Lake Athabasca

We just learned about Lake Nicaragua in Central America.

The next biggest lake is in Canada, called Lake Athabasca.
This name comes from the Cree natives, meaning "where there are plants one after another".

There is a very old town in this area called Fort Chipewyan, named after the Chipewyan people who lived there.


(from: wikipedia - lake athabasca)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Mississippi

Ash Wednesday

We just learned about how on Fat Tuesday many people would have large feasts right before the season of Lent.

The first day of lent is Ash Wednesday.

For 40 days after this day, not including Sundays, people would not eat meat or even some types of fatty bread.
At church service for Ash Wednesday, some people would take old palm branches that had been saved from last year's celebration of Palm Sunday.
They would burn those palm branches and use the ashes.

Some churches sprinkle ashes above people's heads, and others would make a mark of a cross on their foreheads.

When the priest or pastor would put ashes on your head, they would say:

Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
or
Repent, and believe in the Gospel.



(from: wikipedia - ash wednesday)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Jesus' Crucifixion - Here is your son

Cylinder Seal

We just learned about the sculpture the Lyres of Ur.

Other famous sculptures are the ancient Cylinder Seals.

Around 3,500 years ago, people would take stone, metal or even jewels and carve them into a cylinder shape.
Then they would carve a hole through the middle so they were like a tube.
On the outside of the tube they would carve pictures that would tell a story, send a message, or maybe be like a signature for someone.

Then they would roll the cylinder along some wet soft clay, and it would leave a print on clay.
The clay dried and they would have a picture.


(from: wikipedia - cylinder seal)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: No. 5, 1948 - Jackson Pollock

Italian - The chair is small

We just learned that in Italian to say this house is big you say Questa casa è grande.

Let's learn about more things we see every day.

To say The chair is small, we say La sedia è piccolo

We can break it up into four words:
The - La - sounds like lah /?/
chair - sedia - sounds like say-dee-ah /?/
is - è - Sounds like ay /?/
small - piccolo - Sounds like pee-koh-loh /?/


So all together La sedia è piccolo sounds like lah say-dee-ah ay pee-koh-loh.


(from: wikipedia - accademia della crusca)

In German:
Der Stuhl ist klein

In Spanish:
La silla es pequeña

In French:
La chaise est petit

Tropical Cyclone

We've learned a lot about tornadoes, like what an F5 Tornado is!

Now let's learn a little about tropical cyclones.

There are a few types of things known as tropical cyclones, like hurricanes, typhoons, tropical storms, cyclonic storms, tropical depressions.

They are called tropical because they are usually over the area around the equator, known as the tropics.

They are called cyclones because they spin around just like a tornado does.


(from: wikipedia - tropical cyclone)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Cloud Étages

Blunthead Tree Snake

We just learned about the southern hognose snake.

Another type of snake is the blunthead tree snake.

This type of snake is very long and skinny with a big head.
It's usually about three feet long, and brown with white stripes.

These snakes have really big eyes, and their pupils are vertical, up and down.
Most snakes use their smell and feelings to find food, but these snakes can see very well with their big eyes.


(from: wikipedia - imantodes cenchoa)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Shar Pei

Central Nervous System

Let's keep learning about the Nervous System.

One of the main parts of the nervous system is the central nervous system.

This is made up of your brain and spinal cord.


(from: wikipedia - central nervous system)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Palmar Arch