Lightning Leaders

We just learned about Cloud to Cloud Lightning

When a cloud is all full of energy and ready to zap the ground with some electricity and make Cloud to Ground Lightning, it starts shooting out things that are called leaders.

We learned before about the tiny particles called atoms, and we learned that they can have extra positive or extra negative energy, called Ions.
When all the little tiny atoms in the cloud get charged up, or ionized with energy, the negative and positive ionized gases in the cloud go in different directions.

The negative ionized gas starts moving down toward the ground, and the positive ionized gas moves up toward the sky.

These negative ionized gases moving down are the leaders.
They all get kind of crazy and go in different directions, they zig zag and split into different parts called branches as they move toward the ground.

When they get to the ground, all those crazy ions turn into a huge bolt of electricity and zap the ground.

(from: wikipedia - lightning)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Aluminum

Chihuahua

We just learned about the type of dog the pug.

Another type of dog is a chihuahua

Chihuahuas are the smallest type of dog in the world.
They come from Mexico, and they can have long hair or short hair.
Some are known as apple head chihuahuas and others are deer head.
The apple head means they have a round shaped head, and the deer head means they have a longer nose and thinner face.


(from: wikipedia - chihuahua (dog))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Rosy Maple Moth

Metatarsal Arteries

We learned that the arteries on the tarsus ankle area of the foot are called the tarsal arteries

After the tarsal arteries, the oxygenated blood goes to the metatarsal arteries.
The long bones of your foot between your toes and ankle are called your metatarsal bones.

You have two sets of metatarsal arteries, the plantar metatarsal arteries on the bottom of your foot, and the dorsal metatarsal arteries on the top of your foot.



(from: wikipedia - plantar metatarsal arteries)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Stomach - Body

Ohio

We just learned about the US state of North Dakota.

Ohio is a state in the midwest part of the US.
It's nicknames are The Buckeye State because of the buckeye trees, and The Mother of Presidents because 6 presidents were born in Ohio.
It's motto is the Birthplace of Aviation because the Wright brothers were from Ohio, and The Heart of It All because it is in the middle of the US.

The name Ohio comes from the Iroquois Native American word meaning Great River.


(from: wikipedia - ohio)

The flag of Ohio has a V shaped cut in the side of it, and it is the only state with a flag that is not rectangular shaped.
The circle in the flag is for the O in the state's name.
There are 13 stars for the original 13 colonies, and then 4 more because it was the 17th state in the US.

(from: wikipedia - flag of ohio)

The state seal of Ohio has wheat, arrows, Mount Logan, the rising sun and sun rays, and a river and fields.

(from: wikipedia - seal of ohio)

One of the largest roller coaster theme parks in the world called Cedar Point is in Sandusky Ohio.

(from: wikipedia - cedar point)

During the 1960s, the Cuyahoga River in Ohio became so polluted that the pollution in the river caught on fire. The fact that a river could be on fire from pollution got people so upset that it got many people involved in working to clean up the earth and not pollute things so much.

(from: wikipedia - cuyahoga river)

The wright brothers that were the first to fly airplanes were born in Ohio.

(from: wikipedia - wright brothers)

There were 6 presidents that were born in Ohio.

18th President Ulysses S. Grant, 1869-1877

(from: wikipedia - ulysses s. grant)

19th President Rutherford B. Hayes, 1877-1881.

(from: wikipedia - rutherford b. hayes)

20th President James A. Garfield, 1881-1881.

(from: wikipedia - james a. garfield)

23rd President Benjamin Harrison, 1889-1893

(from: wikipedia - benjamin harrison)

25th President William McKinley, 1897-1901

(from: wikipedia - william mckinley)

27th President William Howard Taft, 1909-1913

(from: wikipedia - william howard taft)

29th President Warren G. Harding, 1921-1923

(from: wikipedia - warren g. harding)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Algeria

Jesus restores Peter

We just learned about when Jesus appeared to Thomas.

When Jesus was being taken to be crucified on the cross, people saw Peter and said that he was a follower of Jesus.
Peter was scared that they would kill him too just for knowing Jesus so he said he didn't know him.

Jesus had told Peter even before he was arrested that Peter would deny him three times before the rooster crowed.
After Peter had told people he didn't know Jesus three times, he heard a rooster crow.
He felt very sad about saying that because he loved Jesus, he was just too afraid.

When Jesus had come back to life after the cross, he was talking to Peter.
Jesus asked if Peter loved him.
Peter said yes that he does.
Then Jesus said to feed his sheep.

He did this three times in a row, to show Peter that he forgave him for denying him three times.

He told Peter to feed his sheep because he wanted him to tell the whole world about Jesus.
Peter became one of the first leaders for churches that followed Jesus words.

(from: wikipedia - restoration of peter)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Blessed are the pure in heart

The Fox Hunt - Winslow Homer

We just learned about the famous work of art His Station and Four Aces by C. M. Coolidge.

Another famous work of art is The Fox Hunt by American painter Winslow Homer in 1893.

In this painting you can see that it is winter, a time when it is hard for animals to find food.
There is a fox looking for food, and a berry branch that he might be able to eat.
Above the fox are crows that are flying and looking down at the fox like they might eat him.

The painting shows the cycle of life and how different animals survive.

When Homer was painting this, someone gave him a real fox and crows that were no longer alive, and he used them to try and get all the colors and actions right. He went out and made a lot of sketches of crows while they were jumping and flying around, and used that to try and make a painting that looked real.

(from: wikipedia - the fox hunt)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Solar Core - Energy

German - March, April

Let's keep learning about the months of the year in German!

We already learned that January, February is Jaunar, Februar

Let's keep going!

March - März - sounds like may-ah-tz /?/
April - April - sounds like ap-uh-eh-l /?/


(from: wikipedia - Goethe Institute)

Do you remember how to say it in Spanish?
Marzo, Abril

Do you remember how to say it in French?
Mars, Avril