Related Wonders for You to Explore

Wonder Words (18)

DID YOU GET IT?

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Wonder What's Next?

]]> 2022-02-02 12:57:46 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2025278788 WHY ARE CATS AFRAID OF CUCUMBER…….When the cat turns around and sees the cucumber, it usually has a strong reaction.Some cats freak out, jump into the air, and run away. Others stare at the cucumber as if afraid it will attack them. Many cats appear very curious and wary. While some cats don’t show any type of fear, most of them do seem to be afraid of cucumbers. https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2025281847 2022-02-02 12:59:24 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2025281847 Fake news menonadv30_2_1 https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2025284415 Sites or outlets that publish wild or untrue stories for purposes of satire or parody are usually not considered fake news. For example, when Wonderopolis published "Why Is the Internet Shutting Down?" on April 1, 2017, users understood it was an April Fool's joke and not a true story.

While the focus of fake news in 2016 tended to be politics, you'll find fake news stories on just about any topic you can imagine, including entertainment, popular culture, and health and wellness. Because it's so easy to publish information on the Internet and share it on social media, fake news stories can quickly go viral and be accepted as truth by many people before fact checkers have a chance to debunk them.

]]> 2022-02-02 13:01:13 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2025284415 Have you ever dumped ice water over your head? Can you freeze in place like a mannequin? Have you flipped a water bottle in the air and watched it land right side up? If you recognize these activities, you probably know they started as YouTube challenges!A YouTube challenge is a silly task that people attempt on video. When others see the video on YouTube, they try doing the challenge, too! Challenges spread quickly due to YouTube's enormous audience. The site has two billion visitors each day and over three hundred hours of video are posted every minute. In fact, YouTube is the second most visited place online!Despite its popularity today, YouTube hasn't been around long. In 2005, three friends named Jawed Karim, Chad Hurley, and Steve Chen wanted to share a video online. The three looked for a video sharing site but couldn't find one. That's when they decided to create their own. They uploaded their first video, "Me at the Zoo," and YouTube was born. Today, YouTube challenges aren't the only videos you'll find on the site. https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2025285159 2022-02-02 13:01:45 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2025285159 Why Don't Cats Like Water? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2025286036 Why don’t cats like water? Experts have many answers to that question. Some say domestic cats hate water because they aren’t around it early in life. If cats don’t spend much time in water as kittens, they’re more likely to be afraid of it. This is a common problem because many pet owners don’t bathe their cats, since felines groom themselves.]]> 2022-02-02 13:02:17 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2025286036 Blue jeans. https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2025288268 Jeans were used sense 1800s but the jeans are different from today jeans.In California in the 1850s dry good merchant Levi he sold blue denim work.Once the costumers complained because they kept tearing apart.May 20th was considered as the blue jeans birthday.Levi Statuss and co was the only company to make riveted cloths 20 years.Then the original design became significant in the 1950s after James Dean wore them in the movie Rebel Without a cause.]]> 2022-02-02 13:03:44 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2025288268 Why do cats slowly blink at you? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2025288845 What Does the Cat Slow Blink Mean? As theorized by animal behavior experts, the slow blink is how a cat tells her human family that she feels safe. ... [Cats] do that when they're absolutely comfortable with you." If you've ever had a cat gaze lovingly into you eyes and blink slowly, consider yourself lucky.]]> 2022-02-02 13:04:10 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2025288845 Have You Ever Seen a Red Panda? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037776406 Red panda? Yes, you read that right! When you hear the word “panda,” you probably imagine big, black-and-white bears that munch on bamboo. You’re picturing the giant panda, which can grow to be over 200 pounds. Red pandas are a lot smaller. They’re about the size ofhouse cats. They also have long, bushy tails that add to their length. They live in rainy, high-altitude forests. Red pandas are common to the mountains of Nepal, Myanmar, and China. However, you can also visit them in zoos across the globe.

Would you believe the red panda isn’t even related to the giant panda? The two species aren’t even cousins. However, they do look a bit alike. They both have round faces and similar ears. Of course, they’re both also covered in fur. To picture what a red panda looks like, imagine a panda mixed with a raccoon. Okay, now give it red fur. That’s it!

]]> 2022-02-09 12:40:54 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037776406 How Do Iron Lungs Work? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037778055 Can you name any truly life-changing inventions? There have been many over the course of human history. Just look at the field of medicine, for example. In this area alone, inventions like vaccines, anesthesia, and the stethoscopehave changed the world.]]> 2022-02-09 12:41:55 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037778055 Why Does the Moon Change Shape? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037788018

People have always been fascinated by the Moon. We have plenty of good reasons to be! The Moon controls our tides, causes solar eclipses, and appears to have a face. To add to our fascination, the Moon even changes shape!

]]> 2022-02-09 12:47:25 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037788018 https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037788205 Are you

strong? In gym class, you've probably tried push-ups. When you're young — and even when you're older — push-ups can be hard. Pushing your body weight up with just the power of your arms definitely tests your strength.

You probably know that there are many people in the world who can liftway more than just their body weight. Professional athletes and bodybuilders rely upon exceptional strength to compete at the highest level. But who's the strongest person in the world?

Is there an easy way to judge who's the strongest person in the world? How do you measure strength? If you've ever exercised in a gym or lifted weights, you know that there are many different types of weightlifting exercises that strengthen and test different musclegroups.

When searching for the world's strongest person, one might look to the winners of the various strongman competitions held all over the world. These competitions test contestants in a variety of different ways, eventually awarding a title to the overall winner who performs the best in the most events.

One such competition is called The World's Strongest Man. It is held each year around the end of the year. Competitors must earn a spot in this prestigious competition by placing in the top three at other qualifying events held throughout the year.

The winner of The World's Strongest Man usually lays claim to that informal title for the year until the following year's competition rolls around. The most recent winner is Žydrūnas Savickas, a Lithuanian power lifter.

Many experts consider Savickas one of the greatest strongman competitors of all time. He is the only modern strongman competitor to have won every major strongman competition, including The World's Strongest Man four times! Brian Shaw of the United States has also won The World's Strongest Man twice in the last few years.

]]> 2022-02-09 12:47:32 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037788205 Why Do We Need Eyelashes? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037793026 The eyes are an important part of the human body. One of the first things we often notice about other people is their eyes. As we make eye contact with other people, our eyes communicate in ways that our words cannot.

Sometimes our eyes are accentuated by the little hairs that line our eyelids. Yes! We're talking about eyelashes. Do you have long eyelashes? If you don't, you might wish you did, as they can make the eyes even more attractive. But why do we even have them?

Many people use makeup and various tools to decorate and lengthentheir eyelashes. Long, thick eyelashes can definitely be beautiful. They do serve some useful purposes beyond merely improving your looks, though.

For example, eyelashes help to protect your eyes. There are many particles in the air, like dust and sand, which can get into your eyes and harm them. Eyelashes help to sweep these particles out of the way. The long eyelashes of camels work in similar ways.

Eyelashes also help to keep moisture, like sweat or rain, out of your eyes. Their curved shape and the way they are positioned allow them to direct moisture away from your eyes.

]]> 2022-02-09 12:50:19 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037793026 Why are pandas Rare https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037795895 If you could choose any wild animal or

zoo resident to keep at home as a pet, what would you choose? If you're like many kids, you'd soon have a giant panda to cuddle up with at night. But would a giant panda make a good pet?

Sure, they're cute. Who can resist those pudgy bodies and adorable faces? They look so cuddly that you just want to pinch their cheeks and give them a hug. They would be a real chore to take care of, though.

First of all, they eat A LOT. An adult giant panda eats about 12 hours each day. Over the course of that time, it consumes about 20-40 pounds of bamboo. That also means that pandas have to use the bathroom dozens of times a day. That's a lot of clean-up!

So it's probably best to leave the pandas in the wild and in the zoos. Unfortunately, there aren't many pandas left in either place these days.

If you want to see a giant panda in the wild, you'll have to visit the cool, wet bamboo forests of the remote, mountainous regions of central China. You'll also have to be super sneaky, as pandas have an advanced sense of smell that helps them keep their distance from predators — and other pandas.

]]> 2022-02-09 12:52:05 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037795895 🐝Why do bees buzz🐝 https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037796711 t’s springtime here in Wonderopolis, and the air is positively BUZZING with energy. Pollen is in the air, flowers are in bloom, and one of the planet’s hardest-working insects is very busy. What are we talking about? The bees, of course!

When it comes to bees, you may wonder what all the buzz is about. The answer is that they’re a pretty important part of the large ecosystem of planet Earth. In fact, some experts estimate that humans have bees to thank for as much as one-third of the food they consume. They’re one of the world’s greatest pollinators.

Have you ever WONDERed why bees buzz? The sound is produced by the insect’s rapid wing beats as they fly through the air. This creates vibrations that the human ear detects as buzzing. The bigger a bee is, the slower its wings beat. The slower its wings beat, the lower the pitchof the buzzing will sound.

Buzzing isn’t just for show, however—it also serves an important purpose. When certain species, such as bumblebees, visit a flower, the buzzing and vibrations of their wings and bodies cause pollen to shake off the flower. The pollen then attaches to the bee’s body. It’s depositedon the next flower the bee stops to visit. This transfer of pollen from flower to flower is called “pollination.”

]]> 2022-02-09 12:52:33 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037796711 What Do Macrophages Do? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037799334 You may already know that your blood does many important things for your body. It carries oxygen, forms clots, and even fights sickness. Today, we’ll learn about a special type of blood cell. It helps protect your body from outside invaders. What are we talking about? Macrophages, of course!

What are macrophages? They’re a type of white blood cell. The thousands of white blood cells in your body fight infections from viruses and bacteria. Macrophages support this work and also rid the body of old or dead cells that it no longer needs.

]]> 2022-02-09 12:54:05 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037799334 Who invented math johnsongab30 https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037804066 More advanced mathematics can be traced to ancient Greece over 2,500 years ago. Ancient mathematician Pythagoras had questions about the sides of a right triangle. His questioning, research, and testing led to a basic understanding of triangles we still study today, known as the Pythagorean Theorem.

Most experts agree that it was around this time (2,500 years ago) in ancient Greece that mathematics first became an organized science. Since that time, mathematical discoveries have spurred other mathematicians and scientists to build upon the work of others, constantly expanding our understanding of mathematics and its relation to the world around us.

]]> 2022-02-09 12:56:49 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037804066 https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037804396 Who created fudge?No one exactly knows most people think fudge was created in the late 1800s.Some people think it is all American treat while others think it was a Scottish treat there is a other theory that it was created by accident.The first record to be mention of was in 1888.Then soon fudge was most popular around collage kids who made also there own recipes of fudge.Now fudge is popular around the world but one island claims to be fudge capital of the world.Known as
Mackinac home to dozens of shops that make fudge.]]> 2022-02-09 12:57:00 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037804396 Even though many schools are out for the summer, most fish are still swimming in schools wherever they may be. Let's take a closer look at why most fish tend to stick together.When fish stay together for social reasons, biologists say they are "shoaling." If they also swim together in the same direction, they are "schooling."So why do fish shoal and school together? The main reason appears to be that there's safety in numbers.Staying together in schools helps to protect fish from their enemies. While a predator might easily grab a fish by itself, it's much harder for a predator to single out a victim if a fish is surrounded by hundreds of his closest friends.Hanging out in schools also has a few other benefits. Scientists think that swimming close together may reduce friction in the water and make it easier for fish to swim and conserve energy.When it's time to eat, it's also easier to find food as a group. A lone fish might be able to find a meal on his own, but having hundreds of sets of eyes and noses on the prowl for food is even better. https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037806434 2022-02-09 12:58:11 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037806434 Is candy art real??? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037806683 Do you love

art? If you're like many kids, there's nothing better than grabbing your art supplies and expressing yourself by creating a priceless piece of art. Your refrigerator might even resemble an art gallery with dozens of your best pieces affixed to its front with a variety of magnets.

When you reach for your art supplies, what do you grab? Crayons? Paint? Colored pencils? Markers? Clay?

While these may be some of the most popular art supplies with kids, there's really no shortage of things you can use to create art. For example, in Japan, practitioners of an art form known as amezaiku use a very interesting — and tasty! — medium: candy!

]]> 2022-02-09 12:58:21 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037806683 Why are rubies red https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037807074 Have you ever been to a

jewelry store? Even if you don't wear much jewelry, it can be fun to browse the cases, looking at all of the beautiful gemstones.

Some people go straight for the diamond and its shiny, clear beauty. Others might prefer gemstones with a bit of color to them, such as the deep blue sapphire. Of course, if your favorite color is red, then you've probably got your eye on a gorgeous red ruby.

Are rubies simply stones that have been painted red? Or perhaps they're filled with a red liquid of some sort? Could rubies be filled with blood?

Don't worry! Rubies aren't filled with liquid, especially not blood! They're also not simple stones that have been painted red. Rubies are valuable gemstones that are famous for their red color for several reasons.

Rubies are the red version of the mineral known as corundum. Purecorundum is made up of aluminum and oxygen and is colorless. In a ruby, however, small amounts of chromium (about one percent) replace aluminum.

When chromium replaces aluminum in corundum, the chromiumatoms absorb certain wavelengths of light and reflect light in the red part of the visible light spectrum. This reflected red light is what your eyes see and gives rubies their distinctive red coloring.

The name ruby comes from the Latin word ruber, which means red. Rubies vary in color from deep, blood red to light pink. In some areas, light pink rubies go by the name pink sapphire.

The traditional birthstone for July, rubies can be found in many places around the world. The best rubies have traditionally come from the Mogok Valley in Myanmar (formerly Burma).

Other countries known for ruby mining include Thailand, Cambodia, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tanzania, Madagascar, Vietnam, Nepal, and more recently under the receding ice shelf of Greenland. In the United States, a few rubies have been found in Montana, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Wyoming.

Rubies are one of the hardest natural gems. In fact, rubies are behind only moissanite and diamond in terms of hardness.

Rather than paint or blood, it's the presence of chromium that turns colorless corundum into the precious stone we know as the ruby. Isn't it cool how a few atoms can turn an otherwise-plain mineral into a valuable jewel?

]]> 2022-02-09 12:58:34 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037807074 Why do some people need glasses https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037814630 Have you ever had a eye exam? If so what do you remember about it? Your doctor probably asked you a lot of questions about your ability to see. They may have told you to cover one eye at a time and read letters from a special eye chart ]]> 2022-02-09 13:02:53 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037814630 https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037815600 Do you like to go swimming in the

ocean? If you've ever seen a scary movie like Jaws, you may be a little bit nervous about what sea creatures might be lurking below the surface. Could a huge, man-eating shark be waiting out there just beyond the breaking waves?

The good news is that the answer is…probably not! Sure, you hear about shark attacks from time to time, but they're actually a really rare event. At most beaches around the world, the probability of fun hovers around 100%, and the chance of a shark attack hovers just above 0%.

Sharks have fascinated kids and adults alike for many years. These fearsome ocean predators move through the water with amazing speed. Their razor-sharp teeth can strike fear into the hearts of anyone who sees them up close.

If you've seen enough movies or television shows about sharks, you might be under the impression that all sharks are humongous. That's not really true. There are many different types of sharks and some of them aren't very big at all.

But, of course, there are some giant sharks, too. And that's what today's Wonder of the Day is all about. So exactly how big is the largest shark?

The answer depends upon whether you're talking about the largest shark alive today or the largest shark to have ever lived on Earth. Those are two different sharks of different sizes.

The largest shark to have ever lived on Earth is thought by scientists to have been the megalodon. Its name comes from the Greek words meaning “big tooth." The megalodon is an extinct species of shark that roamed the waters of Earth over 1.5 million years ago.

Not only was it the largest shark to have ever lived on Earth, scientists believe it's probably one of the biggest, most powerful predators of all time. Megalodon fossils have been found that lead scientists to believe the giant shark could have reached a total length of over 50 feet with a body mass of over 50 tons!

Today, the largest shark roaming the oceans is the huge whale shark. Unlike the megalodon, whale sharks are not predators. Instead, they're slow-swimming giants that eat mainly plants and plankton.

Although not the size of the megalodon, whale sharks are still really big. They can grow to be over 40 feet long and weigh over 15 tons, which makes them the largest fish in the world. They are gentle creatures that will often allow swimmers to catch a ride with them as they swim along coral reefs.

]]> 2022-02-09 13:03:28 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037815600 How Rare a Moonbow? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037816365 When the Sun goes down, so does the chance of seeing a rainbow, right? Maybe not! Although they're rare, rainbows produced by moonlight — known as lunar rainbows or moonbows — do occur from time to time.

Just like the rays of the Sun can create a rainbow during the day, reflected light from the Moon can create a moonbow if the conditions are just right. One of the main reasons moonbows are so rare is that moonlight isn't very bright. To see a moonbow, a bright full moon is usually .

In addition, the sky must be very dark and the Moon must be very low in the sky (less than 42º above the horizon). Finally, a source of water droplets, such as rain or the mist from a waterfall, must be present in the opposite direction of the Moon. Given all of these necessary conditions, it's no surprise that moonbows aren't very common.

If you're lucky enough to see a moonbow, you'll notice that it probably doesn't look exactly like a rainbow. Instead, a moonbow often looks white to the human eye, because the dim light from the Moon produces colors that usually aren't bright enough to be detected by the color receptors in the eye. Colors can be seen, however, if you use a camera and a long exposure time.

Although moonbows are rare, they do tend to happen more frequently in certain locations. These locations usually have waterfalls that generate layers of mist in the air. The moonbows created near waterfalls are often called spray moonbows. If you hope to get a glimpse of a spray moonbow, some of the best locations include Yosemite National Park in California, Cumberland Falls State Resort Park in Kentucky, Victoria Falls between Zambia and Zimbabwe in Africa, Waimea in Hawaii, and Plitvice Lakes in Croatia.

]]> 2022-02-09 13:03:52 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2037816365 Are Lions Really the Kings of the Jungle? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050738060 they’re big. They’re fierce. They’re majestic, but they can also be a little scary. That’s right—today, we’re learning all about the kings of the jungle. The mighty lions!

However, some of our Wonder Friends have been asking . . . are lions really the kings of the jungle? According to experts, the answer is technically no. In fact, lions don’t even live in the jungle. Instead, you’ll find them in desert habitats.

]]> 2022-02-16 12:41:17 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050738060 https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050740597 That's why humans are amazed when they see examples of animals willingly helping members of other species that find themselves in grave danger. For example, in 2012, researchers in Monterey Bay, California, witnessed a group of humpback whales protect a gray whale from a pod of killer whales (orcas).

Why would these whales forgo opportunities to feed, waste energy, and risk injury to protect another species? Biologists will tell you that adult animals rarely do anything unless there's a benefit to themselves, so they usually examine behavior to determine how it might benefit the animal.

For example, some scientists argue that the humpback whales may have thought it was one of their own that was in trouble. This doesn't explain why they would continue to defend the other species for hours after they realized it wasn't a humpback whale.

Moreover, of the more than 100 instances in which humpback whales have protected animals from orcas, the overwhelming majority of the incidents involved humpback whales protecting seals, sea lions, porpoises, and other marine mammals.

]]> 2022-02-16 12:42:56 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050740597 How Can Dogs Hear Things We Can’t? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050743231 Shhhhhhh Did you hear something?

No? Ok, we didn't either.

But if you didn't hear anything…and we didn't hear anything…then why is Wonderpup barking and jumping around?

Have you ever wondered how dogs and other animals can hear things that we can't? Do they really have better hearing than we do?

From a baby's sigh to a cruise ship foghorn, the average human ear can hear sounds between 20 and 20,000 Hertz. This is quite a range. Even though you can't see it, sound — just like light — is a traveling wave.

Humans perceive frequency of sound waves as pitch, or low and high notes. Sounds around 20 Hertz are very low, while sounds close to 20,000 Hertz are very high. Before you go bragging about having the best sense of hearing in the family, you should know that your family pet can hear about two times better than you!

If you have ever watched a dog listen, you will notice that they have the ability to move their ears in different directions. This helps them locate the exact source of a sound. If you're watching television and your dog walks into the room, he may move his ears to try and decide whether you're talking to him or the voice he hears is coming from the television.

Not only can dogs perceive frequencies almost twice that of human ears, they can also hear sounds approximately four times farther away than humans. Imagine you're in the middle of doing homework with the window open. Suddenly your dog goes running for the door, barking like crazy. It probably seems totally out of the blue, since nobody knocked or rang the doorbell.

]]> 2022-02-16 12:44:37 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050743231 What Is the Longest Word? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050743545 Yikes! What’s a wordsmith to do? Are you wondering what the longest words you might actually encounter in regular English text are? Those words include uncharacteristically (20 letters), deinstitutionalization(22 letters), and counterrevolutionaries (also 22 letters).

]]> 2022-02-16 12:44:48 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050743545 What about Turkey? 🇹🇷 https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050744680 Every year when Thanksgiving rolls around, there's one thing on people's minds: turkey. Yes, that tasty bird — and all its trimmings — occupies our minds until it's time to eat.

But what about that other Turkey? You know the one. The Turkey with a capital “T." What are we talking about? The country Turkey, of course!

What better time to learn about Turkey than around Thanksgiving? Do you know much about Turkey? For starters, check out this map of the world with Turkey highlighted to get an idea of exactly where it's located.
Here is a pic of some houses

]]> 2022-02-16 12:45:30 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050744680 https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050746431 If you are ever lost in the jungle, there are a few animals you'd better watch out for. What are we talking about? Big cats, of course! And, no, we don't mean fat, furry felines named Fluffy. We mean the really big cats.

In general, the animals referred to as big cats include four species: tigers, lions, leopards, and jaguars. The term big cat is not a scientificterm. Instead, it's an informal term used to distinguish the largerspecies of cats from the smaller ones.

A few other species sometimes are included when talking about big cats. For example, some people include cougars, cheetahs, snow leopards, and clouded leopards. Tigers are the largest of the big cat species, and the biggest cat of all is the Amur (Siberian) tiger. These impressive animals can weigh more than 750 pounds and grow longer than 10 feet!

However, there is a new “super lion" recently found in Africa. Unlike most cats, the super lion likes swimming, has developed stronger pectoral muscles, and is 15% larger than other typical lions.

Big cats can be found in North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Despite big differences in size, the various big cats are remarkably similar in how their bodies are structured and how they behave. The one exception to this rule is the cheetah, which is quite different from any of the other big or small cats.

]]> 2022-02-16 12:46:20 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050746431 What Is the Longest Word? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050749823 Yikes! What’s a wordsmith to do? Are you wondering what the longest words you might actually encounter in regular English text are? Those words include uncharacteristically (20 letters), deinstitutionalization(22 letters), and counterrevolutionaries (also 22 letters).

]]> 2022-02-16 12:48:21 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050749823 Where Is Jellyfish Lake? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050751198
If you could travel anywhere in the world, what would you choose? Would you visit the top of the Eiffel Tower? Hike in a cave full of glowworms? Maybe you’d climb Mauna Kea. Or perhaps, you’d visit Jellyfish Lake!

Where is Jellyfish Lake? It’s on the Palau archipelago, about 400 miles (650 kilometers) north of New Guinea. This string of over 300 islands is home to beautiful beaches and unique plants and animals.

That includes the golden jellyfish, which can’t be found anywhere else in the world. It’s also one of the few species that live in lakes. Most of the world’s 200 types of jellyfish prefer to swim in the open oceans.

This may leave you WONDERing . . . how did the golden jellyfish come to live in a lake, anyway? To find that answer, we need to look back in time about 12,000 years. At that time, what we now know as Jellyfish Lakewas connected to the Pacific Ocean. This was due to a rise in sea levelfollowing the last Ice Age.

When the sea level declined, land rose between Jellyfish Lake and the ocean. That’s when jellyfish were trapped in the lake, unable to return to the sea. In the millenia that followed, they evolved to their habitat. That’s how the golden jellyfish became a unique species.

What’s special about the golden jellyfish? Unlike many other species, these jellies have stingers so small that they can’t be felt by human beings. For that reason, people are actually able to swim in Jellyfish Lake alongside the jellyfish!

Golden jellyfish also have a unique relationship with their food source. In fact, some experts refer to them as farmers. The jellyfish feed on algae that actually live in their tissues. To help these algae grow, the jellies follow the path of the Sun each day. They swim across the lake, always staying in sunlit water to make sure the algae can grow through photosynthesis.

During their daily journey, the jellyfish must be careful to stay away from the shadowed edges of the lake. That’s where their main predator, the sea anemone Entacmaea medusivora, is found. If a jelly gets too close, anemones trap them. They then use their tentacles to hold the jellyfish close as they eat.

]]> 2022-02-16 12:49:11 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050751198 That's why humans are amazed when they see examples of animals willingly helping members of other species that find themselves in grave danger. For example, in 2012, researchers in Monterey Bay, California, witnessed a group of humpback whales protect a gray whale from a pod of killer whales (orcas).Why would these whales forgo opportunities to feed, waste energy, and risk injury to protect another species? Biologists will tell you that adult animals rarely do anything unless there's a benefit to themselves, so they usually examine behavior to determine how it might benefit the animal.For example, some scientists argue that the humpback whales may have thought it was one of their own that was in trouble. This doesn't explain why they would continue to defend the other species for hours after they realized it wasn't a humpback whale.Moreover, of the more than 100 instances in which humpback whales have protected animals from orcas, the overwhelming majority of the incidents involved humpback whales protecting seals, sea lions, porpoises, and other marine mammals. https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050754112 2022-02-16 12:50:58 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050754112 Why Are There More Different Types of Dogs Than There Are Cats? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050756241 Dogs, on the other hand, come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. Put a pug, a dachshund, a poodle, a mastiff, and a golden retriever in a line, and you'll see what we're talking about. In addition to different faces and coats, dogs come in an incredible variety of sizes and shapes.

Why are the two most popular pets so different in terms of their variety? Experts believe the difference between dogs and cats can be explained by differences in selective breeding.

Dogs and cats have both been around for a long time. Scientists believe humans began to domesticate dogs about 19,000 years ago, while cats have been domesticated for about 10,000 years.

]]> 2022-02-16 12:52:18 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050756241 Narwhal https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050756496 What are we talking about? The narwhal, of course! Sometimes called “the Arctic unicorn," narwhals are small whales (about 15-16 feet long) that live in the icy waters of the Atlantic and Russian areas of the ArcticOcean, near Canada and Greenland.

Narwhals are most closely related to the beluga whale. Male narwhals feature a unique, defining physical characteristic: a long protrusionfrom the upper left jaw that looks like a tusk or a horn. In medieval times, people believed that narwhal tusks were the horns of the legendary unicorn.

In reality, though, a narwhal tusk is not a unicorn horn. In fact, it's not a horn at all. Would you believe it's a tooth? It's true!

Male narwhals have a left incisor tooth that grows outward straight through the left side of the upper jaw. It can grow up to almost 10 feet in length with a distinctive spiral shape. Female narwhals also have a similar tusk that's much shorter and straighter.

A narwhal's right incisor is normally small, but occasionally it also grows out. These “two-horned" narwhals are very rare.

Scientists aren't completely sure what purpose narwhal tusks serve. At one time, people believed they might be used to break ice or spear fish. Further study has shown, though, that they're most likely used in mating rituals to impress females or battle rival males.

Narwhals feed on fish that swim deep under the Arctic ice. In fact, narwhals are known for making some of the deepest dives of any marine mammal. Narwhals have been known to dive to depths of over 2,500 feet over 15 times per day, with some dives reaching as deep as almost 5,000 feet!

Today, they're still hunted legally by the Inuit peoples of Canada and Greenland. Known for their ability to use all parts of the narwhal, the Inuit peoples eat narwhal meat, harvest their tusks to use as tools, and even eat their skin, which is a good source of vitamin C.

The name narwhal comes from the Old Norse words nar (corpse) and whal (whale). Narwhals were likely called “corpse whales" because of their pale, mottled coloring that made them look like drowned sailors!

In the Middle Ages, people believed narwhal tusks were unicorn horns with magical powers, such as the ability to render poison harmless. As a result, traders could sell narwhal tusks for many times their weight in gold. Royalty bought these tusks to make cups they believed would keep them from ever being poisoned.

]]> 2022-02-16 12:52:27 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050756496 What would happen if earth did not have a moon menonadv30_2_1 https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050758590 An obvious difference is that, without the moon, there would be no more eclipses. There would also be no more trips to the moon, of course, and possibly no space travel at all. Many experts see the moon as astronauts’ “stepping stone” to other places in the solar system. Without it, humans may not have developed the ability to travel beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

Do you know how many hours there are in a day? Of course, there are 24! But without the moon, days on Earth would be much shorter. Billions of years ago, an Earth day was only about 12 hours long. The pull of the moon slowed the Earth’s rotation—without it, days would have far fewer than 24 hours.

Many people don’t realize that the moon affects the tilt of the Earth’s axis. Most of the time, our planet’s tilt is 23.4°. However, that angle fluctuates. Sometimes, it’s as little as 22.1°. Other times, it’s as much as 24.5°. Without the moon to help stabilize the planet, the fluctuation could be much larger.

Without the moon, experts estimate the Earth’s tilt could increase as high as 45°. That means the planet would be spinning on its side, like Uranus does. This would have significant impacts on life on Earth. It would cause major changes in the climate. It would also mean that each half of the planet would experience six months of daylight followed by six months of darkness. This would wreak havoc on agriculture, as well as other aspects of life.

]]> 2022-02-16 12:53:47 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050758590 https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050759787 Why was school created some of the first schools were created thousands of years ago some of the first schools were school houses that were one room.Also many reasons are about education and for making friends.Also it is a place to learn new things.Some of the first humans went to school they found out it was necessary to pass on its accumulate knowledge and skill values and traditions.The earliest humans beings didn’t need school to pass along information.Then soon population as a grew and then humans and now they go to school to learn new things and make friend.]]> 2022-02-16 12:54:31 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050759787 Which came first chess or checkers https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050760102 Checkers remains a popular game around the world today. For many children, it’s the first game they learn how to play. Teachers have long known that the simple game of checkers can provide significant training in thought and logic. Of course, it also keeps players occupied with fun competition.]]> 2022-02-16 12:54:44 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050760102 How Do Cats Always Land on All Four Feet? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050760296 The cat slowly made its way along the edge of the top of the bookcase. Silently stalking its prey, the kitty waited until just the right time before pouncing. Unfortunately, the bird in its sights was outside the window. After bouncing off the window, the cat yelped, twisted in mid-air, and still managed to land safely on all four feet!

Have you ever seen something like this happen? If you've spent much time around cats, you've probably heard the old adage that cats always land on all four feet when they fall. You may have even seen this happen once or twice. Don't you wish you could fall with such style and grace?

Can it be true? Do cats possess some type of magical ability to defy the laws of gravity? Do their paws contain special elements that make them more attractive to Earth's gravitational pull?

Scientists who have studied cats will tell you that they aren't magicians. They also don't have special gravitational paws. They do, however, have bodies with some interesting characteristics that can explain the phenomenon of landing on all four feet.

The falling behavior of cats has been noticed for thousands of years. It wasn't until science and technology allowed researchers to capture video of cats falling, though, that their secret was discovered. Examining slow-motion video footage allowed researchers finally to understand how cats land on their feet when they fall.

Researchers found that cats possess an innate ability that they call the righting reflex. The righting reflex allows cats to determine up from down quickly during a fall and to maneuver their bodies into position to land on all four feet.

For example, when a cat falls, it uses either its eyesight or its balance system in its inner ear (called the vestibular apparatus) to determine which way is up. Cats have an incredible sense of balance, and their highly-flexible backbones allow them to rotate their upper bodies quickly to face downward. Their lower bodies then follow along, allowing them to land on all four feet.

Cats have a few other features that help them land consistently on all fours. Their small bodies are able to twist quickly in the air, and their light bone structure and thick fur helps to soften the impact of a fall. Some cats even stretch out a bit during a fall in order to create more air resistance to slow their fall.

Cats do not always land on all four feet, unfortunately. Studies have shown that falls of 12 inches or less will not necessarily give cats enough time to right themselves in order to land on all four feet. When falls exceed 12 inches, though, it's a pretty good bet that a cat will land on its feet.

Landing on its feet from a fall doesn't mean that cats cannot be injured, though. Depending upon the height of the fall, cats can still suffer injuries from impact even when they land on all four feet. Veterinarians can tell you all sorts of stories about broken legs and other injuries suffered by cats in falls.

]]> 2022-02-16 12:54:52 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050760296 What Is Your Zodiac Sign? (I’m a Virgo) https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050761031 Have you ever heard people refer to themselves as Capricorns or Scorpios? If you've ever WONDERed what in the world they were talking about, read on. Today's Wonder of the Day takes a closer look at the

zodiac!

The zodiac got its start thousands of years ago with Babylonianastronomers. These early astronomers looked to map the stars in the sky to create an agricultural calendar that would determine when crops should be planted and harvested based upon the natural rising and setting of particular stars and/or constellations.

Based upon the Sun's path across the sky over the course of the year — called the ecliptic — early astronomers developed an early celestialcoordinate system that based latitude upon the ecliptic and longitude on the position of the Sun at the vernal equinox. They then divided the celestial sphere into 12 divisions of longitude. We call these 12 divisions the 12 signs of the zodiac.

The zodiac spread to other cultures, including the ancient Greeks and Romans. In fact, the word zodiac comes from the Greek word zoidiakos,which means “little animal sign." This makes sense since several of the signs of the zodiac are based upon animals.

Today, the zodiac is associated mainly with astrology rather than astronomy. Whereas astronomy is the scientific study of celestialobjects, space and the physical universe, astrology is more of an art. Astrology can be described as a collection of beliefs and traditions that focus on how the movement of the stars and planets relate to human events on Earth.

Here are the dates of the zodiacs and their symbols:

Aries — the ram (March 21-April 19)
Taurus — the bull (April 20-May 20)
Gemini — the twins (May 21-June 20)
Cancer — the crab (June 21-July 22)
Leo — the lion (July 23-August 22)
Virgo — the maiden (August 23-September 22)
Libra — the scales (September 23-October 22)
Scorpio — the scorpion (October 23-November 21)
Sagittarius — the archer (November 22-December 21)
Capricorn — the sea goat (December 22-January 19)
Aquarius — the water bearer (January 20-February 18)
Pisces — the fish (February 19-March 20)

]]> 2022-02-16 12:55:20 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050761031 Do dogs really eat your Homwork https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050762161 You have a big, important homework assignment due tomorrow, but you're not

stressed. You made good use of your study time at school and completed over half of it. When you got home, you avoided distractions, like television and video games, and worked hard until it was finished.

Then your worst nightmare happened! While you were in the kitchen making a healthy snack, your dog got hungry, too. Instead of eating his dog food, though, he made a sandwich out of your homework! Oh no! What will you do?

]]> 2022-02-16 12:56:00 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050762161 What are X-ray fishes https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050762562 X-ray fish go by several names: X-ray Tetras, Golden Pristella Tetras, Water Goldfinches, and Pristella Maxillaris, according to scientists. They're small fish (usually two to three inches long) that can be found in large schools in the Amazon River and the coastal waters off South America.

Their name comes from the fact that their skin is usually translucent, allowing you to see their backbone and other internal structures clearly. Occasionally, they may also have a silver, yellow, or golden appearance.

Scientists believe the translucent skin of X-ray Tetras may have developed over time as a unique form of protection from predators. When swimming through dense vegetation amongst sparkling waters, their see-through skin makes them particularly difficult to spot.

In addition to their backbones, their skin also allows you to see a bonyinternal structure called the Weberian apparatus. This structure picks up sound waves and transmits them to the vertebrae, which gives X-ray Tetras a very keen sense of hearing.

]]> 2022-02-16 12:56:10 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050762562 🤔Do animals Protect other animal?🤔 https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050762575 Do you have any

pets at home? Many kids have two of the most popular pets: dogs and cats. Kids who love particulartypes of animals might branch out and keep fish, birds, guinea pigs, hamsters, hermit crabs, or lizards as pets.

If you live on a farm, you might have rabbits, goats, or horses as pets. Still others like to keep really exotic pets, like snakes, spiders, or llamas.

For many kids, their pets become like members of the family. A loyaldog, for example, can seem like one of your siblings, except your dog probably doesn't hog the X-box or make fun of you when your parents aren't around.

Pet lovers like to point out when their animals act like humans. It's true: animals can exhibit some very human-like behavior at times, especially when they're seeking food or attention.

For the most part, though, there's a big difference between animals and humans. You don't see animals driving cars, using computers, or building large, complex societies.

On a more basic level, though, you don't usually see animals displaying the kind of empathy that humans can show to each other. In their interactions with other species and often in their interactions with others of the same species, animals tend to act strictly out of self-interest.

That's why humans are amazed when they see examples of animals willingly helping members of other species that find themselves in grave danger. For example, in 2012, researchers in Monterey Bay, California, witnessed a group of humpback whales protect a gray whale from a pod of killer whales (orcas).

]]> 2022-02-16 12:56:11 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050762575 How do we learn? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050765804 Most experts agree that learning is largely about memory. When a person encounters a new idea or activity, there brain stores the information in a neural pathway. Brand new information exists in the brain as part of short-term memory. That means the brain will not retain the new knowledge unless it deems it worth keeping. For new knowledge to be retained, it must become part of the brain’s long-term memory.Another technique for learning is to connect a new idea to background knowledge. Have you ever had a teacher who asked you to connect a new idea to your background knowledge? Now you know why! Activities that involve critical thinking or problem solving with new information can also help you learn.

]]> 2022-02-16 12:58:03 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050765804 Zodiac Signs (I’m Leo) https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050768313 The zodiac got its start thousands of years ago with Babylonianastronomers. These early astronomers looked to map the stars in the sky to create an agricultural calendar that would determine when crops should be planted and harvested based upon the natural rising and setting of particular stars and/or constellations.

Astrologists study the movement of the stars and planets and predicthow those movements might affect human behavior. Everyone's birthday is associated with a particular zodiac sign, and astrologists believe that predictions can be made about a person's personality based upon the location and movement of the stars and planets at the time of their birth.

While many people believe in astrology, many people do not think that the movement of the stars and planets has anything to do with life on Earth. Even if you don't believe in astrology, it can still be fun to learn about the zodiac.

The 12 signs of the zodiac and their symbols are as follows:

Aries — the ram (March 21-April 19)
Taurus — the bull (April 20-May 20)
Gemini — the twins (May 21-June 20)
Cancer — the crab (June 21-July 22)
Leo — the lion (July 23-August 22)
Virgo — the maiden (August 23-September 22)
Libra — the scales (September 23-October 22)
Scorpio — the scorpion (October 23-November 21)
Sagittarius — the archer (November 22-December 21)
Capricorn — the sea goat (December 22-January 19)
Aquarius — the water bearer (January 20-February 18)
Pisces — the fish (February 19-March 20)

Many of the signs of the zodiac come from identifiable constellations that fall within their particular celestial division of the zodiac.

]]> 2022-02-16 12:59:28 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050768313 How Do Cats Always Land on All Four Feet? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050770285 2022-02-16 13:00:35 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050770285 Why Do We Have Rules? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050770718 When you want to ask your teacher a question during class, what do you do? Do you simply shout out your question as soon as it enters your mind? Or do you instead raise your hand and wait until the teacher calls your name?]]> 2022-02-16 13:00:51 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050770718 Where is the Bermuda Triangle? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050780618 The Bermuda Triangle is a part in the Atlantic Ocean. Lots of ships have sank here. People don’t know yet why ships seem to sink in this part of the ocean. If you think we can fly over the triangle, that’s not an option ether. Even planes sink into the triangles depths. People think that the triangle has also held a secret of time travel. Get this: A passenger plane took of on a normal day, but the plane never came to the destination. In fact, the plane wasn’t even in the map. The plane didn't come back for 37 years!
Then there is a story of lots of army planes with only pilot students, but all of them sank into the triangle. Everyone died except for the pilot teacher. There even more stories of the Bermuda Triangle. ]]> 2022-02-16 13:06:38 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2050780618 How is a $1 bill made? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073466486 We're sure you've heard the phrase “money doesn't grow on trees!" Unfortunately, that's true. So where does money come from?

Two bureaus within the U.S. Department of the Treasury are responsible for making the coins and bills that fill our wallets and piggy banks. The U.S. Mint produces coins, and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) produces paper currency.

Today, we're going to focus on paper currency, like the $1 bill. The BEP began in 1862, when only six people created money by hand in the basement of the Treasury building.

Today, the BEP has two facilities. The Washington, D.C., site opened in 1914. A newer facility in Fort Worth, Texas, opened in 1991 to meet increased demand for currency.

The currency production process involves highly trained workers, special equipment and a unique combination of traditional old-world printing techniques combined with cutting-edge technology. To prevent counterfeiting, the complex process of printing currency involves more than 65 steps.

U.S. currency is printed on special paper made by Crane Paper Company. Unlike traditional paper made of wood pulp, the paper used for currency is made of 75 percent cotton and 25 percent linen. BEP specifications require this blended paper to have special red and blue fibers woven throughout.

Before the paper can be used to print new bills, the image of the bills to be printed must first be engraved onto soft steel plates by hand in a process called "intaglio." These plates are called "master dies."

]]> 2022-03-02 12:42:47 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073466486 https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073468513 You

wake up to disturbing sounds coming from outside. You lift your window to peer into the darkness. A large crowd of people is milling around in the street in front of your house. Some people are shouting. Others are crying. What's going on?

You dress quickly and sneak out the front door. People are dragging sick loved ones through the streets, desperately searching for help. Others cradle the bodies of dead loved ones in their arms. Dire warnings reach your ears. The shouts of strangers urge you to get back inside before you fall ill.

Is this the opening scene of the latest apocalyptic television series? Could such a horrible catastrophe actually happen one day? Could a large swath of humanity be wiped out by a deadly virus overnight?

Unfortunately, this isn't some pretend story on television. Instead, it's the very real disaster that struck the world in the mid-14^th century. What horrible name did this tragedy go by? Historians called it the Black Death.

As early as the 1340s, Europeans began to hear rumors of a "Great Pestilence" that was killing scores of people along popular trade routes in China, India, Persia, and Egypt. Then, in October 1347, the Black Death hit Europe when trading ships traveling from the Black Sea docked in Italy.

Most of the sailors aboard the ships were already dead. The few still alive were seriously ill: feverish, overcome by pain, and covered by black boils that oozed blood and pus. Although the ships were quickly turned away, the damage was done.

The Black Death — what scientists would later call the bubonic plague — was quickly spread through the air. It was transmitted from one person to another by a bacillus called Yersina pestis. In fact, it was so contagious that merely touching the clothes of an infected person was often enough to contract the disease.

In addition to fever and painful boils, the plague also caused vomiting, diarrhea, and horrible pains. The deadly bacillus also worked quickly. People could go to bed feeling fine and still be dead by morning.

In addition to being transmitted through the air, the plague was also often spread via the bites of infected fleas and rats. Unfortunately, medieval Europe had no shortage of both these pests. Fleas and rats also loved traveling on ships, and the Black Death soon made its way all over Europe from one port city to another.

With the science of medicine in its infancy, people did not understand how the disease was transmitted or how to treat it. Plague doctors wore special masks with a beak-like nose filled with perfumes or aromatics. They mistakenly believed that the disease was transmitted via poisonous vapors with a bad smell that could be counteracted with good smells.

It took several years for the Black Death to run its course. By the early 1350s, the disease had killed over 20 million people in Europe, which was about one-third of the population at that time.

For the next several hundred years, the plague would reappear every few generations. As medicine and sanitation practices improved, however, the impact of the plague has largely been mitigated in modern times. It has not been completely eliminated, though, and remains a danger in some developing countries even today.

]]> 2022-03-02 12:44:21 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073468513 How Fast Is the Fastest Car? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073469732 Vroom! Vroom! You hear an engine revving in the distance. You wait patiently to see the vehicle reveal itself. It sounds fast…and furious! Suddenly a squeal fills the air as tires spin on asphalt and a cloud of smoke rises into the air.

Your pulse quickens. You can hear the rumble of the engine as the car gets closer and closer. Lights flash around the bend and then there it is: a sleek, beautiful sports car comes screaming past you and vanishes into the night.

Does this sound like a scene from a popular action movie? Probably! That scene has played out in some form or another in hundreds, if not thousands, of movies over the years. Ever since they were invented, people have had a love affair with muscle cars that can jump start the heart.

Years before they can legally take the wheel, young children play with toy cars, dreaming of the day they'll pilot their own automobile. Many of those dreams feature fancy sports cars that can zoom along at dazzling speeds. In reality, though, very few people end up owning or driving such cars.

]]> 2022-03-02 12:45:20 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073469732 What Is a Bicycle Kick? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073471152 Do you love to play

soccer? If you do, then you've probably daydreamed from time to time about scoring the winninggoal in a big game. Perhaps you've even pictured exactly how it would happen.

As your team streaks down the pitch on the attack, you position yourself in the middle of the box with your back to the middle of the goal. One of your wingers creates just enough space to whip across in your direction.

Unfortunately, the pass is high. In fact, it's a bit over your head. Without thinking, you instinctively arch your back and throw your body backwards into the air.

Your legs make a scissors motion as your right leg swings upward, makes contact with the ball, and blasts it past the keeper into the upper corner of the goal. The crowd erupts into raucous cheers to celebrate your game-winning goal!

There are probably very few soccer players who haven't dreamed of scoring a goal on a bicycle kick. It's a feat even more impressive than a hat trick. There's just something special about seeing a player jump into the air feet first to kick the ball backwards over his or her head.

You can try to describe a perfect bicycle kick, but somehow words struggle to convey the magic found in this unique combination of grace, beauty, and athletic prowess. Indeed, few players possess the skill and pure athleticism required to execute a bicycle kick.

In soccer, few moves can compare to the bicycle kick, perhaps because they're so rare. It's not often that you're able to witness human error (the bad pass that almost always precedes a bicycle kick) immediately corrected by an amazing feat of human athletic skill.

Given how special bicycle kicks are, it should come as no surprise that there's some argument about exactly who invented the bicycle kick. Some soccer historians claim Ramon Unzaga invented the bicycle kick in 1914 in Talcahuano, Chile.

Others believe the bicycle kick may have been invented as early as 1892 in Callao, Peru, in a game against British sailors. Even legendary Brazilian striker Leonidas claims to have invented the move in 1932.

Regardless of who invented the bicycle kick, it has been a special part of soccer for a century now. When a player successfully executes a bicycle kick in front of the goal, the resulting shot can be nearly impossible for a keeper to stop.

Why? Scientists claim it's because of the physics involved in a bicycle kick. Since the player's body is high above the ground and angled upward, the kicking leg has a greater distance than normal to travel before hitting the ball.

This allows the leg to gain momentum and increases its angular velocity. The result: a forceful kick that sends the ball toward the goalmore quickly than normal. Only goalkeepers with exceptional reflexes might be able to react quickly enough to block a shot from a bicycle kick.

]]> 2022-03-02 12:46:20 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073471152 Who Was the First Person in Space? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073472182 Blast off! Today Wonderopolis is leaving Earth and heading for space.

Growing up in today's world, it can be hard to imagine a time when outer space was a true mystery. You already know men have walked on the Moon. The International Space Station orbits Earth and sends back all sorts of information.

The Hubble telescope travels throughout the solar system, sending amazing pictures back to Earth. The Mars Rover is exploring the surface of Mars and helping scientists learn new things every day.

Way back in the day, though, outer space was an unexplored frontier. The people of Earth could only look up at the sky and WONDER about what was up there.

All that changed on April 12, 1961. That day, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human being in space. In the Russian Vostok 1 spacecraft, he made his historic 108-minute orbit around Earth — a place no man had gone before.

]]> 2022-03-02 12:47:02 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073472182 Can cats and dogs get along? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073472233 Fighting like cats and dogs" is a common phrase that people use to mean people argue, fight or don't get along. If you like cartoons, you've probably seen many that portray cats and dogs fighting like swornenemies. There have even been movies made that pit cats against dogs.

Are cats and dogs natural enemies that can never get along? Or is there hope for a truce between the members of the feline and caninespecies?

If you observe cats and dogs or ask people who own both cats and dogs, you will get lots of opinions on the subject. Cats and dogs will obviously fight from time to time. There is no doubt that some dogs will chase cats and maybe even harm them if given the chance.

]]> 2022-03-02 12:47:04 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073472233 What is a Hedgehog? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073475505 Have you ever WONDERed just how many spikes a hedgehog has? On average, their prickly little backs have over 6,000 of them! The main purpose of the hedgehog’s spikes is to protect it from predators. When a hedgehog feels threatened, it curls up into a spiked ball.

Would you like to see a hedgehog in the wild? They live in a variety of habitats. You can find wild hedgehogs in Africa, Europe, Asia, and New Zealand. In cold areas, hedgehogs hibernate during the winter, like bears. Hedgehogs that live in warmer climates, though, stay alert year-round.

]]> 2022-03-02 12:49:33 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073475505 Why Do Donuts Have Holes? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073476015 We were in the Wonderopolis kitchen making breakfast the other day when we overheard the toast and the cerealtelling jokes:

Toast: Hey cereal! Why did the donut have to go to the dentist?

Cereal: I have no idea. Why?

Toast: Because it needed a chocolate filling!

Cereal: Ay yi yi. You must have forgotten your butter, because that was really dry!

OK…so breakfast food humor might not be all it's cracked up to be. But we bet you wouldn't mind a donut, would you, especially if it had chocolate filling?

Donuts — sometimes spelled doughnuts — are tasty treats made from fried dough. They come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and flavors. Do you have a favorite type of donut?

]]> 2022-03-02 12:49:48 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073476015 How Long Have People Been Drinking Tea? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073482978 Have you ever been to a tea party? They’re not just for kids! People across the world enjoy afternoon tea. It’s a great way to rest and get ready for the end of the day. People have been drinking tea for thousands of years. Have you ever WONDERed how it started?

The story of tea is mixed with legend. In 2737 BCE, Chinese EmperorShen Nong was boiling water in his garden. A falling leaf from a nearby tree landed in the pot. When he drank the water, the emperor liked the flavor infused from the leaf. After further study, the emperor found that the drink had many positive effects. He made it a regular part of his diet.

]]> 2022-03-02 12:54:45 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073482978 What is the perseverance rover? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073483884 It’s no coincidence that Jezero crater is also where NASA sent its Perseverance Rover. Perseverance landed there on February 18, 2021, after a seven-month journey. In addition to searching for signs of life, Perseverance will collect rock and soil samples. Future missions will bring these back to Earth. The rover will also use microphones to record sounds from Mars for the first time.Experts hope Perseverance discovers fossils of ancient microbes. It’s also looking for moleculesthat contain carbon. These discoveries would confirm their belief that Mars once hosted life forms.The rover also brought along another device, the Mars Helicopter called Ingenuity. The helicopter will be the first to test powered flight on another planet. Experts hope to learn about the possibility of flight on Mars from this test.

]]> 2022-03-02 12:55:14 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073483884 Where Is the Best Place On Earth? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073486179 Each year on April 22, people all over the world celebrate Earth Day. Earth Day began in 1970 as an effort to promoteawareness of air and water pollution. It was hugely successful and eventually led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts.

Since then, Earth Day has grown each year. Today, it is an annualcelebration that promotes awareness for a wide variety of environmental issues around the globe.

Protecting the Earth is important. It's the only home you've got…and what a spectacular home it is! From the depths of the Grand Canyon to the peak of Mt. Everest, Earth offers an awe-inspiring array of naturalwonders. Where on Earth would you explore if you could go anywhere?

]]> 2022-03-02 12:56:35 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073486179 Why do bunny’s hop? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073486457 you love rabbits? We do! Who wouldn't? They're super soft, furry, and adorable. With those big ears and eyes and tiny twitching noses, bunnies can melt our hearts in seconds, making us want to cuddle and hug them.

What do you know about rabbits? They supposedly love carrots, right? You see them everywhere you look when Easter rolls around. What about how they move? Do they walk like humans? Of course not! Everyone knows what bunnies do: they hop!

Have you ever stopped to WONDER why bunnies hop instead of walk like humans? The simple answer is: they were made to hop. A rabbit's footis quite different from a human foot. After all, you don't see people walking around with human feet on their keychains for good luck!

Rabbits boast back legs that are long and quite strong. They can leap forward great distances with a single push from their back legs. They usually land on their front legs, which help them balance while their back legs spring forward into position to push off for another leap forward.

]]> 2022-03-02 12:56:48 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073486457 What fish has the biggest teeth? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073487626 When you think of fish and teeth, what comes to mind? If you’ve ever seen “Jaws,” then you might picture the razor-sharp teeth of the great white shark. You might also think of piranhas! Those tiny fish have big appetites. They can devour a large animal in a matter of minutes.

When it comes to large teeth, though, one fish leads the rest. Great white sharks have large teeth, but they’re also huge fish. When tooth size is compared to head size, the Sloane’s viperfish stands out as the fish with the largest teeth!

How large are the teeth of Sloane’s viperfish? They’re so large that, when the fish has its mouth closed, its teeth overlap its jaws! The fish has to open its mouth to make its jaws vertical before it can swallow prey. Its largest teeth are about half the size of its head!

The Sloane’s viperfish has a large head that tapers to a small, forkedtail. It can be anywhere from one to eight inches long. Besides its disproportionately large teeth, the Sloane’s viperfish also stands out because of its color. It’s a shining silver-blue and has small photophores along its body.

]]> 2022-03-02 12:57:40 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073487626 How do roller coasters work? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073488274 Have you ever been on a roller coaster? Roller coasters don’t have engines! The car is moved by a motorized chain at the top of the first big hill.the chain is let go when the car is going down hill. This is a example of kinetic energy. When the cars do a loop, the chain is let go then, too. This is how roller coasters work. ]]> 2022-03-02 12:58:11 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073488274 Are koalas cuddly? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073488377 Koalas are often called koala “bears," because they look a bit like small bears. However, koalas aren't bears at all. They're actually marsupials, like kangaroos.

Like kangaroos, koalas have pouches where their babies develop. Newborn koalas — called joeys — are only about the size of a jelly bean! They're born blind, hairless and without ears.

The mother will carry her joey in her pouch for about six months. After that time, the joey will be old enough to come out of the pouch and ride on its mother's back.

Koalas live in the plentiful eucalyptus trees of eastern Australia. They are good climbers that can easily leap from one treetop to another. Their sharp claws allow them to hold on tight to branches while they sleep.

Eucalyptus leaves are the main source of food — and water — for koalas. Most koalas will eat over two pounds of eucalyptus leaves each day.

Eucalyptus leaves and their oils contain toxins that will make most animals sick if they eat them. Koalas, however, have special digestivesystems that allow them to break down the tough leaves and filter out the toxins.

]]> 2022-03-02 12:58:16 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073488377 What is a griffin https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073488442 Would you like to pet a

liger? Some people have been lucky enough to ride zonkeys and zorses. Are these animals new to you? Believe it or not, they’re all hybrids of other animals! A liger’s parents are a tiger and a lion. A zonkey comes from azebra and a donkey. Where do you think zorses come from? That’s right, a zebra and a horse!

Animal hybrids have long been topics of mythology. Today, many of them are part of the real world. If ligers, zonkeys, and zorses are real, can we say for sure that mythical animals are not? Wouldn’t you love to swim with mermaids one day? How about running beside a centaur? We don’t know about you, but we’d like to take flight on the back of a griffin.

Have you ever heard of griffins? You may have seen griffins as statues or mascots. Some people mix up griffins and gargoyles, but they’re not the same thing. The griffin is a mythical creature. It has a lion’s body and an eagle’s head and wings. Take a second to picture that. Pretty frightening, huh?

Griffins are frightening for a reason. In myths, they guarded greattreasures. Their job was to scare would-be thieves away. In Greek mythology, griffins also pulled the carriage of the Sun god, Apollo. As the strongest creature that could fly, griffins were the obvious choice to pull Apollo across the sky.Griffins are common throughout Greek mythology. However, that’s not where their story began! Griffins started in Asia. Miners searching for gold in the Gobi Desert said they fought griffins often. Their stories said that griffins guarded the gold they were mining. Miners had to get past the griffins to make their riches! Asian travelers brought these tales with them to Greece. There, authors wrote down the stories and started including griffins in their own mythology.

What do today’s griffins look like? The animal has remained pretty much unchanged over the centuries. We still draw griffins with four legs, two wings, and a beak. There are, however, a few variations. Some artists make griffins with long snaked tails. Others claim that only female griffins have wings. Since no living person has laid eyes on the creature, no one can say for sure!

Some experts believe the griffin is based on a real animal. The dinosaurProtoceratops lived millions of years ago and looked similar to the griffin. It had a beak, four legs, and long shoulder blades that could be mistaken for wings. Most notably, Protoceratops fossils have been found in the Gobi Desert, the same place griffin myths began.

]]> 2022-03-02 12:58:19 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073488442 What is a Griffin? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073489173 Would you like to pet a

Griffins are common throughout Greek mythology. However, that’s not where their story began! Griffins started in Asia. Miners searching for gold in the Gobi Desert said they fought griffins often. Their stories said that griffins guarded the gold they were mining. Miners had to get past the griffins to make their riches! Asian travelers brought these tales with them to Greece. There, authors wrote down the stories and started including griffins in their own mythology.

]]> 2022-03-02 12:58:52 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073489173 Do Animals Like Art? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073489554 Do you have a favorite piece of art? Is there a painting or sculpture you love? Maybe you could listen to a certain song for hours. You might watch the same film over and over. Perhaps you even know a favorite poem by heart.

Humans have long enjoyed and appreciated all of these forms of art. Of course, we all have personal preferences. But most people could name a piece of visual, musical, literary, or performance art they enjoy.

All this talk about art has us WONDERing . . . what about other animals? Do they like art? Maybe dogs enjoy impressionism while cats prefer self-portraits. Perhaps your goldfish loves to listen to rock and roll. A lizard may turn the dial to some jazz.

The answer is complicated. Some studies have shown that animals react to music and performance art. However, it’s difficult for researchers to know exactly what’s going on in an animal’s brain.

]]> 2022-03-02 12:59:08 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073489554 Today's Wonder of the Day will likely generate definite responses among our Wonder Friends. Most kids either love or hate snakes. Very few people have a lukewarm attitude toward snakes.So what do you think? Are you fascinated by these long, colorful creatures? Or does the mere thought of snakes send chills down your spine? If you like snakes, you'll love learning more about the largest snakes in the world. If not…well…get ready for some chills! https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073498124 https://d3mvlb3hz2g78.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/dreamstime_m_74130141.jpg This is the picture ⬆️]]> 2022-03-02 13:05:03 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073498124 Who invented pizza https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073500832 Legend has it that Italian King Umberto I and Queen Margherita visited Naples in 1889. There, Esposito was asked to make them a pizza. He topped the pizza with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil. That pizza is still known as Pizza Margherita today.

Italian immigrants brought pizza with them to Spain, France, England, and the United States. It didn’t gain popularity until after World War II, though. That’s when returning soldiers looked for the food they had grown to love while fighting overseas.

]]> 2022-03-02 13:06:48 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073500832 A dog year https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073508222 Have you heard the popular

myth that one human year is equal to seven dog years? This would mean that a dog that is one human year old (365 days) is developmentally about the same as a human child who is seven years old.

Who came up with this idea? We're fairly certain it wasn't a dog. Not only do dogs not wear wristwatches, but most dogs we know seem quite unconcerned with the time. In fact, most dogs we know seem blissfully unaware of whether it's Monday or the weekend!

The idea of a “dog year" probably came about as a result of the fact that dogs develop at a different rate than human beings. A one-year-old child still relies on its parents for nearly everything. A one-year-old dog(in human years), though, does behave much more like an older child.

These developmental differences can be seen throughout a dog's lifetime. If you and a dog are born on the same day, the dog will develop and age much more quickly throughout its lifetime than you will.

For example, when you hit your teenage years, the dog will be quite advanced in age. As you're ready for high school, the dog will be ready for the retirement home! If it helps, you can also think of it this way: a dog's lifespan is a lot shorter than yours (maybe 15 years compared to 75 or more for you), so that means a dog ages much more quickly in the same amount of time.

How old a dog will live depends upon many factors, including its particular breed and size as an adult. Small dogs often live 15 years or more. Medium and large dogs tend to live shorter lives (10-13 years). Giant dog breeds, like mastiffs, might only live 7-8 years.

Given these differences in life expectancy based upon breed and size, you can see that a simple formula of one human year being equal to seven dog years would not be accurate. Although dog experts do not agree on a standard formula, there are some similarities in the ways different people think about things.

The most accurate calculation of dog years must take into account the particular breed and size of the dog in question. You can do research online to find special calculators that will estimate a dog's age based upon its size and breed.

Others use a variable formula that reflects the belief that the first two years of a dog's life are approximately equal to 10-11 years each, with each year thereafter being equal to about four human years. Over time for many dog breeds, this variable formula might average out to the common belief that one human year is equal to about seven dog years.

The variable formula reflects the fact that dogs develop quickly early in their lives. After the first couple of years, most dogs are fully grown and develop more slowly thereafter. The variable formula still does not take into account particular breed and size information, though.

Dog experts know that some breeds tend to live longer than others. As mentioned before, a dog's adult size is also an important factor. If you take these factors into account, a sliding scale for each dog is the only accurate way to estimate a dog's age in human years.

]]> 2022-03-02 13:11:26 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073508222 Why do cats hate water? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073508243 Have you ever had a

pet? If so, you know taking care of an animal can be a lot of fun. Of course, it’s also hard work. Pet owners have to feed and exercise their animals every day. Plus, they often need to coax their pets into things they don’t enjoy. If you’ve ever tried to give a cat a bath, you know exactly what we mean! Many cats will do anything to avoid contact with water.

Why don’t cats like water? Experts have many answers to that question. Some say domestic cats hate water because they aren’t around it early in life. If cats don’t spend much time in water as kittens, they’re more likely to be afraid of it. This is a common problem because many pet owners don’t bathe their cats, since felines groom themselves.

Additionally, many cats learn to associate water with punishment. That’s because many pet owners spray water at cats to make them stop doing something the owner doesn’t like. This teaches the cat that water means they’ve done something wrong. It’s no WONDER they run from a bath!

Another explanation has to do with evolution. Cats are what experts call “semi-domesticated.” That means they still have some instincts from their wild ancestors. Cats don’t like surprises, and they like to stay agilein case they need to escape a threat. Wet fur can weigh a cat down, making them move slower. That means cats may think water puts them in danger, making them less able to run away if they need to.

]]> 2022-03-02 13:11:26 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2073508243 Who created cotton candy https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2085973779 Would you like to hear a joke? Okay. What does a dentist do on a roller coaster?

…He BRACES himself!

Ha! We love making our Wonder Friends smile and laugh. All jokes aside, aren’t dentists great? They help us keep our teeth clean and strong so that, when we laugh at jokes, we show off beautiful smiles. Dentists give us great advice, too. They tell us to brush, floss, and stay away from sugar.

If your dentist has ever told you that sugar is bad for your teeth, then today’s Wonder of the Day might surprise you. Have you ever WONDERed who invented cotton candy? Believe it or not, that sweet, sugary treat was invented by a dentist!

]]> 2022-03-09 12:43:20 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2085973779 How Sweet Are Sugar Gliders? weissoli30 https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2085974184 These small animals might look like squirrels, but they’re actually marsupials. That means they’re more closely related to kangaroos.

Where did the name “sugar glider“ come from? Well, these little animals do like their sweets. They will eat a variety of things, including bugs and vegetables. But they prefer nectar. They eat it in the form of the sweet sap of eucalyptus, acacia, and other trees.

]]> 2022-03-09 12:43:34 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2085974184 Why Are Some Tigers White? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2085976732 hen you hear the word "tiger," what do you think of? For most people, an image of a giant cat with orange and black stripes probably comes to mind. These apex predators are as fierce as they are beautiful.

If you've ever seen illusionists Siegfried and Roy's Las Vegas show or visited certain zoos, though, you may envision a different, more unique tiger: one that's snow white with black stripes. White tigers are exceptionally rare and exotic. But what exactly are they and where do they come from?

Some people claim that white tigers are a special subspecies of tiger that's endangered and dangerously close to extinction. While white tigers are indeed rare, they're not a separate subspecies and they're not albinos. Moreover, most, if not all, of the white tigers alive today were purposefully bred by zoos and private collectors.

White tigers can occur naturally in the wild, and there are reports that a few were seen in the tropical forests and jungles of India and Southeast Asia in the early 20^th century. The last known wild white tiger was shot in 1958.

Today, white tigers exist only in captivity in zoos, wildlife sanctuaries, and private collections. Experts believe that all of the white tigers alive today are probably descended from the same male white tiger cub that was captured in 1951.

Because of their beauty and rarity, white tigers have become very popular attractions at zoos and wildlife sanctuaries. For years now, zoos and private collectors have purposefully inbred white tigers to multiply their numbers. White tiger cubs can be sold for $30,000-$60,000 or more.

Unfortunately, deliberate inbreeding to create white tigers has led to a white tiger population that's often affected by a variety of health problems. For example, white tigers are often cross-eyed and have trouble with vision and depth perception. Other common health problems include kidney problems, club feet, shortened tendons, cleft palates, and scoliosis of the spine.

In 2011, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums banned all its member zoos from breeding white tigers. However, now that the specific genemutation that produces white tigers has been identified, some people want to continue to breed white tigers since it could potentially be done without inbreeding and the resulting health problems that are so common.

]]> 2022-03-09 12:45:07 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2085976732 How Big Do Cats Get? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2085981720 f you are ever lost in the jungle, there are a few animals you'd better watch out for. What are we talking about? Big cats, of course! And, no, we don't mean fat, furry felinesnamed Fluffy. We mean the really big cats.

However, there is a new “super lion" recently found in Africa. Unlike most cats, the super lion likes swimming, has developed stronger pectoral muscles, and is 15% larger than other typical lions.

Big cats are carnivores. This means they eat other animals. They're also the only cats that can roar. Their ability to roar comes from a special larynx with cartilage walls that vibrate and produce sound when air passes through the larynx from the lungs.

Lions have the longest larynx, which means they can roar the loudest. Cheetahs and snow leopards can't roar, despite having similar throat structures. For this reason, some people exclude them from the list of big cats.

Although big cats are known for being ferocious, they actually have more to fear from us than we do from them. All the big cats are endangered, mainly from habitat destruction and poaching. Today, many countries have established conservation areas to protect the remaining big cat populations.

Think you know a lot about big cats? Here are some interesting facts you may not know:

An adult lion's roar is really loud! It can be heard up to five miles away.
Snow leopards can leap up to seven times their own body length in a single jump.
The tiger's stripes are like a fingerprint. No two tigers have the same exact pattern.
The leopard is the strongest climber of the big cats. It can carry prey twice its weight up into a tree.
The jaguar takes its name from a Native American word that means “he who kills with one leap."
Lions in the wild usually live 12-16 years. In captivity, they can live up to 25 years.
Tigers don't avoid water like many cats and are excellent swimmers.
Lions are the only big cats that live in groups, which are called prides.

]]> 2022-03-09 12:48:20 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2085981720 Does it really rain diamonds on Neptune? Earth hosts life. Saturn has rings. Mars is covered in red dust, and Jupiter is enormous. Yes, every planet in the solar system has special features that make it stand out among the rest. Don’t believe us? Just look at Neptune—it’s raining diamonds there!As the farthest planet from the Sun, Neptune has long been difficult to study. In fact, it’s one of only two in our solar system that can’t be seen with the naked eye. Neptune was also the only planet predicted to exist by mathematicians before it was ever actually seen.Today, though, people know more about Neptune than ever before. In 1981, scientist Marvin Ross predicted that the planet had diamond rain. He said both ice giants (Neptune and Uranus) may experience this phenomenon. In 2020, an experiment proved it could happen.To carry out this experiment, researchers at Stanford University modeled the conditions on Neptune inside their lab. They started by applying extreme heat and pressure to polystyrene. Then, they sent shockwaves through the material using a laser. Using x-rays, they watched what happened. The elements that make up polystyrene split from each other. This resulted in carbon and hydrogen atoms. Under pressure, the carbon turned into diamonds before their eyes. Based on these findings, the researchers believe it’s likely that diamonds do indeed rain down on the planet Neptune.Just imagine! What would it be like to get caught in the middle of a diamond shower on Neptune? No human being can speak to the experience (yet). Still, experts have learned quite a bit about this planet since its discovery in 1846.On Neptune, a year lasts 60,190 Earth days. However, the farthest planet from the Sun experiences shorter days than we do on Earth. Neptune completes a full rotation once every 16 hours. Just how far is Neptune from the Sun? About 2.8 billion miles! In fact, the planet is sometimes farther from the Sun than Pluto is. That’s one reason why human beings have such a hard time studying the planet. It’s difficult to get there! Only one spacecraft, Voyager 2, has visited Neptune. Does that mean Neptune is lonely? Not necessarily. It has five rings and 14 moons to keep it company. However, the planet is not capable of supporting life as we know it.Would you like to see a diamond shower on Neptune one day? Anything is possible. Maybe you’ll invent the next great space technology that will take us there! https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2085985081 2022-03-09 12:50:25 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2085985081 What if you wake up a bear from hibernation https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2085986302 Have you ever heard someone say, “Don’t poke the bear”? Did you WONDER where that saying came from? Of course, it means you shouldn’t provoke someone if they could cause trouble for you. But why include bears in that metaphor? Are they easily angered?

Actually, no—bears are often shy. Still, they will defend themselves if they sense danger. That’s why it’s important never to sneak up on or scare these animals. After all, many adult bears are much larger and stronger than humans. We know we wouldn’t want to end up on a bear’s bad side!

What happens if you wake a bear from hibernation? Experts say it’s best not to find out. A bear that senses a threat can wake quickly to defenditself. That’s because bears’ body temperatures only lowers by a few degrees when they hibernate. This helps them become alert much faster, compared to other animals. Many other species lower their temperatures to near freezing for hibernation.

]]> 2022-03-09 12:51:15 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2085986302 Frost Flowers https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2085986872 Frost flowers aren't real flowers at all. They're natural ice sculptures that some people believe look like flowers. Others describe them as looking like spun glass or cotton candy. Are they sculpted by fairies in the night? Nope! They're actually created by plants!

You might see them dotting a field like a huge bouquet of white flowers. If you see them, enjoy the experience while you can. You might want to grab your camera and take pictures before they disappear!

Although they're incredibly beautiful, they're also incredibly delicate. Almost ethereal, these thin, fragile ice sculptures will disappear as the first rays of sunlight hit them. As the Sun rises and temperatures follow, frost flowers melt away and vanish in an instant.

So how does Mother Nature produce these fleeting, yet stunningcreations? It's all science! Frost flowers will only develop when temperatures first drop below freezing but the ground is still warm enough to keep the root systems of plants alive.

When those conditions exist, plants can still draw water from their roots up into their stems. However, when that water reaches the stem, it quickly freezes because of the cold air. Because plant stems are thin, ice crystals that form will push their way out through the stem's walls.

Depending upon the structure of the plant's stem, the ice crystals may form thin strands like a ribbon or in thin curling sheets. When these ribbons and sheets join together, they can create a shape like a flower petal.

If you've never seen frost flowers before, it could be because you don't get up early enough! It's also possible that you don't live in an area with one of the few species capable of producing these interesting and delicate ice sculptures.

One plant species known to produce frost flowers is frostweed, which is also known as Indian tobacco or tickweed. It grows commonly in Texas, and you're likely to find it in river or creek bottoms or the shaded areas under large trees. You might also find frost flowers in areas with white or yellow wingstem plants. The best place to spot frost flowers will be among tall weeds in areas that aren't mowed often.

]]> 2022-03-09 12:51:38 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2085986872 Do we have the same handwriting? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2085986922 Writing is a complicating task that involves multiple parts of the body at once. Your brain must visualize the letters you want to write. Your nerves must communicate those intentions to the muscles in your hands and arms. At the same time, your eyes watch the letters as you write them, constantly monitoring their shapes and alerting your brain to corrections that need to be made. As if all that wasn't enough, your handwriting can also be affected by a variety of environmental factors, such as the temperature of the room, your stress level, time constraint, and your overall mood. It is now no surprise that we all have different handwriting from each other.]]> 2022-03-09 12:51:40 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2085986922 What Is the Most Dangerous Animal in Australia? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2085987904 G'day

mate! Are you ready for a trek down under to the land of koalas and kangaroos? Where are we talking about? Australia, of course!

If you've ever visited or even read much about Australia, you probably know that this country that's also an island and a continent is famous for its wide variety of crazy critters. Perhaps more than anywhere else in the world, Australia is home to some of the world's most deadly creatures.

So if you're headed to Australia, there are several dangerous beasts you'll want to avoid. For example, if you see a man-sized, flightless bird with wild eyes headed your way, give it a wide berth. The cassowary is slightly smaller than the ostrich, but it packs an attitude and a dagger-like middle toe that can wreak havoc in an attack.

If you're wandering the outback, though, you're probably more concerned with some of Australia's famous snakes and spiders. The Sydney funnel-web spider, for example, is known for being aggressive. Resembling a tarantula with long fangs, It's also known for venom that's twice as strong as cyanide. Even more famous is the red back spider, which bites thousands of people each year. Luckily, its venom produces severe pain but rarely causes death.

When it comes to slithering threats, Australia has its fair share. The inland taipan features the most powerful venom of any snake on Earth. Fortunately, it's not particularly aggressive and lives only in the most remote areas.

Much more dangerous is the eastern brown snake, which boasts the second most powerful venom. The eastern brown snake is also bigger, more common, and much more aggressive than the inland taipan, plus it can be found much closer to populated areas. Other extremely dangerous snakes to be on the lookout for include the tiger snake and the death adder.

With all of these land-based threats, you might be tempted to head to the waters off Australia's shores. Sadly, that could be a deadly mistake if you run into one of the many deadly sea creatures that call the waters of Australia home. For example, the textile cone is a type of snail you won't want to encounter. A snail? Seriously? Think of it as a killer snail able to shoot a tiny harpoon full of a neurotoxin powerful enough to kill a human being.

If you're enjoying the waters off of one of Australia's coasts, there are several other threats you'll want to avoid. The stonefish, for example, looks like a rock, but it's actually the most venomous fish in the world. If you accidentally step on one, it can inject you with a powerful neurotoxin that can cause excruciating pain and even death.

Likewise, the box jellyfish can also claim to be one of the world's most lethal sea creatures. With powerful venom, its stings are incredibly painful and sometimes fatal. In fact, one box jellyfish can contain enough venom to kill 60 human beings! You'll also want to keep an eye out for the blue-ringed octopus. Its dangerous venom, known as TTX or tetrodotoxin, is 1,200 times stronger than cyanide, which means the tiniest bite can be fatal.

If you're successful at avoiding all these perils of the Australian seas, you'll still want to be sure you don't venture into waters teeming with two of the world's most fearsome apex predators: the saltwater crocodile and the great white shark. Along with bull sharks and tiger sharks, great white sharks patrol the waters off Australia's coasts, looking for a tasty meal.

Likewise, saltwater crocodiles inhabit the coastal waters, but also enjoy the many rivers of Australia. The largest living reptile on Earth, the saltwater crocodile can grow to be 25 feet long and weigh as much as 4,000 pounds. It will eat just about anything that moves, since it also has the most powerful bite of any creature on Earth — 10 times greater than that of the great white shark.

Don't let these many fearsome creatures deter you from visiting Australia, if you get the chance. They're easy to avoid, for the most part, and they're not even the most deadly creature you're likely to encounter. Statistics show that the common honey bee is responsible for more deaths each year than all these other creatures combined!

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]]> 2022-03-09 12:52:18 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2085987904 What is the history of Dragons https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2085993837 o you have a strong imagination? Do you ever dream of setting out on a grand adventure with your closest friends? Maybe you picture a world where elves, goblins, and wizards really exist. If this sounds like you, then we think you’ll enjoy today’s Wonder of the Day. It’s all about Dungeons & Dragons!

Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is a very popular role-playing game. People of all ages can have fun creating their own character. These are often fantastic creatures, like sorcerers and wizards. Then, they play as the character they created and explore an imaginary world. Best of all, players can customize the game. Many decisions are up to the dungeon master, the person who builds and guides the adventure.

How did Dungeons & Dragons begin? It all started with two people named Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. Together, they wrote the first 50-page D&D rule book in 1973. It grew from two other games Arneson and Gygax had previously created. These were called Chainmail and Blackmoor.

To print and sell the D&D rule book, Gygax started a company called Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (TSR). Over the next decade, TSR saw great success. It distributed D&D all over the world. TSR even worked with Marvel to create a D&D television show.

Soon, however, things went south. Others in TSR pushed Gygax out of the company. Then, they made a string of bad business decisions. In the late-1990s, it looked like D&D may have reached the end of its road. Luckily, another gaming company called Wizards of the Coast bought TSR in 1997.

Are you interested in playing D&D? If you’re new to the game, the best place to start is by finding a group of friends to play with you. You’ll need a dungeon master to guide the game as well as a few people to go on the campaign. Once you have a group together, create your characters.

Each player will need to fill out a character sheet to choose their name, characteristics, and motivation. Then, it’s time to grab some dice, sit down together around a table, and get started! Nowadays, many people also play D&D together online. This gives friends who live far apart a chance to play together.

Why do so many people love to play Dungeons & Dragons? Many say it’s a great way to give your imagination a workout. They enjoy exploring a new world as a made-up character. The game also helps players build problem-solving, teamwork, and math skills. Plus, it’s a way to spend time having fun with friends and family members. Maybe you can suggest D&D for your next family game night!

]]> 2022-03-09 12:55:43 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2085993837 https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2085994228 Sawfish are easy to identify by their long snouts that are edged with sharp teeth. Many people believe the sawfish snout, called a rostrum, looks like a saw.

There are two species of sawfish found in the shallow, coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico and even in freshwater rivers in the southern United States: the smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinate) and the largetooth sawfish (Pristis perotteti). Both species are closely related to sharks. There are also five other species found in other oceans around the world.

Sawfish can grow to be quite large. An average smalltooth sawfish grows to 18 feet (5.5 meters) in length, while larger individuals may grow as long as 25 feet (or about 7.5 meters). Unfortunately, the smalltooth sawfish is an endangered species. Experts believe habitat loss, overharvesting, and entanglement in fishing nets are the primary causes for the declining sawfish population.

Do sawfish pose a danger to swimmers? Not likely! Sawfish aren't known to attack humans, and they tend to stay away from areas where humans would swim, such as near beaches.

So what do they do with their fearsome saws? Are sawfish the lumberjacks of the sea? Not quite! Sawfish eat other fish and crustaceans. They use their saws to catch and kill their prey.

For years, many scientists believed sawfish primarily used their saws to dig through sediment on the sea floor to find crustaceans and small fish to eat. Recent research, however, has shown that the sawfish rostrum is a much more complex tool than just a simple shovel.

Scientists have learned that the sawfish rostrum contains thousands of tiny sensors (known as ampullary pores) that can detect the invisible electric fields that surround living organisms. Using these special sensors on their saws, sawfish can locate fish swimming in the waters around them. Once located, a quick back-and-forth swipe of their saw can also cut their food in half, making it easier to eat!

]]> 2022-03-09 12:55:55 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2085994228 What is the history of Dungeons and Dragons? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2085998395 Do you have a strong imagination? Do you ever dream of setting out on a grand adventure with your closest friends? Maybe you picture a world where elves, goblins, and wizards

really exist. If this sounds like you, then we think you’ll enjoy today’s Wonder of the Day. It’s all about Dungeons & Dragons!

To print and sell the D&D rule book, Gygax started a company called Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (TSR). Over the next decade, TSR saw great success. It distributed D&D all over the world. TSR even worked with Marvel to create a D&D television show.

Quickly, Wizards of the Coast started publishing new and revampedD&D materials. It also gave the game’s third edition an Open Gaming License (OGL). That meant that anyone could create new adventures and settings based on the D&D rules. This led to the creation of a number of games based on Dungeons & Dragons, including Pathfinder and Starfinder. Today, D&D is on its fifth edition, which players call 5e. It includes many pre-written games and characters, which are great for beginners and D&D experts alike.

Why do so many people love to play Dungeons & Dragons? Many say it’s a great way to give your imagination a workout. They enjoy exploring a new world as a made-up character. The game also helps players build problem-solving, teamwork, and math skills. Plus, it’s a way to spend time having fun with friends and family members. Maybe you can suggest D&D for your next family game night!

]]> 2022-03-09 12:58:24 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2085998395 Who Is Serena Williams? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2097859694 Have you ever played a game of singles? How about doubles? Maybe you’ve played in a match that was a double bagel or served a shot with backspin. If you know any of these terms, you may be a tennis player. And if so, you’ll recognize the name at the center of today’s Wonder of the Day—Serena Williams!

Who is Serena Williams? Only one of the greatest tennis players of all time! Williams was born on September 26, 1981, in Saginaw, Michigan. Her family soon moved to Compton, California. There, Williams grew up with four older sisters.

By the time she was three, Williams’s father was teaching her to play tennis. Along with her sister, Venus, Serena quickly showed a talent for the sport. The two practiced tennis daily on Compton’s public courts.

When Serena was nine, the Williams family moved to Palm Beach, Florida. There, Serena and Venus both began playing against other junior tennis players. At that time, they also started working with a new coach. Their father, Richard Williams, had coached them until that point.

Serena became a professional tennis player in 1995. Right away, she was seen as an upcoming star. She proved herself on the court, and in 1999, Serena won her first Grand Slam in singles. In tennis, a Grand Slam is when a player wins all four major titles in the same year. This includes the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and U.S. Open.

For the next several years, Serena dominated women’s tennis. She also teamed up with Venus, who is a top professional tennis player herself. The two won gold in women’s tennis doubles at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

The Williams sisters won gold again in the Olympic women’s tennis doubles in 2008 and 2012. In 2012, Serena also won gold in women’s singles. Despite injuries in the early 2000s, she continued to win.

In 2017, Serena achieved her 23rd Grand Slam. Later, the tennis player revealed that she was pregnant when she achieved this feat. In September of that year, she gave birth to a daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian, Jr.

In addition to her accomplishments on the court, Serena Williams is also an entrepreneur. In 2009, she and Venus both became part owners of the Miami Dolphins. They are the first Black women to own part of a professional football team.

Serena has always been passionate about fashion. In 2018, she launched her own clothing line, called S. She added a jewelry line in 2019. Williams also invests in companies that value diverse leadership. She does so through her venture capital firm, Serena Ventures.

Today, Serena Williams lives in Florida with her husband, Alexis Ohanian, Sr., and their daughter. She returned to tennis in 2018 and still plays professionally.

Most would agree that Serena Williams is one of the top athletes of her time. What other athletes are you interested in? Spend more time learning about your sports heroes today!

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]]> 2022-03-16 11:49:34 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2097859694 https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2097862219 Are you a fan of

big cats? Maybe you love learning about lions, leopards, and jaguars. You might even know that the cheetah is the world’s fastest animal or that tigers love to swim. If so, you’re sure to enjoy today’s Wonder of the Day. It’s all about ligers!

Have you ever seen the movie “Napoleon Dynamite”? If so, you’ve heard of ligers. According to Napoleon, they’re fascinating creatures bred for their skills in magic. Based on the movie, you might think that ligers are merely a figment of Napoleon’s imagination. After all, they sound sort of far-fetched, don’t they? Believe it or not, though, they’re real!

So what exactly is a liger? They’re the offspring of a male lion and a female tiger. Get it? Li-ger. Li(on) + (ti)ger! Ligers tend to have characteristics more like lions than tigers. If you’re looking for a big cat hybrid that’s more like a tiger, though, find a tigon. That’s the offspringof a male tiger and a female lion.

Ligers look like big lions with tiger-like stripes. Their stripes are usually rather light in color. Larger than either parent, ligers are arguably the biggest known cats in the world. For example, Hercules, a liger at Jungle Island theme park in Miami, weighs over 900 pounds. He is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest living cat!

Like tigers, ligers like to swim. Like lions, they tend to be very sociable. Would you like to run into a liger at your local pool? Probably not!

In the distant past, the two species had far greater ranges. At some point, they may have overlapped. Could a liger have occurred naturally in the wild long ago? It’s possible, but not very likely.

According to historical records, ligers can be traced all the way back to the early 1800s. Some artwork from that time period even shows male lions and female tigers and their offspring. Would you like to see a liger in a zoo or animal sanctuary one day? Maybe you’d rather visit a tigon! What other animal hybrids would you like to see?

]]> 2022-03-16 11:51:08 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2097862219 When Was the Irish War of Independence? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2097864724 Have you ever found Ireland on a map? If so, you know it’s part of the British Isles. The area is also home to Great Britain, which includes England, Scotland, and Wales. And, of course, much of the region is part of the United Kingdom (UK). The UK is made up of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Many people find the political and social structure of the British Isles a bit confusing. In today’s Wonder, we’ll look at one major 19th century event that shaped the Isles. What are we talking about? The Irish War of Independence, of course!

What led to the Irish War of Independence? Starting in 1169, Ireland was ruled by Great Britain. The two faced tension and conflict for centuries. Many times, Great Britain treated the Irish people badly.

One example of this was Ireland’s Great Famine of 1845-1852. During this emergency, a disease wiped out most of Ireland’s potato crop. At that time, about a third of Irish people relied on potatoes for most of their diet. Though it ruled the region, Great Britain did little to help feed the Irish people. As a result, around a million Irish people died from hunger and disease.

By the early 1900s, tensions came to a boiling point. Many people in Ireland called for independent rule of their country. This led to a policy called “Home Rule.” Its goal was a non-violent separation of Ireland from Great Britain. However, talks about Home Rule paused in 1914 when World War I began.

By 1916, though, separatists in Ireland were tired of waiting. Led by the Irish Republican Brotherhood, they rebelled on April 24 of that year. This was later called the Easter Rising. Great Britain crushed the uprising within a week. However, British violence against the rebels and their leaders led to even more calls for independence.

In the 1918 election, many Irish politicians supported independence. They ran for office as part of a political party called Sinn Feinn. In English, this name means “We Ourselves.“ The Sinn Feinn party won most of the Irish seats in British Parliament. However, these representatives refused to report to Great Britain. Instead, they set up an Irish Parliament in Dublin in January 1919.

At the same time, the Irish Republican Brotherhood joined with other rebel groups. They formed a new group called the Irish Republican Army (IRA). It fought for Irish independence. The IRA carried out guerrilla attacks against British forces in Ireland.

The IRA aimed many of its attacks at the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC). This was a police force in Ireland that was controlled by Great Britain. An early IRA attack targeted two RIC officers on January 19, 1919. This began the Irish War of Independence.

The IRA targeted property owned by the British government. This included buildings such as police barracks and tax offices. It also went after British authority figures. Members of the IRA were volunteers who relied on support from the local civilians. Many locals gave IRA members shelter and helped them escape authorities.

The fighting reached its climax on November 21, 1920. That morning, the IRA attacked British Intelligence officers in Dublin. They killed 14 people and wounded five. Later that day, British troops shot into a civilian crowd of Irish fans at a football match. Another 14 people were killed, with 65 wounded. This day is remembered as Bloody Sunday.

Following Bloody Sunday, violence continued to grow. Irish people, angry at British violence against civilians, refused to give in. Another surge of violence followed Great Britain’s attempt to dissolve the Irish Parliament in May 1921.

Finally, Ireland and Great Britain reached a truce on July 11, 1921. That December, they signed the Anglo-Irish Peace Treaty. This gave Ireland the power to self-govern, establishing the Irish Free State. However, six counties in the north of Ireland remained part of the United Kingdom. This region became known as a separate body called Northern Ireland.

The Irish Free State continued to work for full independence. It finally accomplished this in 1949, becoming the Republic of Ireland. After a long fight, Ireland was finally free from Great Britain. The Irish War of Independence is just one example of a nation fighting for the right to govern itself. What others can you think of?

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]]> 2022-03-16 11:52:46 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2097864724 Why Do Pop Rocks® Pop? weissoli30 https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2097867184 Today’s Wonder of the Day is about a type of candy that many people enjoy. Which one are we talking about? Here’s a hint: it’s sugary, comes in a pouch, and goes Pop! when you put it in your mouth. Can you guess what it is? That’s right! We’re talking about Pop Rocks®.

Have you ever WONDERed what makes Pop Rocks . . . well, pop? It all comes down to how they’re made. This candy contains five main ingredients: sugar, lactose, corn syrup, water, and flavoring.

]]> 2022-03-16 11:54:26 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2097867184 Who invented the spork https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2097867305 1874, Dr. Samuel W. Francis made the spork’s closest ancestor. It combined spoon, fork, and knife to provide for all dining needs. Francis didn’t call his invention a spork or sell it on a large scale. Still, others took notice. Over the years, other people improved the utensil. In 1951, Hyde W. Ballard trademarked the word "spork." Later, the Van Brode Milling Company filed a patent to make plastic sporks. The utensilquickly became a hit. Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) was the first restaurant to offer sporks to customers, but others quickly followed!

]]> 2022-03-16 11:54:31 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2097867305 Is a Guinea pig a pig? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2097869427 Do you have a

pet at home? As pet owners know, sharing your home with a special animal can make life so much better.

Nothing turns a frown upside down quite like the wagging of a dog's tail. If you have a dog as a pet, you understand why they're often called "man's best friend." Cats are also cute and cuddly. Even fish are entertaining to watch and take care of.

Dogs, cats, and fish aren't the only good pets for kids, though. How about something small and fuzzy that squeaks when it's happy? What are we talking about? The guinea pig, of course!

If you use your scientific reasoning abilities, you might think that the humble guinea pig is a type of pig that originated in Guinea. Unfortunately, you would be wrong. The guinea pig is not a pig at all, and it did not come from Guinea.

Instead, guinea pigs are rodents. Their scientific name, Cavia porcellus, means "little pig" in Latin. Based upon their scientific name, they're also sometimes known as cavies. Their resemblance to pigs is limited to their slightly-pig-like shape, tendency to spend a lot of time eating, and occasionally grunting a bit like a pig.

Rather than Guinea, guinea pigs are thought to have originated in South America. Experts believe they may have been domesticated for food by Andean tribes as early as 5000 B.C. Today, all guinea pigs are domesticated, so they no longer exist in the wild.

The "guinea" part of their name may have come from the price of an animal in 16^th-century England: one guinea. Others believe the animals came to Europe via ships from either Guyana in South America or Guinea in West Africa, thus leading to their name.

Guinea pigs even have identity problems in other languages. Germans know them as meerschweinchen, which means "little sea pigs." The French call them lapins de Barbarie, or "Barbary rabbits," while the Portuguese call them porchitas da India, or "little pigs from India."

Whatever the origin of their name, guinea pigs have become popularpets around the world. They can be found in a wide variety of breeds with different colors, patterns, and textures. They're usually eight to ten inches long and weigh two to three pounds.

Guinea pigs make great pets, because they're very social and thrive on human affection. Primarily active in the morning and evening, they like to eat, groom themselves, and explore their surroundings. As herbivores, guinea pigs love fresh fruits and vegetables, although most pet guinea pigs enjoy a diet consisting mostly of processed pellets made out of alfalfa or timothy hay and special nutrients.

]]> 2022-03-16 11:55:46 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2097869427 Which came first:Chess or checkers? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2097877617 Today’s game of checkers developed around the start of the 12th century. A Frenchman came up with the idea of playing checkers on a chess board. At that time, the game was called “Fierges” or “Ferses.” With a new board design and new rules set, the game made its way to England and the Americas.

Today, most English-speaking countries use a 64-space checker board. This is known as the short king board version. However, much of Europe and Asia use a checker board with 100 spaces. This is called the long king version. Some people in Canada even use a board with 144 spaces!

Checkers remains a popular game around the world today. For many children, it’s the first game they learn how to play. Teachers have long known that the simple game of checkers can provide significant training in thought and logic. Of course, it also keeps players occupied with fun competition. So checkers remains the first to be made before chess.

]]> 2022-03-16 12:01:08 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2097877617 Are you a bookworm? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2097879239 Do you love to read? Your teachers probably tell you how important reading is all the time. And guess what? They're right!

Reading helps you in many ways beyond just being able to read and get good grades in Language Arts. Being an avid reader helps you become a better speller. Reading can also help you become a better writer. In fact, the more you read, the better you'll do in all your subjects.

Do you have friends who always have books in their hands? We bet you catch them reading all the time. Sometimes those people who like to read all the time are called bookworms. Is it because they look like earthworms? No! So where did that nickname come from?

A bookworm is someone who loves reading books. These people are also called bibliophiles. Bibliophiles sometimes love books so much that they choose to collect them, too.

Some old libraries became musty and attracted various pests. Some of these pests took the form of insects and worms who loved to eat paper and the glue in the bindings of books. These pests would spend their entire lives inside of books. It was only natural to transfer the “bookworm" idea to humans who loved to consume (read) books as much as these pests did.

So if you see a trip to the library as an adventure and are always on the lookout for a new book to read, you're probably a bookworm. And that's OK! There are millions of us in the world.

When you love books, it can be a lot of fun to share a great book with a friend. Seeing a friend read and enjoy a book as much as you do can be very satisfying. It can also strengthen friendships, as you discuss the books you share with each other.

]]> 2022-03-16 12:02:15 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2097879239 Who Invented the Unicycle? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2097882660 Have you ever seen someone riding a unicycle? If you have, you probably remember it. A unicycle looks similar to a bicycle except that there's only one wheel and no handlebar. Although it's a skill that can take a while to master, anyone can learn to ride a unicycle.

No one knows for sure who invented the unicycle or when. Experts generally agree that the unicycle came about as a result of an early type of bicycle known as a “penny-farthing" (so-called because of its resemblance to the relative size difference between the British penny and farthing coins).

These early bicycles contained a rather large front wheel connected to a much smaller rear wheel. Legend has it that people riding penny-farthings eventually learned that they could lean forward and ride only on the front wheel.

Eventually someone removed the rear wheel and the unicycle was born.

Modern unicycles are like basic, less-complex bicycles. With only one wheel, unicycles have a seat, called a "saddle," which is connected via the seat post to the frame.

The frame sits atop the axle bearings, and the pedals directly control the movement of the wheel. This is different than regular bicycles that use a chain to transfer the energy of the pedals' motion to the wheels.

Unicycles are more difficult to ride than bicycles. Riders must maintain their balance from front to back, as well as side to side.

To get moving, riders must learn to “fall" in the direction they wish to go before correcting the fall by pedaling the unicycle to bring the single wheel back under their center of gravity.

As they move, riders must learn to control their center of gravity. If they “fall" forward, they can accelerate, while falling backward will enable them to decelerate as they correct their fall by once again bringing the wheel back directly under their center of gravity.

While this sounds simple enough, perfecting these techniques on a unicycle is another matter altogether! With only one wheel below you and no handlebars, learning the delicate balance required to ride a unicycle is a challenge for most people.

Although unicycles remain relatively rare, there are more unicycle riders today than ever before. Unicycles have even moved beyond the basic unicycle model most people have seen.

If you're into unicycle racing or unicycle basketball, you'll probably be interested in a sport unicycle. Of course, if you're a fan of rough, off-road terrain, then the mountain unicycle may be for you.

If you're a clown or a circus performer, a comical unicycle with a really small wheel may be just the ticket. Or, you could always go for the comic effect of the giraffe unicycle!

]]> 2022-03-16 12:04:40 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2097882660 Do aquarium fish live in freshwater or saltwater? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2097883729 f you like aquariums like we do, you might have WONDERed if the fish in aquariums swim in freshwater or saltwater. As it turns out, aquariums can be filled with either freshwateror saltwater. It just depends upon what kind of fish you want to raise.

There are many different types of fish all over the world. Some live in freshwater, such as rivers and lakes, while others live in saltwateroceans. If you want to raise fish in an aquarium, you need to create a place for them that's similar to their native environment.

You can get a many different kinds of fish at a local pet store or exoticfish store. Freshwater fish frequently come from farms where they are raised to be sold in pet stores. Some types of freshwater fish you may know include bettas, angelfish, goldfish and rainbow fish.

Saltwater fish tend to be wild fish from the ocean imported from all over the world. Saltwater fish require a special environment that includes stable temperature and water conditions. Oceans, because of their size, tend to stay the same most of the time and change very slowly, if at all.

To copy ocean conditions in an aquarium, you may need to use a larger tank that can hold more water. You also have to keep a close eye on the tank's water values to make sure water temperature and chemical levels stay constant.

Some popular saltwater fish varieties include lionfish, clownfish, seahorses, eels, groupers and angels. Angels, for example, are very beautiful, but they can be very difficult to raise because they are sensitive to even the smallest changes in the water.

]]> 2022-03-16 12:05:29 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2097883729 Witch came first chess or checkers(grafts) https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2097883735 https://wonderopolis.org/wonder_video/YouTube/YeB-1F-UKO0/

1,500 years ago in India, the ancient game of chess was believed to be invented in the sixth century.
The game was eventually spread to Persia. Witch was then migrated into Arabic culture.]]> 2022-03-16 12:05:30 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2097883735 Do aquarium fish live in salt water or fresh water https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2098885003 f you like aquariums like we do, you might have WONDERed if the fish in aquariums swim in freshwater or saltwater. As it turns out, aquariums can be filled with either freshwateror saltwater. It just depends upon what kind of fish you want to raise.

]]> 2022-03-16 22:19:13 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2098885003 Rip Current https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2109511932 Do you love to swim in the ocean? Who doesn’t, The sand, the sun, the cool water . . . what’s not to love? But have you ever been in the water and suddenly felt yourself being pulled away from the shore?

Uh oh! That’s the last feeling you want when you’re in the water. But many people experience this when they’re at the beach. What’s going on here? More than likely, they’re experiencing a phenomenon known as a rip current.

A rip current can pull even strong swimmers out to sea. What causes rip currents? Think of what happens in an ocean. Waves continually break upon the shore. One after the other, they never stop. All that water has to go somewhere, right?

As waves break on the shore, water from previous waves runs underneath those currently breaking. This creates a gentle current that floats to the bottom of the ocean, which can pull you toward the ocean floor. This is an undertow, and it’s usually mild enough that it doesn’t present any danger except to small children and the weakest of swimmers.

Sometimes, though, certain weather patterns cause heavy wave action. At these times, the water from breaking waves may build up. As it does so, it seeks a weak point in the breaking waves. When it finds one, it pushes quickly out to sea, creating a rip current that runs quickly away from shore along the surface of the water.

Rip currents can be very strong. They’re also fast, moving up to eight feet per second. That’s faster than an Olympic swimmer! Strong rip currents can even be deadly. They cause as many as 150 deaths each year. In Florida, rip currents cause more deaths every year than thunderstorms, hurricanes, and tornadoes combined!

Some regions are more prone to rip currents than others. This is because of the particular shape of the coastline in the area. You may see warning signs nearby telling swimmers to be wary of rip currents.

If you’re WONDERing what to do if you ever find yourself caught in a rip current, you might be surprised by the answer.

The natural reaction is to swim toward shore. However, even experienced swimmers can tire out quickly before ever reaching the shoreline when they’re caught in a rip current. Instead, focus on staying afloat. Don’t try to swim against the current. The best thing to do is to swim sideways along the shoreline—parallel to shore—until you find a weak point in the current. Then, swim at an angle away from the current and toward shore.

If you’re swimming in an unfamiliar area, be sure to ask locals about the currents. You should also be aware of any posted warning signs and take them seriously. Ignoring them can be a costly, potentially deadly, mistake!

]]> 2022-03-23 11:43:12 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2109511932 https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2109514519 Would you ever go

bungee jumping? How about parachutingout of an airplane? Maybe you’d like to try out a human catapult. These forms of recreation are thrilling for some. Others find them scary. If you’re looking for a sport with a bit of danger, you may enjoy mountain climbing.

Specifically, some thrill-seeking mountain climbers tackle the challenge of climbing Mount Everest. At 29,029 feet (8,848 meters) above sea level, it’s the highest mountain in the world. The first people to reach its summit were Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953. Since then, over 4,000 people have reached the mountain’s peak.

To do so, climbers must enter the most dangerous part of the mountain. It’s called the “death zone.” To prepare, climbers must give their bodies time to get used to higher altitude. That’s why they normally spend several weeks climbing Mount Everest. They stop to rest every few thousand feet. When they reach 26,247 feet (8,000 meters), they’ve entered the death zone.

How dangerous is the death zone? That far above sea level, the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere falls 40 percent. This makes it difficult for the human body to get the oxygen it needs. Combined with the physical exertion of climbing the mountain, this can be deadly. Some climbers have compared the experience to “running on a treadmill and breathing through a straw.”

Every cell in your body needs oxygen to carry out its job. For that reason, the low-oxygen nature of the death zone makes it a very dangerous place. It can have dire effects on the human body.

One of these is swelling of the brain. This may lead to high altitudecerebral edema (HACE). HACE can cause nausea and vomiting. Even more dangerous, it can lead to difficulty thinking. In the death zone, climbers can forget where they are or even have hallucinations. This can make a dangerous climb even more life-threatening.

Many climbers experience high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) in the death zone. Symptoms of HAPE include fluid in the lungs, fatigue, and weakness. Climbers affected by HAPE can also feel like they’re suffocating. They will have a persistent cough. They may cough up white, frothy fluid.

Other dangers posed by the death zone are snow blindness andfrostbite. Snow blindness is the temporary inability to see due to the glare from snow and ice. Frostbite can affect any exposed skin. The temperatures on Mount Everest are low enough to freeze skin instantly.

Mount Everest isn’t the only peak with a death zone. In fact, the world’s 14 highest mountains all have death zones. All of these are located in the Himalaya and Karakoram Ranges on the continent of Asia. Some avid mountain climbers make it their goal to reach the top of all 14.

Would you like to climb Mount Everest one day? How would you protect yourself from the death zone? Mountain climbing requires both skill and preparation. If you’re interested in this sport, spend some time learning about the important safety precautions today.

]]> 2022-03-23 11:45:09 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2109514519 Are Lions Really the Kings of the Jungle? weissoli30 https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2109515506 However, some of our Wonder Friends have been asking . . . are lions really the kings of the jungle? According to experts, the answer is technically no. In fact, lions don’t even live in the jungle. Instead, you’ll find them in desert habitats.]]> 2022-03-23 11:45:54 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2109515506 Who invented balloon animals https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2109515781 So how did all this balloon artistry get started? No one knows for sure. Several historians believe the art may have gotten its start with Herman Bonnert from Scranton, Pennsylvania, who some believe started twisting balloons into animal shapes at magicians' conventions in the late 1930s.

Others believe the ancient Aztecs may have been the first balloon artists. Of course, they didn't have the kind of balloons we have today. They created their own homemade balloons from the dried and inflated bladders of dead animals.

]]> 2022-03-23 11:46:07 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2109515781 Who Was Jackie Robinson? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2109517235 Are you a

fan of baseball? If so, you know that the major leagues are filled with talented players from all walks of life. Teams include people of different races and nationalities. Sadly, though, that was not always the case.

Years ago, athletes of different races had to play in separate leagues. This lasted until 1947. That was the year one man broke the color barrierin baseball. His name was Jackie Robinson.

Jack Roosevelt “Jackie” Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia, on January 31, 1919. He was the youngest of five children. Robinson and his siblings were raised by their single mother. The family did not have much money. But Robinson was able to attend Pasadena Junior College. There, he shone in four sports: baseball, basketball, football, and track.

Robinson was a great athlete. He moved on to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). There, he became the first athlete ever to earn a varsity letter in four sports. But financial hardship forced him to leave UCLA before graduating.

Robinson moved to Hawaii to play semi-professional football. His season was cut short, though. The United States had entered World War II. From 1942 to 1944, he served in the U.S. Army. An incident at Fort Hood, Texas, in 1944 would foretell the important role in history Robinson would eventually play.

At Fort Hood, a bus driver demanded that Robinson give up his seat. He was told to move to the back of a segregated bus. Robinson refused. As a result, he was arrested. Later, he was acquitted of the charges after the public learned of the injustice.

Robinson’s courage to stand up for himself was an important first step. He would have a long fight for civil rights. After leaving the Army in 1944, he played professional baseball.

At the time, professional baseball was segregated. That meant White and Black players played in separate leagues. Still, Robinson excelled as always. Soon, he was chosen by Branch Rickey to join the all-White Montreal Royals. This was a farm team for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

On April 15, 1947, Robinson played his first game for the Brooklyn Dodgers. That day, he became the first Black baseball player in the major leagues.

Many people were ready for integration in major league sports. But many others were unhappy about it. Robinson had many hard times as he faced racism. This came from baseball fans, other teams, and even some of his own teammates. He persevered through it all, though. Robinson became an inspiration to millions of people.

In addition to being an inspiration to the civil rights movement, Robinson was a great baseball player. He won Rookie of the Year in his first season. He went on to win Most Valuable Player in 1949. Over the course of his decade with the Dodgers, he maintained a .311 batting average. He even led the Dodgers to victory in the 1955 World Series.

Robinson’s success in the major leagues paved the way for other Black athletes. After retiring from baseball, he continued to work for civil rights and other important social causes.

In 1962, Robinson became the first Black player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. In 1972, the Dodgers retired his uniform number: 42. In 1997, Major League Baseball retired the uniform number 42 across all major league teams. This was the first time that had happened in any sport. Today, baseball still honors Jackie Robinson every April 15. That day, every player on every team wears #42 on “Jackie Robinson Day.”

STANDARDS: CCRA.L.3, CCRA.L.6, CCRA.R.1, CCRA.R.2, CCRA.R.4, CCRA.R.10, CCRA.SL.1, CCRA.W.2, CCRA.W.4, CCRA.L.1, CCRA.L.2

Wonder Contributors

WE’D LIKE TO THANK:

Prathik, Javon, and Eli from FL
for contributing questions about today’s Wonder topic!

Keep WONDERing with us!

]]> 2022-03-23 11:47:01 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2109517235 Why is the ocean blue? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2109518010 Have you ever stopped to WONDER why the ocean is blue, though? After all, when you turn on your tap at home and fill a clear glass with water, it doesn't appear blue, does it? Nope! It's clear as can be. So why would the ocean water appear blue?

For many years, people believed (and some still do!) that the ocean is blue because it reflects the blue sky. The real reason the ocean appears blue does involve reflection, but it's not because the ocean acts as a mirror to the sky.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the ocean is blue because of how it absorbs sunlight. When sunlight hits an ocean's waters, the water molecules naturally absorb the light rays.

Not all rays are absorbed in the same way, however. Water molecules mainly absorb longer wavelengths of light, such as those in the red, orange, yellow, and green wavelengths. Shorter wavelengths, like the blue wavelengths, tend to get reflected back to our eyes. This is why we usually see ocean water as blue.

Ocean water doesn't always look blue, though. And sometimes it appears to be deeper blue than at other times. For example, the farther out in the ocean you go, the deeper the water gets. The more water there is, the more light gets absorbed. That's why deep ocean waters may appear dark navy blue.

Shallow waters closer to shore may be other lighter shades of blue or even other colors, such as green. These colors may result from reflections of light bouncing off of the ocean floor, floating sediments, or plant life, like algae and phytoplankton.

You may also notice that other bodies of water, like rivers and ponds, appear to be colors other than blue. Some rivers, for example, may appear to be a muddy brown rather than a beautiful blue. The brown color of some bodies of water often results from the presence of sediments in the water, especially after the water has been stirred up by a storm or heavy rains.

If you've ever seen the crystal-clear waters of the Caribbean, which are usually shades of light green rather than clear, you may have WONDERed why those ocean waters are so much clearer than others.

Some people believe the Caribbean waters are cleaner and contain less pollution. That can certainly be true and have an impact. However, the colors are much more likely a result of the particular characteristics of the body of water in question.

For example, the plant life that exists in many Caribbean waters can contribute to more green light being reflected back. Some Caribbean waters that are exceptionally beautiful also tend to be more shallow. In addition, the composition of the ocean floor can have an effect. The ocean floor in the Caribbean often contains coral, which can reflect light differently than the sands found in many other areas.

]]> 2022-03-23 11:47:36 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2109518010 Why do Rabbits have such big teeth https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2109520874 Do you know how to draw a

rabbit? Of course you do! Who doesn’t, right? Cute…fluffy…cotton-ball tail…long ears…and one other feature you’re bound to see in just about any picture drawn of a rabbit. What are we talking about? Big teeth, of course!

If you love cartoons, you’ve probably enjoyed comical battles between Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny. Bugs has the required fluffy fur, tail, and long ears. He also has the big buck teeth that most people associate with rabbits. How else could he munch on all those carrots?

Real rabbits in the wild don’t look quite like Bugs Bunny, of course. After all, they’re not really tall and they don’t stand on two feet and walk like a human. Most rabbits also don’t have huge buck teeth like Bugs Bunny, either. Still, they do have impressive chompers for such small creatures.

Those big front teeth are called incisors. They get all the attention, but an adult rabbit actually has a full set of 28 teeth. There are six incisorstotal: two on the top, two on the bottom, and two “peg teeth.“ These are tiny teeth located right behind the upper incisors. Rabbits also have “cheek teeth” along the sides of their mouths: 12 on top and 10 on the bottom.

Rabbits use their incisors, which have sharp edges, to slice like scissors through the rough, fibrous vegetation they eat. Their cheek teeth help them chew their food into smaller pieces that are easier to swallow.

]]> 2022-03-23 11:49:23 UTC https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2109520874 Who Hit the Longest Home Run? https://padlet.com/labriolas/vaondtdz8e2x30a2/wish/2109523347 n warm summer days, there's nothing quite like spending the day at your favorite ballpark. Whether you're playing baseball or softball or watching your favorite team do battle against its rival, great memories are sure to be made!

If you've ever played baseball or softball, you know that one of the true joys of stepping up to the plate is making solid contact with the ball. A base hit — or even a double or a triple — can be thrilling. In fact, there's only one thing that tops those. What are we talking about? A home run, of course!

Whether you call it a homer, a dinger, or a blast over the outfield fence, the ultimate batting achievement is to take a big swing, hear the satisfying crack of the bat as it hits the ball, and watch the ball sailthrough the air until it clears the playing field and lands in the stands.

Home runs are definitely one of the most exciting parts of a major league baseball game. Fans jump and shout for joy when a player knocks one out of the park. It's quite a sight to see a professionalbaseball player hit a fastball hundreds of feet in the air. In fact, it's so exciting that one of the highlights of the major league baseball season is the Home Run Derby that occurs every year right before the All-Star Game.

Baseball fans love statistics, and plenty of statistics are kept for home runs. One of the most cherished records in all of major league baseball is the most career home runs. Held by many years by baseball legend Babe Ruth, the career home run record was broken in 1974 by Hank Aaron. Aaron retired with a total of 755 career home runs.

Aaron's record would stand for over 30 years. In 2007, Barry Bonds broke Aaron's record and eventually retired with 762 career home runs. How long will Bonds' record stand? No one knows!

Another record that baseball fans are often curious about is the longest home run ever hit. Unfortunately — and surprisingly, given baseball's fascination with statistics — there's no easy, clear-cut answer to the question of who hit the longest home run!

“How can that be?" is a question that may immediately come to mind. With all the statistics and records kept in baseball, plus the technology available today, how can we not know who hit the longest home run?

The main reason why statistics aren't kept on home run distances is that it's simply too hard to measure accurately the distance a ball travels. If you're in a wide-open field, you can hit a ball as far as possible and then measure the distance from where you hit the ball to where it landed.

In major league stadiums, however, a home run ball rarely ever completes an unimpeded journey to the ground. If you think about the home runs you've witnessed, you'll understand the problem. When a home run ball clears the outfield fence, it usually hits a wall, a pole, a roof, a scoreboard, a seat, or even a fan's glove.

Modern stadiums have software that can estimate how far a home run ball travels before it hits one of these objects. Such an estimate is an approximate distance, but it's not exact and can't predict how far the ball would've traveled unimpeded. Plus, today's technology wasn't around for the thousands upon thousands of home runs that have been hit since baseball began.

All that being said, there are some historic blasts that many baseball experts can agree would definitely be in the running for the longest home run ever. When researching longest home runs, you'll likely run across claims that legends like Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth hit home runs well over 600 feet.

When you consider that many baseball stadiums have centerfield fences around 400 feet from home plate, such blasts would be truly spectacular. Unfortunately, those mammoth distances were measured from where the ball stopped rolling after bouncing several times — not where it first landed.

When considering only landing distance, however, there are a few home runs that arguably measured well over 500 feet. For example, Reggie Jackson's famous home run at Tiger Stadium during the 1971 All-Star Game is thought to have traveled approximately 532 feet. Its distance would have been even greater had it not hit a light tower!

Others believed to have hit home runs in excess of 500 feet include Ted Williams, Mark McGwire, and Cecil Fielder. Of course, legends such as Mantle and Ruth (and others!) would probably be in that club, too, had today's technology been available back when they played!

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