Learn

Ancient people can become new discoveries. This week, scientists and archaeologists studied a body found in Egypt in 1903 and discovered that it is actually the mummy of Queen Hatshepsut, Egypt’s most powerful female pharaoh. This finding is being called the biggest Egyptian discovery since Tutankhamen’s tomb in 1922.

Queen Hatshepsut became Pharaoh when her husband Pharaoh Thutmose II passed away after 13 years of rule. Thutmose’s son, Thutmose III, was too young to take the throne so Hatshepsut was put in place as the regent – a temporary ruler. Even as Thutmose became old enough to take the throne, Hatshepsut declared herself the real Pharaoh and continued her rule.

Full Article »

How much do you know about pirates? Have you just watched the new “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie? Have you read any other facts about pirates? Do you think that you are an expert on “Blackbeard”, “Captain William Kidd” or even “Captain Jack Sparrow”?

Try to see if you know the answers to these interesting pirate questions. But remember, there are still many unanswered questions about pirates. Ahoy Matey!

Full Article »

Did you know that our body type is determined by the genes passed onto us by our parents? These genes determine our physical traits – how we look and lots of other stuff about us. Usually your body will look like one or both of your parent’s bodies because you inherited a certain body type.

Full Article »

Every year since 1875, crowds have gathered in Louisville, Kentucky to watch “the most exciting two minutes in sports,” known as the Kentucky Derby. The Kentucky Derby is a 1¼ mile race for 3 year old purebred horses. The race has been held at the Churchill Downs race track since 1937.

The Kentucky Derby is known for being the oldest continuing sporting event in the United States. Derby fans include members of the royal family, celebrities and the regular folks who participate in the festivities every year. The Kentucky Derby is actually a two week long celebration that includes parties, concerts and parades leading up to the horse race which always takes place on the first Saturday of May.

Full Article »

It might sound too good to be true, but recent studies have found that eating minimally processed chocolate, or dark chocolate, may actually be good for you. Researchers have found numerous health benefits associated with the cocoa beans which are used to make chocolate.

Raw cocoa and dark chocolate contain very high levels of antioxidants known as flavonoids. Two types of flavonoids, catechins and epicatechins, are found in dark chocolate which help boost chocolate’s antioxidant properties. Although these flavonoids are still being tested to better understand their ability to prevent illness, we already know that dark chocolate contains up to 4-times the amount of flavonoids found in green tea.

Full Article »

Fox’s newest game show, Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?   has been topping the Nielsen national ratings charts and only slightly behind the #1 rated American Idol. Hosted by stand-up comedian, Jeff Foxworthy, this new game show offers adult contestants a chance at $1 million by answering a series of questions that are taken directly from elementary school textbooks. Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?   measures a contestant’s knowledge of various subjects targeted at the 5th grade level. The subjects covered include Math, Geography, Social Studies, Science and Spelling.

This show has attracted so many viewers because both adults and kids can play along at home while watching. The show has 5 resident 5th graders that play the game alongside the adult contestant. During each round, the contestant chooses one 5th grader to be his classmate and is given a chance to receive help from them if necessary. The contestant who answers 10 questions correctly receives $500,000, and gets a shot at answering an additional question for $1 million.

Full Article »

Are you familiar with the amazing life of Helen Keller? At only 19 months old, Helen Keller was struck with a sudden illness that left her deaf and blind. For years, she lived in a world of darkness and silence without any way to express herself. With hopes of one day being able to communicate with their daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Keller enrolled Helen in the Perkins Institute for the Blind where she met her teacher Annie Sullivan.

Helen was very eager to learn how to communicate with people and Annie Sullivan, who was also blind, helped her accomplish this. Helen’s big breakthrough in communication came one day when she made a connection between the word water and water itself. This was accomplished when Annie poured water into the palm of Helen’s hand while spelling out ‘w-a-t-e-r’ in her other hand. It wasn’t too long after this initial breakthrough that Helen began reading raised letters and eventually Braille (raised dots). Eventually Helen was able to read Braille in 5 different languages (English, French, German, Greek and Latin). She even learned to speak using the Tadoma method (a way to interpret speech by touching the lips and throat of others as they speak).

Full Article »

Americans eat an average of about 6 pounds of peanuts per person, per year, according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Most of our peanuts come from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Texas, and South Carolina. Almost half of the U.S. peanut crop is used to make peanut butter. It is no surprise that peanut butter is one of America’s favorite foods!

Peanut butter was first created by blending together ground shelled peanuts, vegetable oil and salt. The peanuts are first shelled, then roasted and the skins removed. Then they are ground into a smooth butter spread. Peanut butter must be at least 90 percent peanuts with no artificial sweeteners, colors or preservatives to officially be labeled peanut butter. Did you know that it takes nearly 850 peanuts to make a jar of peanut butter?

Full Article »

American Idol became an instant success when it launched in the United States in 2002. With millions of viewers tuning in each week to show their support, American Idol has quickly become one of the most popular shows in America. American Idol has launched several successful music careers for American Idol winners and contestants. Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood and Taylor Hicks are all successful musicians who won the crown of American Idol. Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood have both won several awards for their songs and albums. Runners-up Justin Guarini, Clay Aiken, Diana DeGarmo, Bo Bice, and Katharine McPhee are also launching successful careers in the music industry. Season Five’s, Chris Daughtry is currently the best-selling American Idol contestant who was neither the winner nor runner-up of his season. His album reached number 1 on the Billboard charts in its ninth week of release.

Full Article »

Are you familiar with the term organic? Do you eat organic foods? Organic foods are becoming more and more popular each year in the United States. Today you can find organic foods available in most supermarkets. So what does organic mean anyway?

Organic fruits and vegetables (produce) are grown in compliance with specific legal standards that are enforced by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture). In order for fresh produce to be certified organic is must not be grown with traditional farming chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers. Similarly, for meat to be certified organic it must not be raised with antibiotics and growth hormones.

Full Article »

A mesa is a type of land formation that protrudes from the earth below with a flat surface on top. The shape of this land mass is similar to a table, which is why it is called a mesa. Mesa means table in Spanish.

Full Article »

Chinese New Year is the most popular holiday celebrated among Chinese people. It is a time when families and friends come together to say goodbye to the old and welcome the new. As they enter a New Year, the Chinese put all things of the past behind them. They clean their homes, pay off debts, and even get new haircuts. These activities represent new life and new beginnings.

Full Article »