break it up into three words:
We - Wir - sounds like veer /?/
are - sind - sounds like zint /?/
surprised - begeistert - Sounds like buh-gah-ee-stah-t /?/


So all together Sie sind aufgeregt sounds like Zee zint ow-f-guh-raykt.

Goethe Institute
(from: wikipedia - Goethe Institute)

Do you remember how to say it in Spanish?
Estamos sorprendido

Do you remember how to say it in French?
Nous sommes surpris

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Altocumulus Clouds


We've now learned that cirrus clouds are thin wispy stringy clouds way up high in the sky,
cumulus clouds are big and puffy, almost like cotton balls,
cumulonimbus clouds are tall mushroom shaped clouds that are seen during storms,
stratus clouds are flat hazy foggy clouds that sometimes have light rain,
nimbostratus clouds are big, hazy and dark and are a sign of rain,
cirrostratus clouds are very high up in the sky and flat and hazy,
altostratus clouds are flat and hazy and in the middle of the sky,
and cirrocumulus clouds are up like small spread out cotton balls.

Another type of cloud is called an altocumulus cloud, which looks puffy just like the other cumulus clouds, but it is larger and darker than the cirrocumulus clouds.

Just like the altostratus cloud, the altocumulus is in the middle of the sky, not very high and not very low.

(from: wikipedia - altocumulus cloud)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Marble

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Basset Hound


We just learned about the Australian Cattle Dog.

Another type of dog is the Basset Hound, sometimes also called a Hush Puppy.

Long ago people used Basset Hounds as rabbit hunters.
They have a great sense of smell and are one of the best smellers of any dog!

Bassets are long heavy dogs with very short legs.
They have long ears that hang down from their heads.
Their ears are so long that basset hound puppies sometimes trip over their ears, and when the dogs are eating sometimes their ears get into their food.
Because their ears hang down, they can help bring smells right to their nose so they can find things better.

Most bassets have a white tip on their tail, which hunters would use to help find their dogs while the dogs were out looking for rabbits.


(from: wikipedia - basset hound)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Springbok

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Brachial Artery


We know that the subclavian artery brings oxygenated blood from the heart toward the arm, and then continues on to turn into the axillary artery.

After that it goes down the arm between your biceps and triceps and is called the brachial artery.



(from: wikipedia - brachial artery)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Bronchi

Monday, March 2, 2015

Massachusetts


We just learned about the US state of Maryland.

Massachusetts is a state on the east coast of the US, right on the Atlantic Ocean.

It's nicknames are: The Bay State, The Old Colony State and The Codfish State.

It's mottos are: Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem which means by the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty.


(from: wikipedia - massachusetts)

The flag of Massachusetts is mostly white, with the blue state seal in the middle.
The state seal has a Native American on it, holding a spear pointed downward meaning peace.
There is an arm holding a sword above the seal, to remind people that we had to fight for our country's freedom.


(from: wikipedia - flag of massachusetts)

Two of the best universities in the world are in Boston, Harvard and MIT.


(from: wikipedia - harvard university)

Massachusetts was one of the first places the travelers to America landed to build their homes, after sailing on ships like the Mayflower.

(from: wikipedia - mayflower)

A famous writer named Henry David Thoreau went to live in a cabin on a pond called Walden Pond, where he wrote a famous book called Walden about simple living in simple surroundings.

(from: wikipedia - walden pond)

There have been 4 presidents who were born in Massachusetts.
John Adams, the 2nd president from 1789 to 1797

(from: wikipedia - john adams)

John Quincy Adams, the 6th president from 1825 to 1829

(from: wikipedia - john quincy adams)

John F. Kennedy, the 35th president from 1953 to 1960

(from: wikipedia - john f. kennedy)

George H. W. Bush, the 41st president from 1989 to 1993

(from: wikipedia - george h. w. bush)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Jordan

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Jesus Crucifixion - Nailed to the cross


We learned that the hill where Jesus was crucified was called Calvary.

When they put him on the cross, they put nails through his hands and feet to hold him to the cross.


(from: wikipedia - crucifixion of jesus)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Jesus' Miracles - Healing the centurion's servant