LittleClickers » Geography

Cathedrals

buckleit — Sun, 05 May 2019 17:27:37 +0000

Do you like to build with blocks? If so, you would like how cathedrals are made. Imagine if your blocks were made of stone, and a king asked you to make the most beautiful cathedral in the world. What would it look like?

1. Why did people build cathedrals? To show off. At the Durham World Heritage Site you learn how the construction of a monumental cathedral helped to impress visitors. It also gave the town a place to bury important people, and pay respect to a religion. Learn more at http://bitly.com/2vvXAzl

2. What does Gothic mean? Why are cathedrals often called gothic? It’s another way to say “fancy.” The word originated from the Goths, a German tribe in Europe, who celebrated ornate, decorative design. Telltale signs of Gothic construction include statues, high ceilings, stained glass and pointed arches, all commonly used in cathedrals. Read more at http://bitly.com/2vFMnfT

3. What kind of stone are most cathedrals made of? Mostly limestone, which is easy to cut and carve, and can stand up to the weather. Most limestone was cut from ancient seabeds. Marble and other gemstones were used on the inside floor and for decorations. Read more at http://bitly.com/2PFromm

4. Because cathedrals are made of stone, they are fireproof, right? No. Wooden timbers are also often part of the construction, especially in the area above the dome. These huge wooden beams can burn quickly, which is why a terrible fire started in the Notre-Dame cathedral. See the results of the fire, at https://nyti.ms/2PJf8kL

5. Can cathedrals be digitized? Yes. A USA professor named Andrew Tallon used drones and lasers to make digital maps of the Notre Dame cathedral before the fire. Sadly he Dr. Tallon died last fall, making is work an important legacy to him, as it is used by the future builders who will try to restore the famous cathedral. Read more at http://bitly.com/2PHoxsY

APPLICATION

Can you build a model cathedral? You can with this $55 block set https://amzn.to/2PHmLrO or take a class from Thomas Davies Clay, who makes cathedral Models. See his site at http://www.cathedralquest.com/index.html

Cathedrals on YouTube

Want more? Here’s a video playlist

Download this month’s LittleClickers as a one page PDF –> Download

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Skyscrapers

buckleit — Sat, 02 Jan 2016 20:28:02 +0000

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What single building has 73 elevators and enough structural concrete to pave 200 miles of sidewalks? The Freedom Tower in New York City. Is it the world’s tallest skyscraper? No. But it’s the safest, newest, and most energy efficient. Let’s learn more!

1. What city has the world’s tallest building? (take your best guess)

a) New York City (USA)
b) Taipei (Taiwan)
c) Dubai (United Arab Emirates)

Answer: C. The 163 story tall Burj Khalifa in Dubai has been the world’s tallest building since 2008, according to Wikipedia. By comparison the Freedom, Tower is quite a bit shorter, at 104 stories making it the 4th tallest in the world as of 2016.

2. True or false. Do tall buildings sway in the wind?
True. But they are designed to move, in either wind or an earthquake. Tiapea 101 for example has a giant ball hanging inside it’s hollow core. See what happens during an earthquake, at https://youtu.be/NYSgd1XSZXc

3. Which skyscraper has the best observation deck?
It just might be the Sears Tower, with it’s the Observation Ledge. It’s made out of glass and it comes with a dare… can you go to the ledge? See for yourself, at http://theskydeck.com/

4. Has anyone ever jumped off the top of a skyscraper and lived?
Yes, as long as they have a parachute. In 2008, two French daredevils jumped off the 160th floor of the Barj Khalifa with a video camera. Have a look https://youtu.be/9pGp1LX8yZY.

5. Do skycrapers get hit by lighting?
All the time. They act as giant lightning rods during storms, transferring the energy to the ground. So people are not harmed. Here’s the Sears Tower in Chicago getting struck by lightning. https://youtu.be/IJGE51oBAms

APPLICATIONS: Try to build your own Skyscraper in Minecraft http://bitly.com/2iwPEsh or out of spaghetti and marshmallows, at http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/tallsturdybuilding.html. Next download Tinybop’s well designed app, called Skyscrapers by Tinybop.

This column comes with a YouTube Playlist.

New Years Tech Traditions

Megan Billitti — Mon, 28 Dec 2015 14:55:48 +0000

All around the world people love to celebrate the moment in time when the old year ends and the new one begins. It’s like a birthday party for everyone. New technologies can come into play, alongside some age-old traditions like baking a coin into a loaf of bread. Here’s a look some New Year’s traditions from around the world.

1. How many LEDs are there in the Times Square ball? At the Times Square web site http://bit.ly/1QX1mrJ you can learn about the history and technology behind this famous ball. The first ball, made in 1927, only had 100 white bulbs. Today’s fourth edition has 32,256 LEDs (light emitting diodes) grouped in 672 triangles of 48 bulbs each. Each contains 12 red, 12 blue, 12 green, and 12 white LED bulbs that work together to make 16 million colors.

2. Denmark, Greece and Canada each have some unique low tech New Year’s traditions. Can you match the country with the tradition?
a) Who bakes a coin into a loaf of bread? __________________
b) Who throws porcelain plates into the street? _____________
c) Who jumps into a frozen lake? ________________
ANSWERS: At Travel Smarter http://bit.ly/1OU9CCB you learn that people in Greece wrap a coin in tin foil and drop it randomly into some bread dough before it is baked. Whoever gets the lucky piece will have good luck for the next year. In Canada and the USA, some people jump into a frozen lakes http://bit.ly/1N3TpKM. And in Denmark http://bit.ly/1OgYlA6 they toss fancy plates into the street to symbolize a fresh start to a new year.

3. What does “Auld Lang Syne” mean? The famous New Year’s song was popularized by big band leader Guy Lombardo. It comes from Scotland, and is about the joy of getting together with old friends. Here’s the complete story http://bitly.com/1R3NyM2.

Megan’s Videos About New Year’s Tech Traditions
Here’s a set of hand picked videos from YouTube:

Iconic Rock Structures

Megan Billitti — Fri, 29 Aug 2014 21:31:27 +0000

TEACHERS AND LIBRARIANS: DOWNLOAD THIS PAGE AS A ONE PAGE PDF

One dark and stormy night this summer, on a Utah desert, “The Cobra” toppled and fell. It took millions of years to make, but just seconds to end. So we decided to learn more about some of the iconic rock formations around the world.

1. How did The Cobra fall? At http://bit.ly/1omkDPh, you’ll learn that the most probable cause was a strong thunderstorm, but some think it was a lighting strike.

2. Did people climb The Cobra? Yes. Also, read more at http://bit.ly/1tZ4Tb1 to learn which rock formations are rated as the best climbs in North America.

3. How are rock arches created? The site for the Arches National Park http://1.usa.gov/1tZ4sxt nicely explains the five elements required to create an arch.

4. What are some of the greatest man-made rock sculptures? Besides the Great Sphinx in Egypt (wikipedia page at http://bit.ly/1ja0aea) there’s Mt. Rushmore, http://bit.ly/1ckFOwL which is one of the most visited rock sculptures in North America. Also have a look at http://bit.ly/1pVA5I2 to see the Crazy Horse Memorial Monument, a work in progress which could be the world’s largest mountain sculpture.

SHOW ME SOME ROCK FORMATIONS:

Want to see more? At http://bit.ly/1lH5eNL view pictures of the various incredible rock formations found in the world today.

Want to see a rock shaped like a giant wave?

Here’s a set of hand picked videos from Youtube:

Geocaching

Megan Billitti — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 19:09:51 +0000

April flowers mean May geocaches. In case it’s been a while since you’ve found or hidden a geocache, here’s a refresher course.

1. What is geocaching? http://bit.ly/1ffnwzc tells us that Geocaching is an outdoor treasure hunt powered by GPS technology. To play, you navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then try to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location. Once found, you sign a log book, take something from the cache, and leave something interesting behind.

2. Who invented geocaching? At http://bitly.com/1jOaCtO you learn that on May 3, 2000, a guy named Dave Ulmer hid a bucket of trinkets in the woods outside Portland, Oregon to celebrate the fact that GPS technology could be used by the general public. He announced the coordinates online and invited people people to try to find it. We found a video with Dave Ulmer in the YouTube playlist, below.

3. I want to Geocache! What do I need? At http://bit.ly/1dqFpz7 you can see a list of things you’ll need, including a smart phone, an app and a good pair of shoes.

4. Is there a geocache by me right now? There are over 2,368,183 active geocaches worldwide, according to Geocaching.com. To find one close to you click on http://bit.ly/1ffnwzc, and enter your information into the search bar.

5. What are some dangers of geocaching? You’re going to be outside, so look out for bugs, ticks, poison ivy, snakes, mean dogs, and always geocache with a parent or friend. Here are some good suggestions http://bitl y.com/QF8ig9.

6. What are some things I can find? You might find a geocoin, or a hand made bracelet, trinket, or toy. Or you might strike it big and find a gift card.Here are some examples of things people have found http://bit.ly/1rlKUjc .

APPLICATIONS

1. Create, and hide your own geocache-http://bit.ly/1i8A0wN

2. Go on a family geocache adventure- http://bit.ly/1lEIY8n

Megan’s You Tube Geocache Videos

Want to see the can of beans that was part of the very first Geocache?

Winter Olympics 2014

Megan Billitti — Mon, 20 Jan 2014 15:45:50 +0000

Download the PDF Version of this column

Every 4th winter, the world’s best snowboarders, skiers, skaters and sledders migrate to the frozen parts of the world to find out who deserves the gold medal. This year, they’re all going to a small town in Russia — Sochi, for the Winter Olympics. At http://www.sochi2014.com/en you can see the schedule and learn about the athletes, but that’s just the beginning. Let’s test your knowledge about the Winter Olympics and then watch some videos from prior Winter Olympics.

1. T/F Tropical countries don’t compete in the winter Olympics. Answer: False. There are athletes from Jamaica and the Virgin Islands listed on the roster, at http://bit.ly/1e84fgM

2. Which country has the most Winter Olympics medals? Hint. It’s not the USA, Russia or China. The answer is at http://bit.ly/1f0MrZ3.

3. How many Winter Olympic sports are there? The answer is at http://bit.ly/1jiRrM3. Hint, there’s not nearly as many as the Summer Olympics, and the fraction 15/41 is a clue. Also, you should know that there are eight new sports at this year’s Olympics, listed here http://bit.ly/1mmaFxk.

4. If you win a gold medal, is it really gold? At http://cnnmon.ie/1jpS7PM you learn that, by weight, a “gold” medal is a mixture of metals; mostly silver. It is coated with real gold. The real value of a gold medal is symbolic.

5. Can a kid enter the Olympics? According to Yun Mi Kim of Korea, the answer is yes. She was 13 when she won her speed skating gold medal. At http://bit.ly/1mmb82u you can learn the ages of all past medal winners, young and old.

Applications

Make a torch at http://bit.ly/LJopay

Try some Olympic trivia at http://bit.ly/1dOySeL and http://bit.ly/1e9vKcA

Follow the news on twitter by following tweets by NBC Sports at #NBCOlympics

Let’s Visit The Serengeti

buckleit — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 14:14:44 +0000

Let’s go to a really amazing place. The grassy lands of Eastern Africa are called the Serengeti, and it is home to some incredible animals. Here are some links to sites that will help you learn about this place.

At http://www.serengeti.org, the official site of the Serengeti National Park, you can start your journey in the photo gallery. The pictures of the land, the animals and the people are amazing. Click on Discover Serengeti to begin.

A new tree frog has been discovered on the Serengeti plains.At http://www.calacademy.org/research/herpetology/frogs/serengetifrog.htm you can read about how a young boy made this important find.

Next, you can try your hand at being a wildlife photographer at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/serengeti/multimedia/serengeti-game.html. Drive your vehicle around the plains to find and capture animals on film. Make it back to safari camp before dark and you can watch a movie of your photos.

Want to know more about the people who live in the Serengeti?

Go to http://www.maasai-association.org/maasai.html to see pictures and read an article about the Maasai, one of the tribes that lives in this area.

For more fantastic photos, visit http://www.jao.com/africa/serengeti. Here you’ll view 16 pictures of lions, giraffes, antelope and more.

Lions live in the Serengeti, and there’s a big research project there to help us learn more about the “King of the Beasts”. At http://www.cbs.umn.edu/lionresearch_2 you can find answers to frequently asked questions on the Serengeti lions.

Fish Fun

buckleit — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 20:42:32 +0000

Fish Fun

Want to learn about fish? Try visiting these cool sites for fish-themed pictures, videos, games and activities.

See Dragons of the Deep– Leafy Sea Dragons are amazing creatures that look like little floating dragons. This site gives you lots of cool pictures and information. http://divegallery.com/Leafy_Sea_Dragon.htm

Tour an Aquarium–in Hawaii!

http://www.waquarium.org/

You can visit the Waikiki Aquarium without leaving your house! This virtual tour takes you to dozens of exhibits where you can learn about all kinds of water life.

Name that Fish

http://www.austmus.gov.au/fishes/

This site from the Australian Fish Museum has lots of pictures and activities. We liked the Identify- A-Fish game.

Visit the UK National Aquarium

www.national-aquarium.co.uk/behindthescenes/

Want to see the grocery list needed to feed all the fish at this United Kingdom aquarium? This site lets you take a peek behind the scenes of daily life at an aquarium.

Set Up Your Own Fish Tank

www.seaworld.org/infobooks/Aquarium/Aquarium.html

If you’re getting ready to set up your own aquarium, this site has lots of useful tips and information.

Trains

buckleit — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 17:28:58 +0000

TRAINS

Trains come in all shapes, lengths and speeds. Chances are, there’s one near your house. Here’s a collection of sites to test your knowledge of trains.

What country claims to have the world’s fastest trains?

a) Japan

b) USA

c) France

Find out here: http://www.record2007.com/site/index_en.php. Answer: Both France and Japan. On April 3, 2007, the French train called the V150 went an amazing 356 MPH; but there’s a bit of disagreement about this record because of the way trains are defined. In 2003, a Japanese bullet train — called a Maglev and pictured at the right — reached a speed of 361 MPH. You can read CNN’s report of the event at http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/east/12/03/japan.maglev.ap. Similar trains are under construction in China. There was also an Air Force rocket sled that broke the speed of sound.

Here’s some other interesting links that deal with the fastest trains:

1) a movie of a Japanese train: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weWmTldrOyo

2) a list of speed records: http://www.h2.dion.ne.jp/~dajf/byunbyun/speeds/records.htm

T/F – Is there such a thing as a train without wheels?

Watch the video below, and you’ll learn how a Japanese Maglev train works — with no wheels. They actually do have wheels, but they lift of the track when the train reaches a certain speed — sort of like an airplane. For even more detailed information, visit http://www.magnet.fsu.edu/education/tutorials/magnetacademy/
superconductivity101/maglev.html.

What’s the longest train?

The longest regularly running train (picturered to the right) can be found in the Sahara Desert, where it carries rock from a mine. The train is 1.86 miles long. Watch a video of the train passing — every car — at http://fogonazos.blogspot.com/2007/01/longest-train-in-world.html! There was a longer train in Australia that measured four miles long, but it only ran once.

What’s the longest train ride in the world?

A ride in the train called Rossiya can take seven days, as it travels from Moscow, in Eastern Europe, to Vladivostok on the Pacific Coast. That’s 5,777 miles! You can learn more about the trip and see more photos of the train at http://www.seat61.com/Trans-Siberian-pictures.com.

Do you know when it is safe to cross the train tracks?

Play the train safety game and learn some facts about how to act around trains. Visit http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Rail/english/indexhtml.

Where is the largest model railroad in the world located?

It depends who you ask! Flemington, NJ, former software developer, Bruce Zaccagnino, created a train set with eight miles of track — so large it needs a special building. Bruce calls it Northlandz. If it were life-sized, it would be 1,600-miles-long. Listen to Bruce and his wife, Jean, describe hs work on National Public Radio at http://www.soundportraits.org/on-air/northlandz/.

Wunderland, located in Hamburg, Germany, boasts 9,000 meters of track, with a major expansion to be completed in 2014. See http://www.miniatur-wunderland.com/exhibit/wunderland/wunderland-facts/, and take a virtual tour by clicking on the video below.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e98_1237657552

GPS

buckleit — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 18:00:05 +0000

Learn More About GPS

Once upon a time, in the very olden days, people (like your parents) used printed maps and compasses to figure out where they were going. Before that they used the stars. Today, we use the GPS that uses a network of sophisticated man-made stars (satellites) to work. If you have a GPS receiver— about $100 these days — in your car or pocket you can know exactly where you are. How much do you know about this magical technology? Do you know what the letters “GPS” stand for? Do you know how many GPS satellites there are? Do you know how to Geocache? Here are some sites about the GPS.

1. What do the letters GPS stand for?

Find out at http://www.gps.gov.

2. Who paid for the GPS system? And what year was the first GPS satellite launched?

You did. See http://www.nasm.si.edu/gps/. The US military created the GPS, funded by taxes, starting in 1978. It wasn’t until 1994 that all 24 satellites were available.

3. A GPS receiver can best be compared to which
device:
a) A car radio that only receives radio waves.
b) A cell phone that both sends and receives radio waves.

Answer: a) A car radio. Visit http://www8.garmin.com/aboutGPS/. A GPS receiver is a specialized radio wave receiver, tuned to capture 24 frequencies.

4. How many satellites must your GPS receiver “see” in
order to calculate your location?
a) 5
b) 1
c) 3

Answer (c). Answer. Visit http://www.how-gps-works.com for this and other GPS facts. (Note: contains ads.)

5. The GPS satellites each are tuned to the same very
accurate clock that costs millions of dollars. Where is this clock located?
a) The moon.
b) An igloo in Alaska.
c) An airforce base in Colorado.

Answer (c). At https://gps.afspc.af.mil/gps/, you’ll learn that the official world clock is located at The Schriever United States Air Force base in Colorado Springs

Trivia Question Time! Visit http://www8.garmin.com/aboutGPS/ to find the answers to each of the following questions. Hints are below.

6. What is the number of orbits per day for most GPS statellites?
7. What is the number of years a GPS satellite lasts?
8. What is the weight of a GPS satellite?
9. How many miles from earth are most satellites located?
10. What is the accuracy of a commercial GPS receiver, in feet?
11. How are they powered?
12. What is the maximum number of satellites your receiver can“see” at any one time?

Answers (not in correct order!)

a) 12,000
b) 30
c) 2
d) 10 years
e) by the sun!
f) 2000 lbs (the same as a small car)
g) 12. The other 12 are on the other side of the earth!

13. YouTube videos explaining how GPS works.

Visit Children’s Technology Review’s (CTR) YouTube page to see more videos that explain how GPS systems work.