Menu

Letter From Truman

Truman’s Letter September 2020

Hi, Kids! I made a new friend the other day. He just moved here from Poland. The way he talks sounds different from what I am used to hearing, but we had a great time getting to know each other. The “Connections” section talks about cultural differences. Check it out! In “Wildville” we talk about the marbled polecat. This creature lives in so many places — from Europe to China! These unique-looking cats are rare, but useful. They kill rodents. Read “Wildville” to learn more about these impressive animals. Woodcarving is an interesting art form with a long history. Check out “Cultural Connections” to learn more about this craft’s interesting past. I hope you had a great summer and that your school year is off to a wonderful start.

Continue Reading...

Space Place

Space Place – August 2020

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM LIGHT? By Teagan Wall When you look up at the night sky and see stars, what you’re seeing is light produced by those stars many years ago. Because this is how we study the stars, it helps to know a few cool things about light. For example, light always travels at a constant speed, called the speed of light. It doesn’t matter if the star giving off light is moving towards us or away from us. This is different than most things. Think of riding a skateboard while throwing a baseball. If the skateboard is moving toward the target when you throw the ball, the speed of the skateboard and the speed of the thrown ball combine. This means that the ball travels faster than it would have if you just threw the ball while standing still. But, if the skateboard is traveling away from the target when you throw the ball, the ball travels slower than it would have if you threw it while standing still. With light, though, it doesn’t matter how fast the skateboard is moving; the light will always travel at the same speed. Another fun fact about light is that it is made out of waves kind of like the waves in the ocean — and those waves can come in different frequencies. The frequency measures how many peaks of a wave pass a certain point within a set amount of time. To understand how this works, think of a beach. If only one wave washes up on shore every minute, that’s pretty slow, or a low frequency. If one wave washes up every second, that’s more frequent. We’d say that those waves have a higher frequency. With light, the frequency determines the color or type of light. We can see the colors of the rainbow: red through violet. Red is low frequency light and violet is higher frequency. There are also types of light that we can’t see that have a higher or lower frequency than the waves of visual light. We can use special telescopes to “see” these types of light coming from space, too! And these telescopes help N

Continue Reading...

Parentown KidShape

KidShape – August 2020

Music is everywhere: on the radio, in movies and television shows and as a backdrop when shopping or celebrating milestones. Music is an integral part of cultures all over the world. Music can express emotions not easily conveyed otherwise. It also provides a sense of community and belonging and can help unite the divided. Playing musical instruments or singing has a number of benefits. From the earliest days after their birth, children can be calmed by music. Music helps people work out their feelings and can be uplifting and comforting when people need a boost. While many people are familiar with the mood-enhancing benefits of music, they may not know that music also has developmental benefits. According to Don Campbell, internationally known educator and author of “The Mozart Effect for Children,” music enhances intelligence, coordination, emotional expression, creativity and socialization skills. Studies have suggested that music and movement affect all areas of development. Music can bolster listening skills, improve motor skills, assist with problem solving and promote spatial-temporal reasoning. Many others say that music can calm and focus the mind, which is why it is so often employed by therapists. In the book, “The Importance of Music,” author Ellen Judson cites a 10-year study that tracked more than 25,000 middle and high school students. The study showed that students in music classes receive higher scores on standardized tests than students with little to no musical involvement. In addition, singing and engaging in musical appreciation sharpens one’s ability to communicate. Learning a piece of information attached to a tune will more readily embed that information in the brain. For example, many children learn the alphabet via song. Pairing lessons with song can help anyone retain information more easily. Music also is fun, so much so that kids may not realize they’re actually learning while singing. Matthew Freeman, development manager of “Sing up,” a national singing project to help enhance music in children’s education, states that children don’t think of singing as work and may be more willing to participate. Song can be used to reinforce all different subjects, from language arts to mathematics. Children or adults who are apprehensive about meeting new people can use music as a means to open the door to new friendships. Joining a choral group will immediately introduce people to others who enjoy music as well. Group singing is less intimidating than singing alone, so it takes some of the pressure off of a person and can staunch performance anxiety. Music is beneficial throughout one’s life and can be an enjoyable way to make learning more fun.

Continue Reading...

Kids

Around The World – August 2020

Italy Have you ever heard of the “Dog Days of Summer?” It doesn’t actually have anything to do with dogs. It has to do with the stars — one star, specifically. In ancient Greece, people believed that the constellation Canis Major (a dog) was chasing the rabbit constellation known as Lepus. The saying refers to the star Sirius, which is the dog’s nose. In late July/early August, when the dog’s nose rose just before the sun, it was considered the hottest part of the summer. In reality, it was not always the hottest part of the season. This part of summer was also considered a time of bad luck and misfortune for the ancient Greeks and Romans. Ferragosto is an Italian tradition that goes back hundreds of years. Ferragosto is technically on August 15. It is a Catholic celebration of the Assumption of Mary. But for many, it is the kickoff of their annual vacation. During this time, many Italian families leave town. Stores and restaurants are closed during this time as well. Ferragosto festivities that take place on Aug. 15 include live dance performances, fireworks displays, pageants and games.

Continue Reading...

Cultural Connections

Cultural Connections – August 2020

Italy Art Italy is known as the birthplace of the Renaissance The Renaissance is a period that started in the late 14th century and lasted until the 17th century. This period is famous for its art. Instead of only focusing on religious stories and figures, artists started to focus on individual humans and human emotions. The philosophy that changed and encouraged art was called Humanism. These ideas started in Italy and then spread across Europe. The Renaissance started in Italy and then spread because all the trading that happened in Italy. Trading made the Italian people wealthy and made it easy for ideas to travel around the world. Some of the most famous artists in human history came from the Italian Renaissance. Renaissance means rebirth. • The movement started in Florence. • Wealthy Italian families would support artists to show off their wealth and power. • People supporting artists were called patrons. • Painters started to capture human emotions in their work and made their paints brighter. • Being an artist was highly competitive. They would compete for jobs. • Many artists were also scientists, philosophers, inventors and mathematicians. • One of the most famous works of art from this period is Michelangelo’s “Last Judgment.” It was painted on the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. • The Catholic Church was one of the biggest patrons of the arts. • Renaissance art came in many different mediums, like paintings, sculpture, drawings and architecture. • Greece and Rome inspired many Renaissance artists. For more information, visit the following sites:

Continue Reading...

Where in the World

Where in the World – August 2020

Italy Italy is a European country famous for many things. It is known for its food, history and art. Italy has a long history with some of the world’s most powerful societies. The Greeks and Etruscans emerged in Italy around 800 BCE. For hundreds of years, Italy was made of small city-states. One of these city-states was called Rome. That single city-state grew into the Roman Empire, which conquered all the Italian Peninsula and much more land beyond. After Rome fell in 395 A.D., Italy was divided and ruled by foreign tribes. It reunited into a single country in 1861. • On a map, Italy looks like a boot kicking a small ball. • The small ball is the island of Sicily. • Italy is a peninsula, which means water surrounds it on three sides. • It is surrounded by the Adriatic Sea, the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. • The capital is Rome. • Rome is the biggest city in Italy and has a population of 2.6 million. • Rome is nicknamed “Eternal City.” • The population of the country is 61.6 million. • The money is the euro. • The language is Italian. • The area of the country is 116,324 square miles. • There are four major rivers: Po, Adige, Arno and Tiber. • The top of Italy is in the Alps mountain range. • The bottom of the boot also has mountains. They are called The Apennines. • There are three active volcanoes in Italy: Vesuvius, Etna and Stromboli. • Italy surrounds two of the world’s smallest countries. These two countries are San Marino, the oldest republic in the world, and Vatican City in Rome. The people of Italy have played a very important role in human history. The Greeks and Romans developed different kinds of art, government, philosophy and science. Italy was also the heart of the Renaissance and revolutionized philosophy, science and art. A recent discovery from Italy may change the way we think about human history again. Researchers found a 130,000 to 170,000-year-old Neanderthal skeleton in a cave in Italy. The oldest Neanderthal fossil ever found is 200,000 years old, but this skeleton is special because scientists have been able to extract Neanderthal DNA from the right shoulder blade. The skeleton was originally found in 1993, but technology has only recently been able to extract the DNA, making this the oldest Neanderthal DNA ever extracted. This skeleton is also one of the most intact ever found.

Continue Reading...

Kidsville Connections

Kidsville Connection – August 2020

Genetics What makes a rose red rather than pink? A dog’s tail short rather than long? A person’s eyes brown rather than blue? All these factors (and many more) are decided by genetics. Every organism is made of cells, and it is inside these cells that the genetic material lives. In the 1850s and ‘60s, Gregor Mendel used pea plants to track traits like plant height, pod shape and color, seed shape and color and flower position and color. He tracked changes from generation to generation. By doing this, Mendel noticed that certain traits were dominant and others were recessive. Mendel is now considered the founder of the science of genetics. The study of genetics has come a long way since then. Scientists have figured out how to genetically modify plants, not just track traits. In 1983, a farmer inserted an antibiotic-resistant gene into a tobacco plant. This was the beginning of genetically engineered plants. Now, it is common to do this, so crops become resistant to certain pests and diseases. Some plants can be modified in other ways, too. In China, researchers have figured out a way to genetically modify rice. By inserting nutrients into the developing seed, they’ve produced rice that could potentially decrease the risk of certain cancers as well as heart disease and other illnesses. Scientists are applying this knowledge to human genetics, too. With a flake of skin, a drop of blood, a piece of hair or a sample of saliva, they can explain why someone has physical traits, see if they are vulnerable to certain illnesses and see where their ancestors originated! Someday, we may be able to use genetics to help keep people healthier so they can live longer lives. While genetic engineering is a relatively new science, farmers have been using genetics for tens of thousands of years. Breeding plants and animals to bring out desired traits is nothing new. That’s how people domesticated animals. There is evidence dating back to 9000 BCE that suggests this is when people domesticated sheep, cows, pigs and goats. It’s how people developed crops thousands of years ago, too. Around 10,500 BCE, villages in Southwest Asia appear to be the first to have planned and harvested plants that were previously found only in the wild.

Continue Reading...

Come Out and Play

Come Out and Play – August 2020

Bocce Ball Bocce Ball is an ancient game that can be traced back thousands of years. It is widely considered the oldest sport in world history. There is evidence of the game recorded as early as 5200 BCE. The Greeks started playing a similar game between 800 and 600 BCE after they learned the game from the Egyptians. The Romans learned the game from the Greeks and were the first to play Bocce as we recognize it today. With the Romans, anyone could play the game just about anywhere. It became so popular that rulers across Europe were worried that the game was dangerous because it distracted people from their work. In 1319 A.D., only the nobility could play the game. This restriction meant that the game lost popularity. Bocce ball gained and lost popularity over the centuries, but it became and stayed an international sport after the 1896 Bocce Olympiad. The very first Bocce clubs were started in Italy, and Italian immigrants brought the game to America. Here is how to play: • Rules can be adjusted for different levels of players. • There should be two teams. • Each team can have from one to four players, but the teams must have the same number of players. • Four balls should be divided evenly between the players of a team; there should be eight balls total. • There should also be one smaller ball called a Pallina. • The balls for the two teams should be different so that they can be told apart. • The game can be played in the dirt, grass or on a court. • The larger the court, the harder the game will be. • The first team, as decided by who wins the coin toss, should throw the Pallina on to the court. • Rules can change on how far away the Pallina must be based on the skill of the players. • Teams then take turns throwing the large Bocce Balls at the Pallina. • The goal is to get the Bocce Balls as close to the Pallina as possible. • The balls must be thrown underhand. • You can knock opponent’s balls away from the Pallina. • To score, the team with the closest ball gets one point for every ball that is closer to the Pallina than the other team’s closest ball. • If no one is closer, then no points will be given. • Repeat the game until one team has scored 16 points. For more information, visit the following sites: http://worldbocce.org/bocce-history.htm http://usbf.us/history-of-bocce.html http://www.backyardbocce.com/basic-rules/ http://worldbocce.org/how-to-play-bocce.htm http://worldbocce.org/how-to-play-bocce.htm

Continue Reading...

Wildville

Wildville

Hominids Humans are scientifically classified as Homo sapiens. This means that humans are part of the Hominidae family. Thousands of years ago, there were other members of the Hominidae family alive as well. Fossils are classified into species like Homo Habilis, Cro-Magnon, Homo erectus and Neanderthal. These other members of the Hominidae family are often called early man; many scientists refer to members of this family as Hominids. These other Hominids share some similarities with us. For example, they often walked upright, survived as hunter-gatherers and used tools and fire. Neanderthals, or Homo Neandertalensis, are the closest extinct relatives to humans. They are believed to have made the first examples of modern human fossils ever found. • Neanderthals are named after the town where the first fossils were found, Neander Valley. • They went extinct in 30,000 BCE. • Scientists are not sure why they went extinct. • Some modern humans have Neanderthal DNA and ancestors. • The first Neanderthal fossil was found in 1856 in Germany. • They have thicker bones than modern-day humans and were shorter. • They were much stronger than modern humans are. • Males were usually 5’5”, and females were 5’1”. • They lived in Europe and southwestern to Central Asia. • Their brains were larger than ours, so many believe they were intelligent. • They made tools and lived in complicated social groups. • Scientists think that they may have used language. • They also made cave art and buried their dead with ceremonies. • Neanderthals ate mostly meat and used tools like axes and spears to hunt large animals. Studying these fossils is important because it can tell scientists a lot about current humans. Scientists are comparing DNA from Neanderthals and modern humans to determine what makes us unique. Another important question is why these early hominids went extinct. There are many different theories like climate change, conflict with modern humans and being more vulnerable to famine. Even though life was very different for Neanderthals than it is for us now, their past can help us in our future.

Continue Reading...

Letter From Truman

Truman’s Letter – August 2020

Hi, Kids! Have you ever wondered what makes us each unique? A lot of it has to do with science! The information in the cells that we are made of determines things like hair color, height and skin tone. While scientists have learned a lot about this in recent decades, farmers were in the business of picking and choosing certain traits for plants and animals thousands of years ago. Read more about it in the “Connections” section. “Cultural Connections” is all about the Renaissance and Italian art. Renaissance means rebirth. During this period, artists started focusing more on people and less on legends and religious stories. It was an exciting time to be an artist. Many of the works created during the Renaissance are famous even today. Scientists are working to find connections between humans and other groups in the Hominidae family. Neanderthals are one of these species. Using genetic samples, they hope to learn more about groups like Homo Habilis, Cro-Magnon and Homo erectus. “Wildville” is about some of the things scientists are learning about these different groups. I hope you are enjoying your summer! -Truman

Continue Reading...