How Great Thou Art - Carl Boberg

We just learned about the hymn Amazing Grace by John Newton.

Another famous hymn is How Great Thou Art by Carl Boberg, written in Sweden in 1885.

One day when Boberg was walking outside, a huge storm came along with dark clouds, thunder, and lightning.
The storm got over pretty quickly, and then right after there was a rainbow, and birds singing happily.

When he saw the power of the storm and then the beauty of nature after, it gave him the idea for the song.


(from: wikipedia - how great thou art)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: The Prince's Crusade

Two Running Violet V Forms - Robert Irwin

We just learned about the land art Spiral Jetty by Robert Smithson.

Another famous land art is Two Running Violet V Forms made by artist Robert Irwin in 1983 in San Diego.

Irwin liked the forest with eucalyptus trees in this area, how there were so many of them and how the light throughout the day changed and made them look different.

He put violet colored fences up high that would help reflect the light as it was changing through the day and shining through the trees.

Irwin was born in 1928 in California, and went to art school in California.
He started off as a painter, but as he went on to do more abstract art he started making things like these fences that were part of landscapes.


(from: wikipedia - robert irwin (artist))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Meat for Wild Men - Charles Marion Russell

Swahili - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday

We just learned in Swahili that to say his face is rough is Uso wake ni mkali

Let's learn the days of the week in Swahili!

Monday - Jumatatu - Sounds like joo-mah-tah-too 文A


Tuesday - Jumanne - Sounds like joo-mah-n-nay 文A


Wednesday - Jumatano - Sounds like joo-mah-tah-noh 文A




(from: wikipedia - swahili language)

Russian: Понедельник (Ponedel'nik), Вторник (Vtornik), Среда (Sreda)

Norwegian: Mandag, Tirsdag, Onsdag

Greek: Δευτέρα (Deftéra), Τρίτη (Tríti), Τετάρτη (Tetárti)

ASL: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday

Italian: Lunedi, Martedì, Mercoledì

German: Montag, Dienstag, Mittwoch

Spanish: Lunes, Martes, Miercoles

French: Lundi, Mardi, Mercredi

Oil Pump

We just learned about the Motor Oil.

Another part of a car is the Oil Pump.

The oil that helps keep everything in the engine moving fast and slippery gets pushed through the car using an oil pump.

There are a few different types of oil pumps, but one of the most common is the gear pump.
For this type of pump, the gears spin around and help push the oil through the engine.
The gears are spun around using the power of the spinning crankshaft as it goes around.


(from: wikipedia - gear pump)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Steam Cylinder

Olive Baboon

We just learned about the Uganda Mangabey.

Another type of old world monkey is the Olive Baboon, also called the Anubis Baboon, or Papio Anubis.

These monkeys live all over Africa, in forests, deserts, and grasslands.
They get the name Olive Baboon because their fur looks olive colored.
Their other name Anubis Baboon comes from the way their face looks kind of like the dog faced statue of the Egyptian Anubis.

Olive Baboons are a little over 2 feet tall and weigh about 50 pounds.
Usually they talk to each other using grunts, but if they get scared by another animal they might shout "Wahoo!" to warn everyone.

These baboons will eat just about anything, from plants and bugs to mice, birds, and other larger animals.
They will sometimes even go after sheep, goats and chickens from farms!

Some elephants and the baboons have learned to work together to survive.
Elephants will dig holes to get water, and baboons will be lookouts up in the trees to warn if there is danger coming.


(from: wikipedia - olive baboon)



Olive baboon troupe - Cameron Wares


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Andean Mountain Cat

Anti-Growth Signals

We just learned about the Cell Growth and Division where cells get bigger, multiply and don't go away.

Another one of the six signs of cancer is called Anti-Growth Signals.

When the cells in the body grow or multiply, and don't die off or go away, the body uses things called "tumor supressor genes" to send messages to the cells saying that it is time to stop growing and dividing, and to go away.

It's kind of like being in a car, going too fast, and you hit the brakes to slow down or stop.

Cells that have been mutated into cancer don't listen to those messages and they keep growing.
This would be like the brakes in the car not working, so it keeps going too fast.

If the cancer cells in the body do not listen, the cells can grow and divide and spread over the body.


(from: wikipedia - tumor suppressor gene)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Meibomian Gland

Slovakia

We just learned about the country of Serbia

Let's learn a little about the country of Slovakia, also called the Slovak Republic!

This is a country in eastern Europe that borders Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic.
It is about 19,000 square miles, and over 5 million people live there.
People in Slovakia speak either Slavic, Hungarian or Rusyn.


(from: wikipedia - slovakia)

The flag of Slovakia is white, blue and red, with the coat of arms on the front.
A few countries in eastern Europe use these same colors, and they are called the "Pan-Slavic" colors.

The coat of arms is a double cross for Christianity, and three mountains for the three main mountain ranges in the country.


(from: wikipedia - flag of slovakia)

To eat in Slovakia you might have Bryndzové Halušky, which is dumplings served with cheese and bacon.
You would also have a glass of Žinčica with it, which is like a creamy milk drink.


(from: wikipedia - )

Visiting Slovakia you might go see Bojnice Castle, which was built before 1200 AD.


(from: wikipedia - bojnice castle)

In Slovakia there is a large group of over 700 caves called Domica Cave.
These are caves made out of limestone that go on for over 3 miles.

(from: wikipedia - domica cave)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Palmer Station