Lake Balkhash

We just learned about Lake Ladoga.

The next biggest lake is Lake Balkhash in the country of Kazakhstan.

This lake has 43 islands, but the water level keeps getting lower, so there are more islands that are forming, and the other islands are getting bigger.

(from: wikipedia - lake balkhash)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Maine

Epiphany

We just learned about the 3 weeks of the Christmas season on the church calendar.

The third week of that season is known as Epiphany meaning Appearance, or Vision of God.

This is the week churches celebrate things like the wise men coming to visit Jesus in the manger.
Some people during this season make a cake called a king cake, which is a round cake that has a small doll of baby Jesus inside.
People each take a piece of cake, and whoever finds the small doll has to make the cake next year.

This was a way to remember the kings and wise men coming to find the baby Jesus.


(from: wikipedia - king cake)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Jesus - Carrying his cross

Gundestrup Cauldron

We just learned about the sculpture Guennol Lioness.

Another sculpture is the Gundestrup Cauldron.

This is a large metal bowl that was made thousands of years ago, and has many carvings on the side of people and animals.

In order to make this bowl, they had to find some rocks that had silver in them, and put them in a hot fire where everything burned away except the silver.
This is called cupellation.

Then they took the silver bars and pounded them flat, then heated them up again so they could pound some shapes and pictures into the silver.
This is called annealing and repoussé.

Next they used some hard tools called punches and tracers to poked holes, make dents and lines on the metal for pictures.
They added some other metals on the outside like gold and silver to make it look nice.
This is called gilding.

Last they put some pieces of glass into the carvings on the bowl.
This is called inlay.


(from: wikipedia - gundestrup cauldron)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Campbell's Soup Cans

Italian - You are sad

We just learned that in Italian I am happy is sono felice.

Now let's learn how to say You are sad.

Sei triste

We can break it up into two words:
You are - Sei - sounds like say-ee /?/
sad - triste - Sounds like t-dee-stay /?/


So all together Sei trista sounds like say-ee t-dee-stay.


(from: wikipedia - accademia della crusca)

In German:
Sie sind traurig

In Spanish:
Estas triste

In French:
Vous êtes triste

F1 Tornado

We just learned that the F0 Tornado on the Fujita Scale is light damage to trees and buildings.

The next level of damage is an F1 Tornado - Moderate damage.
This is when roofs can be peeled off of houses, mobile homes are overturned, cars are pushed off of roads, and some garages can be destroyed.


(from: wikipedia - fujita scale)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Cirrostratus Cloud

Schnauzer

We just learned about the type of dog the Pekingese.

Another type of dog is the Schnauzer.

This type of dog came from Germany, and comes from the word for snout, or mustache.
The schnauzer comes in three sizes, giant, standard and miniature.
They grow long hair that is sometimes shaved to make them look like they have a mustache.

They were originally used to kill rats that carried diseases, and they have also been used as guard dogs, police dogs and message carriers.


(from: wikipedia - schnauzer)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Spider Tubular Webs

Heart Wall - Endocardium

We just learned about the pulmonary valve in the heart that opens for blood to go to the lungs for oxygen.

The walls of the heart are made up of different types of layers.

The inside wall of the heart is called the endocardium.
This is a thin layer that keeps the inside of the heart soft, smooth and wet, and also helps the heart send it's electrical signals all over that are part of what keeps it beating at the right time.


(from: wikipedia - endocardium)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Internal Thoracic Artery