Chugach Mountains

We just learned about the Kenai Mountains.

Another mountain range in the Pacific Coast Belt in Alaska is the Chugach Mountains.

These mountains are right by the Gulf of Alaska, and because of that they get more snowfall than anywhere else in the world, usually getting over 600 inches (50 feet!) of snow per year.


(from: wikipedia - chugach mountains)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lake Victoria

Isaac

We just learned about the person from the Bible named Sarah.

Another person from the Bible is Isaac.

Isaac was the only son of Abraham and Sarah.

When Isaac was young, God told Abraham to take him up to a mountain and offer him as a sacrifice.
This was very scary for Abraham because he loved Isaac, but he feared God so much that he did what God told him to do.
He took Isaac up to the mountain, but when God saw how much Abraham feared him and would follow his orders, he had Abraham sacrifice a sheep instead.
Because he was so faithful to God, he promised that he would bless all of Abraham and Isaac's children and grandchildren.

The Bible tells of Isaac's life in Genesis chapters 21 - 35.


(from: wikipedia - isaac)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: James

Aberlemno Sculptured Stones

We just learned about the Stenkvista Runestone.

Another ancient sculpture is the group of sculptured stones in Scotland, called the Aberlemno Sculptured Stones.

This is a group of 5 stones, all carved hundreds of years ago and placed as markers in important areas.


(from: wikipedia - aberlemno sculptured stones)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Dynamic Hieroglyph of the Bal Tabarin - Severini

ASL - Please, You're Welcome

Remember that to say thank you in ASL, you move your hand away from your chin, toward the other person..

To say please in ASL you make the "5" handshape with your hand, then put it flat on your chest, and make a circle, like you are rubbing your chest.

There are a few different ways to say you're welcome.
The word welcome in ASL really means more like welcome to my home, so you don't want to sign that.
The easiest way is just to do the ASL sign for thank you again.
You can also do the sign for fine which is the "5" handshape, with your fingers pointed up, touch your thumb to your chest two times.
Another way is to do the sign for nothing, to say "it's nothing". For this sign, you put both your hands in the ASL "O" handshape, and shake them in front of you.

Here are what the 5 and O handshapes look like:

5 handshape:


O handshape:



(from: wiktionary - appendix:sign language handshapes)

Here are some helpful videos showing these signs:


Manners Signs - Kathy MacMillan


How to say "You're Welcome" in ASL? (Responses to "Thank You" in American Sign Language) - Meredith ASL




(from: wikipedia - american sign language)


Italian: per favore, prego

German: bitte, bitte schön

Spanish: Por favor, de nada

French: s'il vous plait, de rien

Bloomery

We just learned about the Iron Ore that is used to get iron for blacksmithing.

One way to get the iron out of that iron ore is using something called a Bloomery.

A bloomery is like a chimney, where a fire is made at the bottom with charcoal, iron ore is poured into the top, and there are are holes on the bottom that help bring in air for the fire to keep burning.


(from: wikipedia - bloomery)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Tornado Appearance

Snake Biology

We just learned about 39 different types of snakes, like the Anaconda!.

Let's learn a little bit about how a snake's body works.

Snakes have many of the same body parts like we do, like hearts, lungs, vertebrae, but they are smaller, stretched out, or in different places.

One thing we have that snakes don't have is ears outside their body!
Long ago people used to do something called snake charming, where they would play a flute and a snake would rise up out of a basket like it was in a trance.
The trick really was the way the flute was being moved, because the snake couldn't really hear the flute!


(from: wikipedia - snake)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

Lumbar Plexus

We just learned about the Subcostal Nerve.

Another group of nerves is called the Lumbar Plexus.

These are connected to your spinal cord in your lower back, and they help control and get messages from your stomach, back, thighs and upper legs.

(from: wikipedia - lumbar plexus)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Superficial Palmar Venous Arch