Friday, May 17, 2019

Norwegian - Saturday, Sunday


We just learned that Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday in Norwegian is Mandag, Tirsdag, Onsdag and Thursday, Friday is Torsdag, Fredag.

Let's keep learning the days of the week!

Saturday - Lørdag - sounds like loh-r-dah
Sunday - Søndag - sounds like sun-dah

norwegian language
(from: wikipedia - norwegian language)

Greek: Σάββατο (Sávvato), Κυριακή (Kyriakí)

ASL: Saturday, Sunday

Italian: Sabato, Domenica

German: Samstag, Sonntag

Spanish: Sabado, Domingo

French: Samedi, Dimanche

Thursday, May 16, 2019

Forensic Botany


We just learned about the Species Test to test blood to see what kind of animal it belongs to.

Another type of forensic science is Forensic Botany.

This is the study of the plants around a place where a crime was committed.
If the police look at a person's shoes or clothes, sometimes they can find tiny pieces of plants that are on them.
It could be just a seed, or a piece of a leaf, or even a tiny bit of pollen from a flower.

If the forensic scientists find evidence of a type of plant, they can figure out what season a crime happened, like fall winter spring summer.
They can also sometimes figure out the place where it happened, like if a type of flower or plant only grows in one area.
Scientists can also look at the plants and figure out how long ago it was that someone was near those plants, because the plants get brown and decay.

Sometimes the pollen, seeds or bits of plants on our clothes are so small that a criminal wouldn't see it and think they got away with a crime, but the forensic scientists look closely and figure it out!



(from: wikipedia - botany)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Rocket Engine

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Barrel Jellyfish


We just learned about the Darth Vader Jellyfish that lives in the deep sea and looks like Darth Vader's helmet.

Another type of jellyfish is the Barrel Jellyfish, also called the dustbin-lid jellyfish, frilly-mouthed jellyfish, or rhizostoma pulmo.

This type of jelly lives in the Atlantic ocean, and the Mediterannean sea.
It is very small, only usually growing around 16 inches.




(from: wikipedia - rhizostoma pulmo)


(from: youtube - Swimming with a giant Barrel Jellyfish - Matt Slater)

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Vampire Squid

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Incisive Papilla


We just learned about the ridges on the roof of the mouth called the Palatal Rugae.

Another part of the inside of the mouth is the Incisive Papilla.

Right behind the top two front teeth called incisors is a little bump of skin that sticks down.
A bump in mouth medical words is usually called a "papilla" and its right behind the incisors so it's called the incisive papilla.
It's usually right in the middle, and you can feel it with your tongue right behind the teeth.


(from: wikipedia - incisor)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Teeth

Monday, May 13, 2019

Battlements


We just learned about the high part of a castle wall called the Merlon.

Another part of a castle is the Battlement.

Let's go over what we've learned about the things on top of a castle wall.
Wall Walk - The place to walk along the top of the wall
Parapet - Short wall that people can hide behind
Crenel or Embrasure - Open spaces in the parapet wall where people can throw things down on attackers
Merlon - High part of the parapet wall that people can hide behind. Opposite of a crenel.

All of these things together are called the battlements.

They were called that because people on top of the wall would be doing battle against people trying to attack the castle from the ground.


(from: wikipedia - battlement)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Caerlaverock Castle

Sunday, May 12, 2019

Saint Helena


We just learned about the emperor Constantine the Great who became the first Christian Emperor.

Another person from early Christianity is Saint Helena.

Helena was the mother of Constantine.
She became a Christian, and her son Constantine told her she could go into where all the Roman treasure was kept and try to find old Christian things that were taken away when Christianity was illegal.

He also gave her the job to go out and build some churches that are still around today over a thousand years later.


(from: wikipedia - helena (empress))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Barnabas

Saturday, May 11, 2019

Borobudur


We just learned about the Bantey Srei Sculptures made of sandstone in Cambodia.

Another ancient sculpture in Southeast Asia is the Borobudur temple in Java, Indonesia built some time before 900 AD.

It is the biggest Buddhist temple in the world, with over 500 statues, and over 2,600 relief sculptures carved into the walls.
Remember we learned that a relief is where the sculpture sticks out from the background kind of like a 3D painting.

This big temple has a pathway that goes around and up the building.
Each level of the building is supposed to help guide people through knowledge and wisdom about the world.




(from: wikipedia - borobudur)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Six Ritual Jades - Cong