Six Ritual Jades - Zhang

We've learned about four of the ancient Chinese Six Ritual Jades:
Cong - earth, Bi - sky/heaven, Huang - North, Hu - West,
and Gui - East.

The last of the Six Ritual Jades was the Zhang.

This was a flat blade or axe, and it was used to mean "South".


(from: wikipedia - chinese jade)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Gates of Paradise

Greek - May, June

We already learned that January, February is Ιανουάριος (Ianouários), - Φεβρουάριος (Fevrouários),
and March, April is Μάρτιος (Mártios), Απρίλιος (Aprílios).

Let's keep going!

May - Μάιος (Máios) - sounds like MAH-ee-oh-ss
June - Ιούνιος (Ioúnios) - sounds like YOO-nee-oh-ss


(from: wikipedia - center for the greek language)

ASL: May, June

Italian: Maggio, Giugno

German: Mai Juni

Spanish: Mayo, Junio

French: Mai, Juin

Fire Arrow

We just learned about how Specific Impulse measures how a rocket works.

Some of the first rockets that were made came from China over a thousand years ago, after the invention of gunpowder.

These were known as Fire Arrows.

At first people just had the idea to tie an explosive ball of gunpowder to the arrow that would blow up after the arrow was shot with a bow.
Later on someone figured out how to use the gunpowder as a solid propellant for the rocket in a wooden tube as the propellant tank, and use the burning of the gunpowder to thrust the arrow up higher and farther.


(from: wikipedia - fire arrow)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Burr

Parapuzosia

We just learned about the Giant Cuttlefish.

Another type of cephalopod is the Parapuzosia.

This animal is extinct now, but it was part of the ammonite family, which look a lot like the shelled nautilus, but are actually their own family in the world of animals.

These Parapuzosias would grow to be around 2 feet wide, but one person found pieces of an old shell showing one that was over 8 feet tall!


(from: wikipedia - parapuzosia seppenradensis)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Tomato Frog

Maxillary Lateral Incisor

We just learned about the Central Incisors.

The next set of teeth that show up in your mouth are the Maxillary Lateral Incisor.

These are right next to the two front teeth, one on either side.
Just like the central incisors they are used for cutting and biting things.



(from: wikipedia - maxillary lateral incisor)

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Hair Muscle

Veste Coburg

We just learned about the Castel del Monte.

Another famous castle is Veste Coburg built in Coburg Germany around 1000 AD.

This castle was built up on a hill, and was added onto over and over again through the years as it became a more important place.

In the 1506 a man named Martin Luther had some different ideas about the way people should go to church and study their Bible.
This made some people very upset and they wanted to put him in jail, so he went into hiding at this castle for a while, and worked on writing the Bible in the German language, which had never been done before.

This castle stayed strong for some very big battles, and one time the people inside lasted for five months while people outside tried to fight them.

It is one of the biggest castles in Germany, at over 375,000 square feet of space inside!



(from: wikipedia - veste coburg)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Quebec

Silas - Bishop of Corinth

We just learned about Luke the Evangelist, one of the seventy disciples.

Another of the seventy was Silas - Bishop of Corinth.

Silas was one of the people who went around with Paul and Timothy, helping to spread the word of God to people in other places.

The bible says that Silas was with Paul in the town of Philippi, after some people who didn't like Jesus had them throw into prison.
They were praying and singing hymns and an earthquake came and broke their chains and opened the door to the jail so they could get out.
When that happened the jailer thought they had escaped and thought he would be punished for it, but Paul and Silas did not leave the jail, but instead sat and talked with the jailer and helped him become a believer in Jesus.


(from: wikipedia - silas)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Psalm 119 - Longest Psalm