Alexander Island

We just learned about the Cirque Glacier.

Another part of Antarctica is Alexander Island.

This is the biggest island on Antarctica, and it is the second largest island in the world that no one lives on, just after Devon Island which is up by the north pole.

It is about 240 miles long, and 50 miles wide.
That is bigger than each of the US states of Rhode Island, Deleware, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and Hawaii.

Even though it is an island, most of the time it is connected by ice to the rest of Antarctica, so it doesn't always look like an island.




(from: wikipedia - alexander island)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Trou de Loup

Avignon Papacy

We just learned about the Mirabilia Descripta.

Another part of early Christianity is the Avignon Papacy.

Remember that there were church leaders in all the different countries called Bishops, and that the Bishop in Rome - Italy was supposed to be the leader of all the other Bishops, called the Pope.

In the early 1300s, the king of France was very powerful, and helped a French person get elected as the Pope.
But to make France more powerful, he wanted him to live in the city of Avignon instead of Rome.

So in 1305 this Pope and the 6 popes after him all lived in Rome and were the heads of all the other churches.
It made the people in the city of Rome angry because they believed they were the most important city, and also having the Pope live in your city means you get a lot of power and money that they didn't get anymore.

After 74 years in 1379 AD the new Pope moved back to Rome.


(from: wikipedia - avignon papacy)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Saint Augustine of Hippo

Richard Yates - Albin Polasek

We just learned about the Two Circus Women by Nadelman.

Another famous American sculpture is Richard Yates by Albin Polasek made in Springfield Illinois in 1923.

Richard Yates was the Governor of Illinois in 1860.
Before the Civil War he said he did not like slavery, and helped get soldiers to fight with the north in the Civil War against slavery.

Abraham Lincoln was also from Illinois, and he was friends with Richard Yates.

The sculptor Albin Polasek was born in 1879 in the Czech Republic.
When he was 22 years old in 1901 he moved to Pennsylvania to try and get a good job and make money.


(from: wikipedia - albin polasek)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: The Wrestler

Russian - Fruits

We just learned how to say some things to drink in Russian.

Let's learn how to say some fruits.

apple яблоко (yabloko) - sounds like yah-bloh-kah 文A

orange апельсин (apel'sin) - sounds like ah-pel-seen 文A

banana банан (banan) - sounds like bah-nah-n 文A



(from: wikipedia - russian academy of sciences)

Norwegian: eple, appelsin, banan

Greek: μήλο (mílo), πορτοκάλι (portokáli), μπανάνα (banána)

ASL: apple, orange, banana

Italian: mela, orange, banana

German: Apfel, Orange, Banane

Spanish: manzana, naranja, banana

French: pomme, orange, banane

Coupling Rod

We just learned about the Brake Shoe.

Another part of a steam locomotive is a Coupling Rod or Side Rod.

When the steam engine uses its power to turn the wheel of a steam locomotive, it is usually only turning one wheel.
That wheel is connected to the other wheels by a big metal rod called the coupling rod.

So when the driving wheel is turned, it makes all the wheels turn and spin at the same speed so it makes the train more stable and gives it more power.


(from: wikipedia - coupling rod)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Air Gap

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