Saint Elias Mountains

We just learned about the Alaska Range mountains.

The next highest mountain range is the Saint Elias Mountains.

These mountains are on the southern coast of Alaska, right on the pacific ocean.
Because they are on the coast, they are called coastal mountains.
They are the highest coastal mountains on earth.


(from: wikipedia - saint elias mountains)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Puerto Rico

Abel

We just learned about Adam and Eve's son Cain.

Cain's brother was named Abel.

While Cain was a farmer of crops, Abel was a farmer of animals.

When Cain and Abel would give offerings to God, Cain would offer up some crops, and Abel would offer up the best of all of his animals.

Because Abel's gift was so great, God liked it better than Cain's.
This made Cain mad, and he killed Abel.

After that God put a curse on Cain so he wouldn't be able to grow crops anymore, and sent him away.

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


(from: wikipedia - cain and abel)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Paul's First Letter to Timothy

Archangel Ivory

We just learned about the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus.

Another famous sculpture is the Archangel Ivory.

This is a carving in ivory of a powerful angel called an archangel holding a scepter, which is like a staff that rulers use, and an imperial orb, which is a ball with a cross on top.

This carving is the right half of something called a diptych, which is almost like the front and back covers of a book that opens, and the carving is on the inside.

Some people think the other half of the diptych was a carving of the emperor, and the archangel was giving him those gifts.


(from: wikipedia - archangel ivory)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Personnage Écrivant - Marcoussis

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))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Multiple Vortex Tornado

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)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Chesapeake Bay Retriever

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)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Axillary, Cephalic, Brachial Veins