Napolean Cat

We just learned about the Domestic Cat.

One type of domestic cat is a Napolean Cat or Minuet.

This is a cat with a normal sized body, but with short legs.

Even though they have short legs, they can still run jump and play just like any other cat.


(from: wikipedia - minuet cat)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Gastrodermis

Platelet

We just learned about the Red Blood Cell and the White Blood Cell.

The third type of blood cell is the Platelet, also called thrombocytes.

The name thrombocyte comes from the Greek words θρόμβος (thrombos) which means clot, and κύτος (kytos) which means cell.
Platelets get carried around in the veins and arteries, and if they see that there is some damage to the body, like a hole in the vein or artery then they will try and patch up the hole.

A bunch of platelets will work to connect to each other, and when they work to block up a hole like this it is called a clot.

So when you have a cut and are bleeding, the platelets come and make a blood clot and help fix up the cut.


(from: wikipedia - platelet)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Macula

Cirque Glacier

We just learned about the Piedmont Glacier.

Another kind of glacier is a Cirque Glacier.

This kind of glacier drains into a bowl shaped valley.


(from: wikipedia - cirque glacier)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Abatis

Mirabilia Descripta

We just learned about the first English Bible, Wycliffe's Bible.

Another part of early Christianity from around the 1300s is the book Mirabilia Descripta.

When a Christian person named Jordanus of Severac went to India to explore and see what people believed in, he ran into some trouble, and was put into prison.

Later on he was let out, and traveled all over India writing about the way people lived, what they believed in, and all about the land and country.

He wrote it into a book he called Mirabilia Descripta which means something like Diary of Marvels.
His book was so well written at the time it was better than any other explorer from the west who traveled to India.

Because he wrote so well about it, other Christians were able to travel to India and help tell people about God and Jesus.


(from: wikipedia - jordanus)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Saint Ninian in Scotland

Two Circus Women - Nadelman

We just learned about the Detroit Zoo's Rackham Fountain by Parducci.

Another famous American Sculpture is Two Circus Women by Elie Nadelman in New York in 1930.

In America in the 1900s a lot of sculptors came from Europe to get away from World War I, and to try and earn money by making sculptures.

Eli Nadelman was born in Poland in 1882, and became a famous sculptor there, even meeting with famous artists like Picasso.

In 1914 he left Poland and moved to America to get away from the war, and made many famous sculptures.
He also collected sculptures from other artists and made his own Museum of Folk Arts in Riverdale New York.

When the Great Depression hit, he had a very hard time making money, and when he had to sell his Museum and art studio many of his sculptures were destroyed.

A while after his death his art was rediscovered and many of his sculptures have been copied and remade around the country.

His sculpture of Two Circus Women was made in 1930, out of paper mache over plaster.
Plaster is kind of like cement, and paper mache is like paper covered in glue that is stuck on top of the plaster to decorate it.

Nadelman tried to make the circus performers look big and round, but not with very clear scultpure of their face.
It was not a very famous statue at the time, but later on it was copied and remade into a big marble statue and put at the famous New York State Theater.


(from: wikipedia - elie nadelman)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Were Jaguar Sculpture

Russian - Drinks

We counted to 900 in Russian! Wow!

Let's learn how to say some things to drink.

water вода (voda) - sounds like vah-dah 文A

milk молоко (moloko) - sounds like moh-loh-koh 文A

juice сок (sok) - sounds like soh-k 文A



(from: wikipedia - russian academy of sciences)

Norwegian: vann, melk, juice

Greek: water νερό (neró), milk γάλα (gála), juice χυμό (chymó)

ASL: water, milk, juice

Italian: acqua, latte, succo

German: Wasser, Milch, Saft

Spanish: agua, leche, jugo

French: eau, lait, jus

Brake Shoe

We just learned about the Trailing Wheel.

Another part of a steam locomotive is the Brake Shoe.

When the train has to stop, there is a rounded piece of metal called the brake shoe that is pushed against the wheels to try and slow them down.

The scraping of the brake shoes on the metal wheel also helps clean the wheels, and after a while the brake shoes get worn down and need to be replaced with new ones.



(from: wikipedia - brake shoe)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Electromagnet