Sunday, September 30, 2018

Jason - bishop of Tarsus

We just learned about the Lucis - Bishop of Laodicea in Syria, one of the seventy disciples.

Another of the seventy was Jason - bishop of Tarsus.

Jason was talked about in the Bible as a person that helped out the Apostle Paul when he was in Thessalonica, because some people who did not like Jesus were angry with Paul for talking to people about Jesus.

Jason was born in Tarsus, and Paul gave him the job to try and help lead the church in Tarsus.

He traveled around to tell a lot of people about Jesus, and was thrown in jail in a place called Corfu.
The king there did not like people becoming Christian, so he fought with Jason and other disciples, but eventually the king became a Christian and then the disciples were free to live there and tell people about God.

(from: wikipedia - tarsus, mersin)

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Eremetic Monks

Saturday, September 29, 2018


We just learned about the Shakōki-dogū.

Another type of ancient Japanese sculpture is the Haniwa.

These are small figures made out of clay, that were made for special times like funerals.

Some people believed that the soul of the person who had died would go into the haniwa if they put the sculpture on top of the place where they were buried.

Sometimes the sculptures were warriors with swords or other weapons, and sometimes they were bowls, or animals like horses, chickens or fish.
These were all meant to become part of the afterlife of the person who died.

(from: wikipedia - haniwa)

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Pair of Lovers - Bustelli

Friday, September 28, 2018

Greek - Drinks

We counted to 900 in Greek! Wow!

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

water νερό (neró) - sounds like nay-ROH
milk γάλα (gála) - sounds like GAH-lah
juice χυμό (chymó) - sounds like chah-ee-MOH

center for the greek language
(from: wikipedia - center for the greek language)

ASL: water, milk, juice

Italian: acqua, latte, succo

German: Wasser, Milch, Saft

Spanish: agua, leche, jugo

French: eau, lait, jus

Thursday, September 27, 2018


We just learned about the Air Resistance, part of ballistics which is the science of the forces that move a rocket around.

Another part of ballistics is Lift, which is all about how the air flows underneath a rocket that helps it fly up.

You can feel lift if there is a strong wind and you put your hand out flat, the air will try to push your hand up like a kite.
The way you hold your hand changes how the wind pushes on you, and rockets can use small fins or wings to try and use lift to help them fly.

(from: wikipedia - lift (force))

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Ring Fault

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Octopus Beaks

We just learned about the Japanese Flying Squid.

Let's learn a little bit about how their bodies work!






(from: wikipedia - cephalopod beak)

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lemur Tree Frog

Tuesday, September 25, 2018


We just learned about the Cementum.

Another part of the tooth is the Pulp.

This is the inside of the tooth underneath the dentin, where the living cells are like the nerves and blood vessels.

(from: wikipedia - pulp (tooth))

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Temporomandibular Ligament

Monday, September 24, 2018

Citadel of Qaitbay

We just learned about the Windsor Castle.

Another ancient castle is the Citadel of Qaitbay, built in 1477 AD, in Alexandria, Egypt.

This castle was built in the same place as the Lighthouse of Alexandria, which was known as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world before it was destroyed around 100 years before this castle was built.

It is on the north side of Egypt, right on the Mediterranean Sea where it was a strong place to defend Egypt against any ships that might be coming to attack.

It is now a maritime museum, which is a kind of museum for ships and other seaside things.

(from: wikipedia - citadel of qaitbay)

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Jalisco

Sunday, September 23, 2018

Lucius - bishop of Laodicea in Syria

We just learned about the Olympus and Rhodion, one of the seventy disciples.

Another of the seventy was Lucius - bishop of Laodicea in Syria.

Paul talks about him in the Bible as being one of the early leaders of the Christian churches in Antioch, and people believe he was one of the early bishops in the town of Laodicea, which is now part of Turkey.

(from: wikipedia - laodicea on the lycus)

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Basil of Cecarea

Saturday, September 22, 2018


We just learned about the Eight Nested Relic Boxes.

Let's learn about some ancient Japanese sculpture.

One type of sculpture is the Shakōki-dogū
The word dogū means "earthen figure" and "Shakōki" means "goggle-eyed", for the large eyes of the sculpture.

The dogū are small clay sculpture like a person or animal, made thousands of years ago.
Other different types of dogū were made, like heart shapes, horned owls or women.

There were many of these sculptures, and people have found about 15,000 of them in Japan.
Some people think they were made as magical objects that people thought could cure diseases or bad luck.

(from: wikipedia - dogū)

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Fuga d'Attila Relief - Algardi

Friday, September 21, 2018

Greek - Nine Hundred

We counted to 100 in Greek, let's keep going!

200 διακόσια (diakósia) - sounds like dee-ah-KOH-see-ah
300 τριακόσια (triakósia) - sounds like d-dee-ah-KOH-see-ah
400 τετρακόσια (tetrakósia) - sounds like tay-t-dah-KOH-see-ah
500 πεντακόσια (pentakósia) - sounds like pay-n-tah-KOH-see-ah
600 εξακόσια (exakósia) - sounds like ay-ks-ah-KOH-see-ah
700 επτακόσια (eptakósia) - sounds like ay-p-tah-KOH-see-ah
800 οκτακόσια (oktakósia) - sounds like oh-k-tah-KOH-see-ah
900 εννιακόσια (enniakósia) - sounds like ay-nee-ah-KOH-see-ah

center for the greek language
(from: wikipedia - center for the greek language)


Italian: duecento, trecento, quattrocento, cinquecento, seicento, settecento, ottocento, novecento

German: zweihundert, dreihundert, vierhundert, fünfhundert, sechshundert, siebenhundert, achthundert, neunhundert

Spanish: doscientos, trescientos, cuatrocientos, quinientos, seiscientos, sietecientos, ochocientos, novecientos

French: deux cent, trois cent, quatre cent, cinq cent, six cent, sept cent, huit cent, neuf cent

Thursday, September 20, 2018

Air Resistance

We just learned about Ballistics.

One part of ballistics is Air Resistance, which is also called drag.

When the rocket is flying through the air, it is pushing the air out of the way.
The shape of the rocket can make a big difference for how fast it can fly through the air.

If you think about it like pushing your hand through the water, if you point your hand it will go in the water fast.
But if you use the open flat part of your hand and smack the water, your hand will be more like a paddle and you'll slowly push the water out of the way.

We don't think about it much for air, but it works the same way for rockets trying to push through the air.
So the front of the rocket has to have a pointed shape for it to fly quickly.

(from: wikipedia - drag (physics))

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Listric Fault

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Japanese Flying Squid

We just learned about the Opalescent Inshore Squid.

Another Japanese Flying Squid.

These squids live in the Pacific around Japan and Vietnam, and can grow to around 2 feet long.

They swim along by sucking water in on one side of their siphon, and then spitting it out the other side like a jet.

Sometimes they will swim so fast that they will shoot themselves up out of the water, and have been seen flying for almost 100 feet over the water!

(from: wikipedia - japanese flying squid)

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Hourglass Tree Frog

Tuesday, September 18, 2018


We just learned about the Dentin.

Another part of the tooth is Cementum.

This is a hard covering for the tooth just like the enamel that we learned about, but it is covering the part of the tooth going down below the gums, called the root.

(from: wikipedia - cementum)

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Skull Suture Tissue

Monday, September 17, 2018

Windsor Castle

We just learned about the Hohensalzburg Fortress.

Another famous castle is Windsor Castle, built around 1000 AD in Windsor, Berkshire, England.

Unlike a lot of other castles, this one has been lived in for a very long time by the royal family of England, like the King or Queen.

It covers over 10 acres, and has different areas called "wards" that have apartments or even a church called St. George's Chapel.

The queen of England still lives there on most weekends, and the royal family uses the castle as a place to have parties and do business.

(from: wikipedia - windsor castle)

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Veracruz

Sunday, September 16, 2018

Olympus and Rhodion

We just learned about Philologus - Bishop of Sinope, one of the seventy disciples.
t Caius - Bishop of Ephesus, one of the seventy disciples.
Another two of the seventy were Olympus and Rhodion.

Rhodion was also known as Herodion of Patras, and he was a relative of Paul and became a leader of the church in the town of Patras.

He had a very rough life and was beaten up by people who didn't like to hear what he said, and eventually he was killed along with his friend Olympas.

(from: wikipedia - olympas)

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Pachomuis the Great

Saturday, September 15, 2018

Eight Nested Relic Boxes

We just learned about the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove.



This box was put into another box and another.


(from: wikipedia - famen temple)

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Saint Heleni - Bolgi

Friday, September 14, 2018

Greek - One Hundred

We counted to 99 in Greek, let's keep going!

100 εκατό (ekató) - sounds like ay-kah-TOH
101 εκατόν ένα (ekatón éna) - sounds like ay-kah-TOH-n AY-nah
102 εκατόν δύο (ekatón dýo) - sounds like ay-kah-TOH-n DEE-y-oh
103 εκατόν τρεις (ekatón treis) - sounds like ay-kah-TOH-n t-day-ss
104 εκατόν τέσσερις (ekatón tésseris) - sounds like ay-kah-TOH-n TAY-say-dee-ss
105 εκατόν πέντε (ekatón pénte) - sounds like ay-kah-TOH-n PAY-n-tay
106 εκατόν έξι (ekatón éxi) - sounds like ay-kah-TOH-n AY-k-see
107 εκατόν επτά (ekatón eptá) - sounds like ay-kah-TOH-n ay-p-TAH
108 εκατόν οκτώ (ekatón októ) - sounds like ay-kah-TOH-n oh-k-TOH
109 εκατόν εννέα (ekatón ennéa) - sounds like ay-kah-TOH-n eh-NEE-y-ah

center for the greek language
(from: wikipedia - center for the greek language)


Italian: cento, centodue, centotre, centoquattro, centocinque, centosei, centosette, sentotto, sentonove

German: einhundert, einhunderteins, einhundertzwei, einhundertdrei, einhundertvier, einhundertfünf, einhundertsechs, einhundertsieben, einhundertacht, einhundertneun

Spanish: ciento, ciento uno, ciento dos, ciento tres, ciento cuatro, ciento cinco, ciento seis, ciento siete, ciento ocho, ciento nueve

French: cent, cent, cent deux, cent trois, cent quatre, cent cinq, cent six, cent sept, cent huit

Thursday, September 13, 2018


We just learned about the Inertial Navigation Systems.

Another part of navigating rockets is the science of Ballistics.

This is all about the forces that are moving the rocket around, and what happens to the rocket because of those forces.

Usually there are 4 forces on the rocket:
1. Thrust from the engine
2. Gravity
3. Drag - which is like the air blowing against the rocket
4. Lift - which is like air blowing with the rocket

(from: wikipedia - ballistics)

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Olique Slip Fault

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Opalescent Inshore Squid

We just learned about the Big Blue Octopus.

Another type of cephalopod is the Opalescent Inshore Squid, also called Doryteuthis opalescens.

This is a very small squid, only growing to about 7 inches.

They live in the Pacific ocean by the eastern short of North America, all the way from Alaska to Mexico.

These squids are tiny but there are lots and lots of them.
The mother squids lay their eggs on the ocean floor, and there are so many that they cover acres and acres in the sand.
Because there are so many eggs there, a lot of ocean predators like starfish will go eat the eggs.

When the squids grow up, they are still very tiny but when they get together in groups there can be millions of them all in one place!
With so many of them swimming around, they are a big snack for other animals like sharks and seals.

(from: wikipedia - doryteuthis opalescens)

Opalescent Squid Egg Laying - nofishful

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Puerto Rican Crested Toad