Thursday, May 17, 2018

Rocket Engine


We just learned about the rocket's Combustion Chamber.

So we know about the rocket propellant, the propellant tank, the combustion chamber and the nozzle.

When these pieces are all put together it makes the Rocket Engine.

The engine is all of those pieces working together to push the rocket along up into the sky.


(from: wikipedia - rocket engine)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Twist Drill Bits

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Vampire Squid


We just learned about the Red Cuttlefish.

Another type of cephalopod is the Vampire Squid.

This type of squid lives in the cold deep part of the ocean, over 2,000 feet below the sea.
It is very cold and dark at this part of the ocean, and there is not a lot of oxygen or food to eat.

Even though they are called the vampire squid, they do not drink blood of other animals.
They eat waste that is floating in the water.

These vampire squids are also kind of like an octopus, so they are their own type of squid and octopus cephalopod called "Vampyromorphida".

Just like the cirroteuthis octopus that looks like it is wearing a skirt, these cephalopods have their arms all webbed together.
Inside their webbed area their arms all have little poky looking spikes called cirri on them.
They are not sharp, and the vampire squid uses them to help collect the garbage food that is floating around in the water.

If they get scared, they can light up their body with photophores that make them glow.
Mostly just at the tips of their arms and the top of their head, but their whole body can make light.
They can also spit out some glowing goo, and sometimes they flip their webbed skirt area inside out and wrap it around their head to try and scare off someone who is trying to eat them.

These cephalopods can have black skin with a red eye, or red skin with a blue eye, so you can see why someone thought they looked like a scary vampire squid!
But mostly they are just a harmless animal floating deep in the ocean eating garbage and trying not to get eaten by a bigger animal.



(from: wikipedia - vampire squid)


(from: youtube - What the vampire squid really eats | Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI))

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Gray Tree Frog

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Teeth


Let's keep learning about the Human Mouth.

Probably the most important part of your mouth is your Teeth.

An adult human can have up to 32 teeth, that's a lot of chompers!

People grow two sets of teeth, 20 baby teeth, and then those fall out and we get the grown up teeth.


(from: wikipedia - human tooth)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Hair Growth

Monday, May 14, 2018

Caerlaverock Castle


We just learned about the Bodiam Castle.

Another famous castle is Caerlaverock Castle built in Scotland, in the late 1200s AD.

This castle is right on the border of England and Scotland, so it was part of many wars between the two countries for hundreds of years.

Because of it's high walls and towers, and moat protecting it, this castle was able to hold off entire armies with less than a hundred people inside defending it.




(from: wikipedia - caerlaverock castle)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Southern Appalachian Mountains

Sunday, May 13, 2018

Barnabas


We just learned about Nicolas, one of the seventy disciples.

Another of the seventy was Barnabas.

In the book of Acts, the apostle Paul started out as someone who hated Christians, and wanted them put in jail.
Later he changed his ways and became a Christian, but some people didn't believe that he was really changed.

Barnabas was a very well known Christian and trusted by other people.
He came to help Paul and told people that Paul was good, and they went together to different towns telling people about God's word.


(from: wikipedia - barnabas)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Psalm 51

Saturday, May 12, 2018

Six Ritual Jades - Cong


Let's keep learning about the ancient Chinese Six Ritual Jade sculptures

We already learned about the Bi disc - for the heaven or sky.

The second one is Cong, which is for the earth.

The cong is usually a tube with a circle shaped inside and a square shaped outside.



(from: wikipedia - cong (vessel))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Pietà - Michelangelo Buonarroti

Friday, May 11, 2018

Greek - Thursday, Friday


We just learned that Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday in Greek is Δευτέρα (Deftéra), Τρίτη (Tríti), Τετάρτη (Tetárti).

Let's keep learning the days of the week!

Thursday - Πέμπτη (Pémpti) - sounds like PEH-m-tee
Friday - Παρασκευή (Paraskeví) - sounds like pah-dah-skay-VEE

center for the greek language
(from: wikipedia - center for the greek language)

ASL: Thursday, Friday

Italian: Giovedì, Venerdì

German: Donnerstag, Freitag

Spanish: Viernes, Jueves

French: Jeudi, Vendredi