Coupling

We just learned about the Leading Wheel.

Another part of a steam locomotive is a Coupling, also called a coupler.

This is what connects the train cars to each other.
Some of the train couplings are loose with chains and bang into each other a lot.
Other types are very tightly linked together and don't move much.



(from: wikipedia - railway coupling)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Valve Trim

Primates

We've learned a whole lot about Cats! From the wild tigers and lions to the tabby, calico and Ojos Azules house cats.

Let's learn about Primates!

There are a lot of animals that are primates, like gorillas, monkeys. Humans are also primates, which means gorillas and monkeys are like our cousins!
Obviously humans look and act different and are a lot smarter, but there are also a lot of things that humans have the same with other primates.

All primates have big brains, good eyes, can see in color, and can move around their arms and shoulders better than other animals.

Some are very big, like gorillas weighing over 400 pounds, and some are very small like small lemurs weighing less than a pound.

Primates are different than a lot of other animals, because they can walk on two legs, and can easily climb trees.
They like to live together with their families, so they do not like to live alone like a tiger.

Only humans can make enough sounds to make words like they do, but some chimpanzees and gorillas have learned to use some words in sign language!
Humans are the smartest living things on the planet, so it's no surprise that some other primates that have brains and bodies a lot like ours are pretty smart too.


(from: wikipedia - primate)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Jellyfish Ephyra

Antibody

We just learned about the Antigens that are like signs on pathogen diseases showing what kind of disease they are.

Another part of the immune system is the Antibody.

The antibody is the part of the body that looks for those signs on the antigens to get rid of them.

There are all different types of antibodies, and each one is built like a detective looking for a different type of bad disease.

The antibodies are built in a Y shape, and work with antigens like a lock and key.

If the antibody lock matches the antigen key, then the antibody gets to work getting rid of that antigen to kill the disease.


(from: wikipedia - antibody)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Optic Disc

Estonia

We just learned about the country of Czech Republic

Let's learn a little about the country of Estonia!

Estonia is a small country in Europe, bordering Latvia and Russia, and the Baltic Sea.
It is about 17,000 square miles, and has about a million people living there.
There are many islands in the sea that are part of Estonia, over 2,000 islands!


(from: wikipedia - estonia)

The flag of Estonia is blue, black, and white stripes.
The blue is for the sky, the black is for the soil and for the hard times of the people, and the white is for purity and hard work.

(from: wikipedia - flag of estonia)

To eat in Estonia, you might have mulgipuder, which is sort of like a meat and potatoes pudding

(from: wikipedia - estonian cuisine)

Visiting Estonia, you might go see the Kuressaare Castle, which was built in 1380 AD.

(from: wikipedia - kuressaare castle)

There is a palace in Estonia called Kadriorg Palace, built in 1725 for Catherine I of Russia.


(from: wikipedia - kadriorg palace)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Larsen Ice Shelf

Sola Fide

We just learned about the Luther Bible.

Another part of early Christianity is Sola Fide which means faith alone.

Remember that Martin Luther wrote his Ninety-Five theses saying that he believed people should not have to be punished or make a payment to be forgiven for their sins.

The idea of Sola Fide or "faith alone" was that people should be saved only because they had faith in Jesus, not because they earned it by payment or punishment somehow.

A lot of believers like Martin Luther liked the idea of Sola Fide, and used some of the writings in the Bible as their reasons for why, like Ephesians 2, 8-9:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

(from: wikipedia - sola fide)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Church of the East in China

Clown Tight Rope Walker - Louise Nevelson

We just learned about the Cubi VI by David Smith.

Another Clown Tight Rope Walker by Louise Nevelson in 1942 in New York.

Louise was born in the Ukraine, and moved with her family to Maine in 1905.
She studied some artwork in high school, and then later moved to New York where she got married and studied art more.

When she was young her father was a lumberjack, which gave her some interested in working with wood for her art.

In 1943 she put on an art show called "The Clown as the Center of his World" where she had many sculptures about circus things like clowns, and all of the art was made with found objects.

"Found Object" art, also called "objet trouvé" is when an artist takes something from the normal world like a shoe or a spoon and uses it as part of their sculpture.


(from: wikipedia - louise nevelson)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Clasped Hands of Robert and Elizabeth

Swahili - Green, Blue, Purple, Pink

We just learned that in Swahili, red, orange and yellow are nyekundu, machungwa, manjano.

Let's learn more colors!

green - kijani - sounds like kee-jah-nee 文A

blue - bluu - sounds like bloo-oo - 文A


purple - zambarau - sounds like zah-m-bah-roo - 文A


pink - nyekundu - sounds like n-yay-koo-n-doo - 文A



(from: wikipedia - swahili language)

Russian: зеленый (zelenyy), синий (siniy), фиолетовый (fioletovyy), розовый (rozovyy)

Norwegian: grønn, blå, lilla, rosa

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