Castillo de Coca

We just learned about the Alhambra.

Another famous castle is Castillo de Coca, built in 1493 in Coca, Segovia, Spain.

This castle is special because it has a type of brick work called Mudejar.

There were people living in Spain that were from another country with very different styles.
Mudejar means "allowed to stay", and it was used for people that were from another country but were allowed to stay in Spain.
While they stayed there, some of the types of castles they made back home were made in Spain just like the Castillo de Coca.

The castle has a moat and a keep, and an outside wall around the main castle.
Inside the central keep is a 82 foot tower, and walkways around the top of the walls with all sorts of defenses for the people inside to use if they were being attacked from below.





(from: wikipedia - castillo de coca)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: San Luis Potosi

Against Heresies - Irenaeus

We just learned about the Didache - The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles.

Another part of early Christian history is the book Against Heresies, by Irenaeus.

During the early time of Christianity when people disagreed about what they should believe, there was a group of people called the Gnostics.
They believed that Christ and Jesus were two separate beings.
Like Jesus was a physical body, and Christ was a spirit that lived in him.

The bishop of France named Irenaeus was very upset about this, and decided to write a book saying why they were wrong.

His book was written some time around 180 AD, and many church leaders used that letter to tell people that they believed Gnosticism was not true.


(from: wikipedia - on the detection and overthrow of the so-called gnosis)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Hildegard of Bingen

Mokujiki Shonin

We just learned about the Wooden Budda by Enkū.

Another famous Japanese sculpture is the Mokujiki Shonin.

Just like Enkū that we learned about, Mokujiki Shonin was a monk who traveled around and talked to people.
Once when he was visiting a village, he saw a sculpture of Buddha made by Enkū, and decided to become a sculptor just like him.

His sculptures always seemed very free and rough, close to nature and happy.


(from: wikipedia - mokujiki shonin)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: George Washington - Greenough

Norwegian - Green, Blue, Purple, Pink

We just learned that in Norwegian, red, orange and yellow are rød, oransje, gul.

Let's learn more colors!

green - grønn - sounds like gee-dah-n

blue - blå - sounds like blow-ah

purple - lilla - sounds like lee-lah

pink - rosa - sounds like - dr-oh-sah



(from: wikipedia - norwegian language)

Greek: πράσινο, μπλε, μοβ, ροζ

ASL: green, blue, purple, pink

Italian: verde, blu, viola, rosa

German: grün, blau, lila, rosa

Spanish: verde, azul, morado, rosa

French: vert, bleu, violet, rose

Le Prieur Rocket

We just learned about the De Laval Nozzle.

Another part of rocket history is the La Prieur Rocket.

During World War I, a French scientist came up with the idea to shoot rockets from an airplane.
He made some rockets that were a lot like the old Fire Arrows, just a tube filled with gunpowder strapped to a stick.
Usually they would only go straight for a little over 100 yards.

People were worried that this would start the airplane on fire, so he tested it by strapping an airplane to a car and driving around, and shooting the arrows from the airplane on top of the car.
It worked, so they started putting them on airplanes in 1916.

The rockets were launched when the airplane pilot pressed an electronic ignition switch in the plane, and then the rockets would shoot off one by one.

They were mostly used to shoot down balloons that the enemy was using to spy on them.


(from: wikipedia - le prieur rocket)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Tsunami Earthquake

Octopus - Three Hearts

We just learned about the Statocyst.

Another interesting thing about cephalopod bodies is the Octopus - Three Hearts.

An octopus has all th ree of it's hearts up in the head part of the body.

One of the hearts is called the systemic heart, and it pumps the blood all over their body, all the way to each arm and back.

The other two hearts are called branchial hearts, and they bring the deoxygenated blood back to the gills for more oxygen.

The blood in an octopus is thicker than a human, so it is harder for the octopus to pump through their body.
When they are swimming they do not use their systemic heart, so they get tired quickly and usually stop for a rest.


(from: wikipedia - octopus)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Frog Skin

Oral Mucosa

We just learned about the Gingiva.

Another part of the mouth is the Oral Mucosa.

This is a fancy way of saying the wet skin inside your mouth.
The oral mucosa is the skin on the inside of your cheeks, your gums, the skin on the roof of your mouth, on your tongue, under your tongue and the skin inside your lips.


(from: wikipedia - oral mucosa)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Ulnar Collateral Ligament