Thursday, May 7, 2015

Snowflake


We just learned about Sleet.

Snow is another type of frozen precipitation that falls from clouds just like hail and sleet.

Snow forms in clouds that are full of tiny ice crystals.

The tiny ice crystals all bump into each other and stick to each other in funny ways.
Small differences in temperature and humidity make the snowflakes come in all shapes and sizes.


(from: wikipedia - snowflake)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Feldspar

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Alaskan Malamute


We just learned about the type of dog the Akita Inu.

Another type of dog is called the Alaskan Malamute.

This dog is very similar to the Siberian Husky, but is bigger and stronger.
Because of it's big muscles it can pull heavier loads for longer distances, but can't run as fast as the husky.

The Malamutes are great dogs for the cold, and were great at helping people pull sleds.

They helped the first American reach the South pole, they helped people who came to Alaska for the gold rush, and they were used in World War II to help rescue people in the cold lands of Greenland.

The Alaskan Malamute is also the official state dog of the state of Alaska.

(from: wikipedia - alaskan malamute)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Robin

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Tibial arteries


We just learned about the popliteal artery that brings oxygenated blood down to through your knee.

After it goes past your knee it splits into two arteries called the tibial arteries.
The anterior tibial artery is in front, and the posterior artery is in back.


(from: wikipedia - anterior tibial artery)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Digestive System

Monday, May 4, 2015

New Jersey


We just learned about the US state of New Hampshire.

New Jersey is a state in the US, on the north east part of the country, right on the Atlantic Ocean.
It's nickname is The Garden State because there was a lot of farming there in the past, and it's motto is Liberty and prosperity.

It is the most densely packed state, which means it has the most people all bunched together in one small area.
It doesn't have the most people in a single state, but the people there are more tightly packed in than any other state.


(from: wikipedia - new jersey)

The flag of New Jersey is a tan color, with the state seal on it.
The seal has three plows for the farming that was in New Jersey's past.
There is a horse's head and a helmet showing that New Jersey is in charge of itself.
The two goddesses of liberty and prosperity are on the seal, which is the state motto.


(from: wikipedia - flag of new jersey)

New Jersey was a very important state in the American Revolutionary war, and there is a famous painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware river, on the way to go take back the town of Trenton, New Jersey.

(from: wikipedia - washington crossing the delaware)

Thomas Edison was a very famous inventor whose laboratory was in New Jersey.
He helped bring long lasting light bulbs, electricity and movies all across the US.

(from: wikipedia - thomas edison)

One day a large flying airship called the Hindenberg was flying into New Jersey.
There was a disaster and it burst into flames and crashed.
It was a terrible tragedy, and after it blew up people were afraid to use airships like that anymore.

(from: wikipedia - hindenburg disaster)

The 22nd and 24th president of the US was Grover Cleveland who was from New Jersey.
He was president back in 1885.

(from: wikipedia - grover cleveland)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: South Africa

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Jesus appears to Mary


We've learned how the two women named Mary found Jesus' empty tomb and men in bright clothing that were angels telling them that Jesus had come back to life.

When the two women were leaving the tomb, Jesus appeared to Mary!
She was very excited to see him, but he told her that he had not yet gone up to heaven to see God the Father, and he wanted her to go tell his disciples what she saw.

(from: wikipedia - noli me tangere)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Blessed are the poor

Saturday, May 2, 2015

Statue of Liberty - Bartholdi


We just learned about the famous work of art the Bethlehem Mural by artist Banksy.

Another famous work of art is the Statue of Liberty by French artist Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi in 1887.

Bartholdi liked America a lot because they gained their freedom from the British during the American Revolutionary War, and then they abolished slavery after the civil war. He also liked that America was a place that a lot of people moved to from other countries, when people were looking for a place to start new families and build new homes.

He came and visited America a few times, and when he was on the boat coming over he saw an island by New York that was empty, so he had the idea to put a statue there as a symbol of freedom for America.

He also wanted the people in his home country of France to look at the freedom that America had, and hopefully try to push for their own freedom.

The statue is of a Roman goddess named Libertas who stood for liberty and freedom.
In one arm she is holding a torch high to shine the light of freedom to the world.
In her other arm she is holding a tablet that has the year of America's independence, July 4th, 1776.

The statue was built piece by piece in France, and the pieces were shipped over the Atlantic Ocean to America to be put together.

After it was built it became a symbol of American Freedom for all travelers coming to the America from other countries.

(from: wikipedia - statue of liberty)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Harvest Moon

Friday, May 1, 2015

German - His face is rough


We just learned in German her hands are soft is Ihre Hände sind weich..

To say his face is rough you would say Sein Gesicht ist rau.
We can break it up into four words:
His - Sein - sounds like zah-een /?/
face - Gesicht - sounds like gah-zikt /?/
is - ist - Sounds like isst /?/
rough - rau - Sounds like rah-oo /?/


So all together Sein Gesicht ist rau sounds like Zah-een gah-zikt isst rah-oo.

Goethe Institute
(from: wikipedia - Goethe Institute)

Do you remember how to say it in Spanish?
Su cara es áspera

Do you remember how to say it in French?
Son visage est rude.