Monday, April 18, 2016

Lake Issyk-Kul


We just learned about Reindeer Lake in Canada.

The next largest lake is Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan.

This lake is in a mountain range, and even though through the winter the mountains are covered in snow, the water never freezes because there are hot springs feeding the water into the lake.
Hot springs doesn't mean the water is hot though, it just means the temperature is above freezing.
At the warmest part of the year when people go to the beach for swimming, the water is usually from 64 to 73 degrees F.
That's really cold for most people!


(from: wikipedia - issyk-kul)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Nevada

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Good Friday


We just learned about Maundy Thursday.

The next special day of Holy Week is Good Friday.

This is the day for remembering when Christ died on the cross.

Some churches will have prayers to remember each part of Jesus' walk to the cross.
Other countries have parades with large crosses and floats to remember what happened.


(from: wikipedia - good friday)

In some places they make hot cross buns, which have frosting of a cross on the top to remember the cross, and spices inside to remember the spices used when Jesus was buried.


(from: wikipedia - hot cross buns)

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Jesus' Empty Tomb

Saturday, April 16, 2016

Younger Memnon


We just learned about Nefertiti Bust sculpture.

Another ancient sculpture is the Younger Memnon statue.
This is the sculpture of an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh named Ramesses II or Ramesses the Great, and it is over 8 feet tall and 6 feet wide.
The statue used to have a lower body and legs, but they were broken.

This statue used to stand outside a large temple called the Ramesseum, a temple built for the pharaoh.
Rameses II was pharaoh for a long time and had many temples, statues and sculptures built through the time he was a ruler.


(from: wikipedia - younger memnon)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: A Bar at the Folies-Bergère - Manet

Friday, April 15, 2016

Italian - Our table is short


We just learned in Italian their car is tall is La loro auto è alto.

To say our table is short you would say Il nostro tavolo è breve.
We can break it up like this:
Our - Il nostro - sounds like eel noh-st-doh /?/
table - tavolo - sounds like tah-voh-loh /?/
is - è - Sounds like ay /?/
short - breve - Sounds like b-day-vay /?/


So all together Il nostro tavolo è breve sounds like eel noh-st-doh tah-voh-loh ay b-day-vay.

academy of the bran
(from: wikipedia - accademia della crusca)

In German:
Unser Tisch ist kurz

In Spanish:
Nuestra mesa es bajo

In French:
Notre table est courte

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Category 1 Hurricane


We just learned about the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale used to measure hurricanes.

The first level on that scale is a Category 1 Hurricane - Very dangerous winds that will produce some damage.

These hurricanes have winds between 74 and 95 mph.

They usually are not strong enough to damage large houses or buildings, but could blow over mobile homes, uproot trees or blow off roof shingles.


(from: wikipedia - hurricane barbara (2013))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Rain

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Green Tree Python


We just learned about Corn Snake.

Another type of snake is the Green Tree Python.
These snakes live in areas like New Guinea, Indonesia or Australia.

They live in trees, and will loop their coils over the tree like a saddle, and then lay their head in the middle.
When they hunt for the rodents that they eat, they will hang down from the tree and surprise their prey.
They do not have venom, and they are constrictors.
That means they wrap their body around their prey and squish it.

Sometimes they will bite humans if they get scared, but since they do not have venom they are not very dangerous.


(from: wikipedia - green tree python)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Chow Chow

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Frontal Lobe


We just learned about the Cerebrum.

There are four parts of the cerebrum, called lobes.

The lobe in the front at your forehead is called the Frontal Lobe.

The frontal lobe helps control voluntary movement.
Voluntary movement means things that you control, like walking or moving your arms.
Involuntary movement is things you can't control, like your heart pumping, or your stomach digesting your food.

It also helps make decisions on what is good or bad, and helps make decisions on if two things are alike.


(from: wikipedia - frontal lobe)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Abdominal Aorta