Sunday, August 13, 2017

Monks


We've learned a lot about the book of Proverbs.

Through the years, many Christians have become monks.

Monks are people who live all by themselves, study the Bible, try to live good lives, and usually help give back to the communities.

The word monk comes from the Greek word "monachos" or "monos" which means alone.

The first monks just were all by themselves, but later groups of monks started to live together in places called monasteries.


(from: wikipedia - christian monasticism)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Dove

Saturday, August 12, 2017

Fontana della Barcaccia - Bernini


We just learned about the sculpture of Saint Bibiana by Bernini.

Another famous Baroque art sculpture is the fountain Fontana della Barcaccia by Pietro Bernini in 1629 in Rome.

This fountain is in the shape of a sunken boat with water flowing all over the sides.

There was a legend of a river flooding 1598 and carrying a boat into this plaza and leaving it there when the flood waters went away.
This fountain was made based on that story.

Pietro Bernini is the father of the famous sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini.


(from: wikipedia - fontana della barcaccia)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Trajan's Column

Thursday, August 10, 2017

Hypocenter


We just learned about the earthquake Epicenter.

Another important thing in earthquake science is the Hypocenter.

This is the spot underground where the earthquake first started.
The epicenter is right above the hypocenter, but at the surface of the earth.


(from: wikipedia - hypocenter)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Straight Peen Hammer

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Golden Mantella


We just learned about the Kihansi Spray Toad.

Another type of frog is the Golden Mantella.

This is an endangered type of frog from Madagascar.
They do not have a very large living area, and they are very colorful, so they are caught a lot for pets.

These frogs are are tiny, and are bright orange, bright yellow or bright red.
They are poisonous in their natural habitat because of what they eat, but in a cage they are not poisonous.
Their croak is just like a clicking sound, and they usually hide out when they are calling each other since they are small and have to hide from predators.


(from: wikipedia - golden mantella)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Savu Python

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Tendon


We just learned a little about the Connective Tissue.

One type of connective tissue is a Tendon which connects muscle to bone.

Tendons are like a bunch of long thin ropes all bundled together, wrapped in and around the parts or your muscle, and then tied into your bone.

When your muscles tighten, the tendons stretch out until they are tight, just like a rope gets tighter when you pull on it.
As it gets tight, it pulls on the bone it is attached to, which is what moves your bone around.
So your bicep has tendons connected to your forearm, and when you want to bend your elbow, your biceps pulls on your tendon which pulls on the bone and it bends!

(from: wikipedia - tendon)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Foramen Magnum

Monday, August 7, 2017

Northwest Territories


We just learned about Prince Edward Island.

Canada has provinces and territories, which are a lot like the provinces.

One of the provinces is Northwest Territories which is in the northern part of Canada.

The name for this territory in the native Inuktitut means "beautiful land."
This is a very cold territory, with temperatures getting as low as -40 F.
The territory used to be almost all of Canada, but then it was divided up more and more into the other provinces.


(from: wikipedia - northwest territories)

The flag is blue with a white stripe in the middle.
The white is for snow and ice, and the blue is for water.
In the middle is the coat of arms of the Northwest Territories.

(from: wikipedia - flag of northwest territories)

The crest has two golden narwhals on top with a compass rose in the middle.
Below them is a white strip with a wavy blue line in the middle that is for the Northwest Passage.
Below that on the left is a green background for the forest and gold rectangles for the gold mines.
On the right is red for the tundra, and a white fox for the fur hunting.


(from: wikipedia - coat of arms of the northwest territories)

The Great Slave Lake is in Northwest Territories, and it is the deepest lake in North America.


(from: wikipedia - great slave lake)

There is an ice road on the Great Slave Lake that is used when the lake freezes over.


(from: wikipedia - northwest territories)

There are many mines in the Northwest Territories, like the Diavik Diamond mine in Lac de Gras.

(from: wikipedia - diavik diamond mine)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Shisapangma