ASL - Hello and Goodbye

We've now learned a whole year of Italian words.
Molto bene!

Let's try another language now, how about ASL - American Sign Language?

This is a language created for people who can not hear, so you use your hands, to make most of the signs.

First let's learn how to say hello and goodbye.

To do this sign, you put your right hand in what is called the "Flat B" or "Flat Hand" shape. Then you put that hand up to your forehead pointed up with your index finger touching your forehead and your pinky facing out, and move your hand away from your face up and away, like a salute.

Here is the Flat B hand shape:

(from: wiktionary - appendix:sign language handshapes)

To say goodbye, you hold your right hand up in what is called the "Open B" or "Open Hand" on your right side with your elbow bent and your palm facing forward.

Bend your your fingers down to your palm two times, like a closed hand wave.

Here is the Open B hand shape:

(from: wiktionary - appendix:sign language handshapes)

Here is a helpful video showing these signs:


Greetings, Introducing Yourself and Small Talk in American Sign Language - EmmaSigns



(from: wikipedia - american sign language)

Italian:
Ciao, arrivederci

German:
Hallo, Auf Wiedersehen

Spanish:
Hola! Adiós!

French:
Bonjour! Au Revoir!

Punching

We just learned about blacksmith's Swaging.

Another thing they do is called Punching.

Remember we learned about the Pritchel Hole on the anvil.
When a piece of metal needs a hole in it, the blacksmith will hold the metal over the pritchel hole, and then hammer a hole into it with a shaped piece of metal called a punch.


(from: wikipedia - punch (tool))


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Vietnamese Long-nosed snake

We just learned about the Gray Banded Kingsnake.

Another type of snake is the Vietnamese Long-nosed snake, also known as the rhinoceros ratsnake.

This type of snake is not venomous, it mostly lives in the trees in rainforests, and is awake at night.

They have a very long nose, which is where they got there nickname of rhinoceros snake.

When they are born, they are brownish grey, and when they grow up they turn green.

(from: wikipedia - viet)


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Somatic nervous system

We just learned about the coccygeal nerve, which is the last part of the Central Nervous System or CNS.

Remember we learned that the other part of the nervous system is the Peripheral Nervous System or PNS.

One part of that system is the Somatic Nervous System or SoNS, or voluntary nervous system.

These are all the nerves that go through your body to control muscles that you move on purpose, like your arms and legs.
The voluntary muscles are the ones you can control, like your feet.
Involuntary muscles are the ones you can't control, like your heart beating.


(from: wikipedia - somatic nervous system)


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Alaska Range

We just learned about the Andes Mountains.

The next highest mountain range is the Alaska Range.

These mountains are like a big wall blocking warm air from the Gulf of Alaska, so the weather on these mountains is very rough.

There are also earthquakes and volcanoes on this range, even though it is way up north in Alaska.


(from: wikipedia - alaska range)


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Cain

We just learned about Eve from the Bible.

The next person in the Bible is Cain.

Cain was the first son born to Adam and Eve.

Cain was a farmer, and grew crops.

The Bible tells the story of Cain in Genesis Chapter 4.


(from: wikipedia - book of genesis)


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Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus

We just learned about the Portrait of the Four Tetrarchs.

Another ancient Roman sculpture is the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus.

A sarcophagus is a large decorated coffin.
This sculpture shows many different stories from the bible, because Junius Bassus became a Christian before he died.
There are sculptures of Adam and Eve, Daniel in the Lion's Den, the Trial of Jesus, Moses with the ten commandments, and many more.


(from: wikipedia - sarcophagus of junius bassus)


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