Fun and interesting videos

                            First video up is 10 strange things found in Antartica! 

 Antarctica is one of the most mysterious places on Earth. ☃️ It’s the coldest location ever discovered, with an average temperature of -58ºF and an occasional drop to as low as -128.5ºF. ❄️ In addition, this continent remains the least explored. Antarctica has no time zones, no countries, and only 2 ATMs. We're gonna tell you about 10 mysterious and bizarre findings that have been discovered in the ice of Antarctica. 

TIMESTAMPS: 

Elongated skulls 2:42 

An ancient meteorite 3:28 

Ancient fossils 4:19 

Petrified remains of an unusual animal 5:01 

Blood waterfall 5:44 

Dry valleys 6:26 

100-year-old whiskey 7:23 

A scary creature 8:06 

An underground lake 8:43 

A frozen ship 9:36

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOtLCXM8Ox8

 Our second video is all about the different phases of the moon! What do you know about the moon? How big is it? Can we live there? Today Kromp and Leonard meet our Moon and ask him a few questions. We learn about the Moon Phases and more! Learn about outer space with your puppet friends! Did you know we’ve actually visited the moon? The first two men who walked on the moon were named Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. That was back in 1969. A total of 12 people have walked on the moon! Would you like to go? You have to wear a spacesuit when you’re there, because there’s no air. It also gets super hot during the day, and super hot at night. Maybe NASA will let you borrow one of their spacesuits!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYGvCuiRijI

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Our third video is a video short about trees and mother earth and how our children can play a large role in keeping her safe. Hello friends, we're very happy to present the second episode of our series "Children can make a WORLD of difference" in which our planet Earth will tell us some worrying things about the trees and how our everyday actions can help her alleviate this situation.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I7u5FMQxHA

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

If you have gotten this far CONGRATULATIONS!!! Now it's time for some real hands on activities and pure fun! Let's watch these videos about amazing science experiments that you can do at home. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcAmYGJrETohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24wO1G_7fyc

Glacier. What's that?

 

What is a glacier?

A glacier is a thick mass of ice that covers a large area of land. Around ten percent of the world's land area is covered by glaciers. Most glaciers are located near the North or South Poles, but glaciers also exist high in mountain ranges such as the Himalayas and the Andes.

How do glaciers form?

Glaciers form from snow that doesn't melt even during the summer. When enough snow builds up the weight of the snow will compress and turn into solid ice. It can take hundreds of years for a large glacier to form.

Glaciers Move

Although glaciers are made of ice and appear to be sitting still, they are actually moving. The weight of a glacier will cause it to move slowly downhill, sort of like a very slow moving river. The speed of glaciers varies widely with some moving as slow as a few feet a year while others may move several feet per day.

Types of Glaciers

Scientists have given names to different types of glaciers. Here are a few of the main types:

• Calving - A calving glacier is one that ends in a body of water like a lake or an ocean. The term calving comes from icebergs that break off the glacier or "calve" into the water. If the body of water has tides (like the ocean), the glacier may also be called a tidewater glacier.
• Cirque - Cirque glaciers form on the slopes of mountains. They are also called alpine or mountain glaciers.
• Hanging - Hanging glaciers form on the side of a mountain above a glacial valley. They are called hanging because they do not reach the valley where the main glacier is located.
• Ice cap - An ice cap is formed when ice completely covers an area of land such that no part of the land, not even mountain peaks, poke through the top of the ice cap.
• Ice field - An ice field is when ice completely covers a flat area.
• Piedmont - A piedmont glacier is formed when a glacier flows into a plain at the edge of a mountain range.
• Polar - A polar glacier is one that is formed in an area where the temperature is always below the freezing point.
• Temperate - A temperate glacier is one that coexists with liquid water.
• Valley - A valley glacier is one that fills a valley between two mountains.

Glacier Features Ablation zone - The ablation zone is the area below the accumulation zone where the glacial ice exists. In this area there is a loss in ice mass due to ablation such as melting and evaporation. Accumulation zone - This is the area of the glacier where snow falls and accumulates. It is located above the ablation zone. It is separated from the ablation zone by the equilibrium line. Crevasses - Crevasses are giant cracks that occur on the surface of glaciers typically where the glacier flows the fastest. Firn - Firn is a type of compacted snow that lies between the new snow and the glacial ice. Head - The glacier head is where the glacier starts. Terminus - The terminus is the end of the glacier. It is also called the glacier foot.

A glacier crevasse

Glaciers Change the Land

When glaciers move they can change the land creating many interesting geological features. Here are some of the geological features that are created by glaciers.

• Arete - An arete is a steep ridge formed by two glaciers that erode on opposite sides of a ridge.
• Cirque - A cirque is a bowl-shaped landform in the side of a mountain made by the head of a glacier.
• Drumlin - A drumlin is a long oval-shaped hill created by glacial ice movement.
• Fjord - A fjord is a U-shaped valley between steep cliffs created by glaciers.
• Horn - A horn is a pointy-shaped mountain peak created when many glaciers erode the same mountain top.
• Moraine - A moraine is an accumulation of material (called till) left behind by a glacier. Examples include rocks, sand, gravel, and clay.
• Tarn - Tarns are lakes that fill up cirques once the glacier has melted.

Interesting Facts about Glaciers

• Most of the country of Greenland is covered with a giant icecap that is nearly two miles thick in areas.
• Because of friction, the top of a glacier moves faster than the bottom.
• A retreating glacier doesn't actually travel backward, but is melting faster than it is gaining new ice.
• Sometimes glaciers will move much faster than normal. This is called a glacial "surge."
• At over 125 miles long, Bering Glacier in Alaska is the longest glacier in the United States.
• A scientist who studies glaciers is called a glaciologist.

*Earth Science for kids https://www.ducksters.com/science/earth_science/glaciers.php

*ACTIVITY* Human Body

 

 

If you’re working on a human body unit study, you’ll love all these human body activities & experiments shared below!

                                                 

Human Body Activities & Experiments for Kids

These activities are organized by the human body systems, so if you’re looking for an activity about the heart, jump down to Circulatory System. Enjoy and have fun with the human body!

Nervous System

Playdough Brain {Science Sparks}

Make a Brain Hemisphere Hat {Ellen McHenry’s Basement Workshop}

Teaching Sighted Kids About Blindness {The Chaos & The Clutter}

The Braille Alphabet {The Preschool Toolbox Blog}

Skeletal System

Make a Candy Spine {Adventures in Mommydom}

Q-Tip Skeleton {I Can Teach My Child}

Why the Human Body Needs Muscles & Bones {I Can Teach My Child}

Squishy Human Body Model

Muscular System

How Do Muscles Work? {Kids Activities Blog}

Beat the Clock {Primary Theme Park}

Why the Human Body Needs Muscles & Bones {I Can Teach My Child}

Digestive System

Brush your Teeth Craft {Cutting Tiny Bites}

How Long are Your Small Intestines? {Edventures with Kids}

Digestion Experiment {Little Stars Learning}

Digestive System: Peristalsis {Science Matters}

Urinary System

Making Kidneys & a Bladder Model {Highhill Homeschool}

Melissa & Doug Magnetic Human Body Set

Circulatory System

Blood in a Bottle {Runde’s Room}

What’s Inside a Drop of Blood? {Creekside Learning}

Blood Cell Membrane Experiment {Schooling a Monkey}

Circulatory Model {Highhill Education}

Create an Inflatable Heart {Kids Activities Blog}

Beat the Clock {Primary Theme Park}

Respiratory System

Learning about the Respiratory System – {Spell Out Loud}

Respiratory System Model {Primary Theme Park}

Measuring Lung Capacity {Blog She Wrote}

Even More Human Body Activities & Experiments

Human Body Science Experiments for Kids {The Measured Mom}

Make a Felt Anatomy Model for Kids {Teach Preschool}

Fingerprint Science for Kids {Edventures with Kids}

Life Size Body Map for Kids {Pink and Green Mama}

Human Body Trivia Game Board {Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational}

The human body

The human body is a complex biological system involving cells, tissues, organs, and systems all working together to make up a human being.

                     Human Body

Main Structures

From the outside, the human body can be divided into several main structures. The head houses the brain which controls the body. The neck and trunk house many of the important systems that keep the body alive and healthy. The limbs (arms and legs) help the body to move about and function in the world.

Senses

The human body has five main senses that it uses to convey information about the outside world to the brain. These senses include sight (eyes), hearing (ears), smell (nose), taste (tongue), and touch (skin).

Organ Systems

The human body consists of several organ systems. Each system is made up of organs and other body structures that work together to perform a specific function. Most scientists divide the body into 11 systems.

1. Skeletal System - The skeletal system is made up of bones, ligaments, and tendons. It supports the overall structure of the body and protects the organs.



2. Muscular System - The muscular system works closely with the skeletal system. Muscles help the body to move and interact with the world.



3. Cardiovascular/Circulatory System - The circulatory system helps deliver nutrients throughout the body. It consists of the heart, blood, and blood vessels.



4. Digestive System - The digestive system helps to convert food into nutrients and energy for the body. Some of the organs included in the digestive system are the stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, and pancreas.



5. Nervous System - The nervous system helps the body to communicate and allows the brain to control various functions of the body. It includes the brain, spinal cord, and a large network of nerves.



6. Respiratory System - The respiratory system brings oxygen into the body through the lungs and windpipe. It also removes carbon dioxide from the body.



7. Endocrine System - The endocrine system produces hormones that help regulate the other systems in the body. It includes the pancreas, adrenal glands, thyroid, pituitary, and more.



8. Urinary System - The urinary system uses the kidneys to filter the blood and eliminate waste. It includes the kidneys, bladder, and urethra.



9. Immune/Lymphatic System - The lymphatic and immune systems work together to protect the body from diseases.



10. Reproductive System - The reproductive system includes the sex organs that enable people to have babies. This system is different for males and females.



11. Integumentary System - The integumentary system helps protect the body from the outside world. It includes the skin, hair, and nails.

Cells, Tissues, and Organs

  Like all living organisms, the human body is made up of cells. There are all different types of cells in the human body. When lots of similar cells work together to perform a function, they make up tissue. There are four main types of tissue in the human body including muscle tissue, connective tissue, epithelial tissue, and nervous tissue. 

 

 Organs are somewhat independent parts of the body that carry out special functions. They are made up of tissues. Examples of organs include the eyes, heart, lungs, liver, and stomach.

Interesting Facts about the Human Body

• The human body is made up of around 37 trillion cells.
• The average human heart beats around 100,000 times every day.
• If you spread out the wrinkles in the brain it would be about the size of a pillow case.
• Fingernails grow much faster than toenails. They are both made of a protein called keratin.
• About 60% of the human body is made up of water.
• The brain itself does not feel pain.
• The largest of the human internal organs is the small intestine.
• Acid in the stomach is powerful enough to dissolve some metals.
• The left lung is typically around 10% smaller than the right lung. This is to make room for the heart.
• Humans are born with 270 bones. Several of these bones fuse together by adulthood making a total of 206 bones in the adult human body.

What IS science?

    Science is the study of the world around us. Scientists learn by observing, documenting/describing, and experimenting. There are many subjects and branches of science. Some study plants this would be botany. Other scientist study life, biology, or the earth, geology, or even matter and energy, physics. 

   The world around us is fascinating and learning about it can be fun and interesting. 

What is biology?

   Biology is the branch of science that studies life and living organisms. This includes such subjects as the cell, genes, inheritance, microorganisms, plants, animals, and the human body.

There are many branches of science that are part of biology including ecology (how organisms interact with their environment), agriculture (the study of producing crops from the land), biochemistry (the chemical reactions needed to support life), botany (the study of plants), physiology (how living organisms function), and zoology (the study of animals).  

The cell is the basic unit of life. Some organisms are made up of a single cell, like bacteria, while others are made up of trillions of cells. Human beings are made up of cells, too.

Different Types of Cells

There are lots of different types of cells. Each type of cell is different and performs a different function. In the human body, we have nerve cells which can be as long as from our feet to our spinal cord. Nerve cells help to transport messages around the body. We also have billions of tiny little brain cells which help us think and muscle cells which help us move around. There are many more cells in our body that help us to function and stay alive.

Although there are lots of different kinds of cells, they are often divided into two main categories: prokaryotic and eukaryotic.

Prokaryotic Cells - The prokaryotic cell is a simple, small cell with no nucleus. Organisms made from prokaryotic cells are very small, such as bacteria. There are three main regions of the prokaryotic cell:

1) The outside protection or "envelope" of the cell. This is made up of the cell wall, membrane, and capsule.
2) The flagella, which are a whip-like appendages that can help the cell to move. Note: not all prokaryotic cells have flagella.
3) The inside of the cell called the cytoplasmic region. This region includes the nucleoid, cytoplasm, and ribosomes.

Eukaryotic Cells - These cells are typically a lot bigger and more complex than prokaryotic cells. They have a defined cell nucleus which houses the cell's DNA. These are the types of cells we find in plants and animals.

Parts of the Cell

There are a lot of parts and functions to some cells. Here are some of the main components many cells have:

• Membrane - This is the outer boundary of the cell. Sort of like the skin. It allows some substances in and keeps others out.
• Mitochondria - This is where the cell gets its energy. In the human body, food we have digested reacts with oxygen in the mitochondria to make energy for the cell.
• Ribosomes - Ribosomes are like tiny factories that make different things the cell needs to function, like proteins.
• Nucleus - The nucleus is the brains of the cell. It uses chromosomes to instruct the rest of the cell what to do next.
• Cytoplasm - This is the stuff that fills up the rest of the cell. The other components of the cell float around in the cytoplasm. It's mostly water.
• Lysosomes - These guys clean up the place getting rid of waste and other unwanted substances that may get into the cell.

The machines inside the cell like the nucleus, ribosomes, and lysosomes are called organelles.

Fun Facts About Cells

• They were discovered by the scientist Robert Hooke.
• One of the largest known cells is the ostrich egg which can weigh over three pounds.
• When many cells of the same kind are together in a group, it's call tissue.
• The word cell comes from the Latin word cellula, which means small compartment.
• Humans actually carry more bacteria cells than human cells. GROSS!

https://www.ducksters.com/science/

It’s OK to indulge once in a while: The body adapts to occasional short-term overeating

  Overeating has been found to impair blood sugar (glucose) control and insulin levels. A new study suggests that the duration of a bout of overeating can affect how the body adapts glucose and insulin processing when calorie intake increases. The article is published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology–Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Obesity and type 2 diabetes have increased significantly worldwide within the past 30 years. Lifestyle factors such as overindulging in high-calorie foods play a large role in the development of these two serious health conditions. Understanding how overeating causes changes in blood sugar control and insulin processing may help scientists learn more about metabolic disease.

Researchers from Deakin University in Australia studied a small group of healthy, lean men with an average age of 22. Volunteers participated in a short-term trial consisting of five days “indicative of humans overeating during festivals and holidays” and a long-term model of chronic overeating lasting 28 days. The nutritional composition of the volunteers’ diet was representative of a typical Australian diet (55 percent carbohydrates, 35 percent fat and 15 percent protein). The “overfeeding” portion of the diet included high-calorie snacks such as chocolate, meal replacement drinks and potato chips to add approximately 1,000 more calories to the men’s normal food consumption each day. The research team measured the volunteers’ weight, fat mass, blood sugar and insulin levels before the trial began and again after five and 28 days.

Although the amount of visceral fat that surrounds internal organs increased substantially, short-term overeating did not have a significant effect on the men’s weight or fat mass. In addition, fasting levels of blood sugar and C-peptide–an amino acid the body releases in response to increased production of insulin–did not change. This finding was surprising because fasting levels of endogenous glucose–new glucose the body produces in addition to what it has already stored for future use–increased during the short-term trial.

Chronic overeating increased the amount of total body fat and visceral fat as well as post-meal blood sugar and C-peptide levels. However, it did not alter fasting blood sugar levels, endogenous glucose production or the rate of glucose removal from the body (glucose disposal). This may be because the nutrient profile in the long-term trial was consistent with a typical diet and dietary fat percentages did not increase. Long-term overindulgence in fatty foods, instead of more nutritionally balanced foods, may be an important factor that causes rapid changes in blood sugar control.

These findings “suggest that early adaptations in response to carbohydrate overfeeding are directed at increasing glucose disposal in order to maintain whole-body insulin sensitivity,” the researchers wrote.

https://www.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/ajpendo.00500.2018
https://scienceblog.com/507534/its-ok-to-indulge-once-in-a-while-the-body-adapts-to-occasional-short-term-overeating/