Timing Belt

We just learned about the Crankshaft.

Another part of a car's engine is the Timing Belt, Timing Chain or Cambelt.

We know that the Crankshaft spins around with the up and down movement of the pistons,
and the Camshaft spins around to open and close the intake and exhaust valves.

Both the Crankshaft and the Camshaft need to spin at exactly the same time so that the valves open and close while the pistons are going up and down.
The timing belt is wrapped around both the crankshaft and camshaft to make sure they move at the same speed so the valves and pistons are all moving at the right time together.


(from: wikipedia - timing belt (camshaft))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Steam Turbine

Lion Tailed Macaque

We just learned about the L'Hoests Monkey.

Another type of old world monkey is the Lion Tailed Macaque.

These monkeys are mostly black but with a big white mane, like a lion.
They live in south India, and are about 2 feet long, weighing around 22 pounds.

These monkeys mostly live in trees in the rainforest and mostly eat fruit and bugs.


(from: wikipedia - lion tailed macaque)



This Alpha Male Macaque Has Made a Risky Decision - Smithsonian Channel


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Ocelot

Malignant Tumor

We just learned about the Benign Tumor.

Another part of a disease is a Malignant Tumor.

Remember that a tumor or neoplasm is really just a bunch of extra cells that the body made that aren't supposed to be there.

Malignant means bad, so it is a bad tumor that is causing problems in the body.

A malignant tumor is also called cancer.
The human body makes new cells all the time, but the cells are supposed to live for a while, do their job and then go away.

Malignant tumors have many new cells that are not made right, and they also don't go away and continue to grow.
They can get in the way of other parts of the body like blood vessels, and they can spread to other parts of the body.

The name Cancer actually comes from the Greek word for crab "καρκίνος" (karkinos), because early Greek doctors thought a swollen tumor looked almost like the color of a crab.


(from: wikipedia - cancer)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Eyelids

San Marino

We just learned about the country of Portugal.
Let's learn a little about the country of San Marino!

This is a very small country that is inside of the country of Italy.
It is only 24 square miles, and has over 30,000 people living there.


(from: wikipedia - san marino)

The flag for San Marino is a white stripe over a blue stripe, with the coat of arms of San Marino in the middle.
The coat of arms has a picture of the famous three towers of San Marino, a picture of an oak, a wreath, and the words LIBERTAS which means Liberty.


(from: wikipedia - flag of san marino)

To eat in San Marino, you might have bustrengo, which is a type of fruitcake.


(from: wikipedia - )

San Marino is famous for its three towers on the mountain, which are shown on its flag.
One of those towers is calle the Fortress of Guiaita.
It ws built in before the year 1100 AD.


(from: wikipedia - guaita)

Visiting San Marino you might go see the Basilica di San Marino, which is an old church built around the year 600 AD.


(from: wikipedia - )


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Princess Elisabeth Antarctica Station

Camp Meetings

We just learned about the French Revolution.

Another part of early Christianity was Camp Meetings.

For a long time people only worshipped in churches, and things were very serious.

During the 1800s, some people started getting together in camps, and having church outside at camps.
A lot of these church meetings were very wild with lots of singing and dancing and shouting.
It was very different and gave people a very strong feeling about church, and made them excited about church.

This different way that people felt about worship helped start something called the Revival of 1800, and the Second Great Awakening.
People in America were finding different ways to have church, and to try and make people excited about church.


(from: wikipedia - camp meeting)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: East-West Schism

Anne Truitt - A Wall for Apricots

We just learned about the Bronze Gate by Robert Morris.

Another famous work of American art is A Wall for Apricots made in Baltimore in 1968.

Truitt was born in Maryland in 1921, and grew up in North Carolina.
She went to college for psychology, and then later went to study art.

Like other American artists at the time, she was famous for the Minimalist style that was very simple.
Her sculpture called A Wall for Apricots is a 6 foot tall rectangle block of wood painted in white, green and yellow.


(from: wikipedia - anne truitt)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Appeal to the Great Spirit - Cyrus Edward Dallin

Swahili - Our table is short

We just learned that in Swahili:
This house is big: Nyumba hii ni kubwa
This chair is small: Mwenyekiti ni mdogo
My drink is cold: Kinywaji changu ni baridi
Your food is hot: Chakula chako ni cha moto
Their car is tall is: Gari lao ni refu

To say our table is short you would say Meza yetu ni fupi.

Our - Meza - sounds like may-zah - 文A


table - yetu - sounds like yay-too - 文A


is - ni - sounds like nee - 文A


short - fupi - Sounds like foo-pee - 文A


So all together To say our table is short you would say may-zah yay-too nee foo-pee.


(from: wikipedia - swahili language)

Russian: наш стол короткий (nash stol korotkiy)

Norwegian: Vårt bord er kort

Greek: Το τραπέζι μας είναι σύντομο (To trapézi mas eínai sýntomo)

ASL: Our table is short

Italian: Il nostro tavolo è breve

German: Unser Tisch ist kurz

Spanish: Nuestra mesa es bajo

French: Notre table est courte