Sunday, July 14, 2019

First Council of Nicea


We just learned about the story called The Golden Legend.

Another part of early Christianity was the First Council of Nicea.

As Christianity was spreading all over the world, some people were arguing over what the meanings were of different parts of the teachings of Jesus and the Bible.

One of the biggest things people fought about was whether God the father was really Jesus' father or whether Jesus was as powerful as God the father.

A few hundred church leaders were all invited to come together and figure out what the right answer was, to a place called Nicea.

After they talked, they wrote up the Nice Creed, a way for people to remember what the real truth was.
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father [the only-begotten; that is, of the essence of the Father, God of God,] Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father By whom all things were made [both in heaven and on earth]
Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down and was incarnate and was made man
He suffered, and the third day he rose again, ascended into heaven
From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
And in the Holy Ghost.


(from: wikipedia - first council of nicea)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Urban - Bishop of Macedonia

Saturday, July 13, 2019

Akan Goldweights


We just learned about the Burkina Faso Masks.

Another work of African sculpture is the Akan Goldweights, made around 1400 AD in West Africa.

These are sculptures that were used as weights to measure how much gold someone was trading.
Each sculpture had a different weight, so if someone had found some gold and wanted to trade it in, they would use different weights to figure out how much money it was all worth.

The weights were made as different shapes to tell stories about the Akan people of West Africa.
Each shape had different meanings, like a shield might tell a story about bravery, or swords with two sharp edges might mean that two people were working together for peace.

There are many of these old gold weights in the world in museums, and people even today make them as souvenirs or gifts to keep as a reminder of the past.


(from: wikipedia - akan goldweights)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Flying Horse of Gansu

Thursday, July 11, 2019

Motor


We just started learning about Machines.

One of the most important things about a machine is the Motor, also sometimes called the engine.

The motor is the thing that takes some type of energy and turns it into movement.
Like a car's engine takes in gas, and then the engine burns the gas to turn it into movement that makes the car go.

Electrical motors can take electricity from a plug or a battery and use that to move something like a toy or a fan.

There are even types of motors that use steam, air, liquids or coils like toys that you wind up and they walk around.

Anything that takes in energy and then makes something move is a motor.
Really you can even think of our human bodies like engines that take in food and make our muscles move!


(from: wikipedia - steam engine)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Accelerometer

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Blue Button


We just learned about the Bahtrocyroe Fosteri jellyfish.

Another type of sea animal is a Blue Button, also called a Porpita porpita.

Even though this animal looks like a jellyfish, it is in a different family, called hydrozoans.

They live in the ocean in the warm waters by the equator.

The middle part of the blue button is called the float, and it is about one inch wide.
Around the edge are floating arms that look like tentacles, but each one of them is actually it's own animal called a hydroid.
You can almost think of it like a floating colony of ants, all hanging on to a raft.

These blue buttons just float along the ocean and eats on things even smaller than itself that are just floating around.
They do have a sting like a jellyfish, but it is only a little painful.



(from: wikipedia - porpita porpita)


Jellyfish - Blue Button Jellyfish in Bangladesh [Jellyfish] - নীল বোতাম প্রাণীটি বাংলাদেশের সাগরে - MOK'S TUBE

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Armhook Squid

Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Labial Commissure of the Mouth


We just learned about the Frenulum of the Lower Lip.

Another part of the mouth is the Labial Commissure of the Mouth.

This is a big long name that really just means the corner of your mouth where your upper and lower lips meet.

The word labial means lips, and commissure means joining.


(from: wikipedia - labial commissure of mouth)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Maxillary Second Molar

Monday, July 8, 2019

Roundel


We just learned about the Palisade fence in front of a castle.

Another part of a castle is a Roundel.

This is a rounded end of a castle wall where people could stand and defend their castle.


(from: wikipedia - roundel (fortification))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Bran Castle