Facts about Styluses and Tablets

Stylus and Tablet Facts

Did you know that the Stylus and Tablet have been around for a long time? A weird but actual fact! The first stylus and tablet date back to the ancient Mesopotamian period. Cuneiform is a writing system that was developed by the Ancient Mesopotamians. They would use a stylus made of reed to scratch writing into their clay tablets. Reed is similar to a stick. One end of their stylus had a sharp point for writing, and the other had a flat end to scratch off the writing if they made a mistake. How cool is that? Our technology has advanced over the years and has become much easier to use.

 

Facts about the Stylus and Tablets:

1. The plural noun of stylus is styli or styluses.

2. A reed stylus was a writing tool used by the scribes of ancient Mesopotamia. Scribes were very important people who were trained to write using cuneiform so they could record important things on their tablets with their styluses.

3. Tablets in ancient times were made from clay, stone, wax paper, parchment, or papyrus.

4. Ancient Styluses were made from reed, iron, bronze, or bone.

5. The Ancient Romans called their writing tablets diptychs. A diptych was similar to a book. It had a hinge that allowed the writing tablet to fold to protect the writing on the waxed surfaces of the paper.  

6. A Tabula was a wax tablet used by the Ancient Romans for writing.

7. Cuneiform is the oldest form of writing, and it dates back to around 3200 BCE.

A bible verse states that everything we have has already been. Read it here... “That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and GOD requireth that which is past”-Ecclesiastes 3:15

 

Can you share a fact about ancient or today’s styluses and writing tablets?

 

Books about Cuneiform and Ancient writing:

1. Sumerian Mythology: History for kids: by Dinobibi Publishing

2. Cuneiform: Ancient Scripts by Irving Finkel

3. Children's Encyclopedia of Ancient History: by Philip Steele

4. Ox, House, Stick: by Don Robb

Parents make sure books are child-friendly before reading them to their/children.

 

Thank you for reading my post!

Facts about Honey Bees

Honey Bee Facts

Who is ready for some trivia and learning? Which is not a type of Honey Bee found in a hive? (A.) Queen, (B.) Wasp, (C.) Drone, or (D.) Worker.

Continue reading to learn some facts about the honey bee!

Let me tell you a little about the hard-working Honey Bees! Did you know that the Honey Bee has five eyes and six legs? The two big eyes on the Honey Bee are called compound eyes, and they are on both sides of its head; the other three are called ocelli eyes, and they are in the center of the Honey Bee’s head. A Honey Bee has three body sections: The head, thorax, and abdomen. The thorax is a Honey Bee's midsection, with its six legs attached.

 

Facts about Honey Bees:

1. Honey Bees have two pairs of (4) wings. The wings are attached to the thorax. The two forewings are more significant than the two hindwings. Their wings are made out of a material called chitin. Honey Bees use their wings to cool the temperature down in the hives and, of course, for flying to collect pollen to make honey!

2. Honey Bees live in large groups called colonies. The colonies (hives) consist of three kinds of adult bees: drones, worker bees, and a queen bee. There are hundreds of drone bees. A drone bee is a male Honey Bee. The role of the drone bee is to mate with the queen bee. There are over 20,000 plus worker bees. The worker bees are female. The role of the worker bee is to take care of the young bees and the queen bee. They also clean and make the hive bigger. They hunt for food and bring it back to the hive. They make the honey. Worker bees work hard.

3. Drone bees are not capable of stinging. Some people are allergic to bees. Bees can sting you, so be careful when around them. It is best to only go near them if you know what you are doing. When a bee loses its stinger, it will die.

4. Bees can fly about 20 (MPH) miles per hour.

5. A Queen Bee can lay over 2,500 eggs per day. When the queen bee lays eggs, the Worker Bees choose about 15 to 20 fertilized eggs. The Worker Bees feed the larva royal jelly, and whichever larva matures the quickest will become a queen bee.

6. Worker Bees make honey by flying to hundreds of flowers daily to get nectar. They hold the nectar in their stomach, a honey sac. Worker bees have two stomachs, one for food and one for storing nectar until they return to their hive. They also have hairs on their hind legs (pollen basket) that allow them to carry pollen. When the worker bees return home, the pollen is used to feed the larva, and the rest is stored until used. The nectar is used to make the honey. The worker bees pass the nectar to the younger worker bees, who chew the nectar for a while, and then it is stored in the honeycomb, where it will become honey.

7. Bees are essential to humans because they pollinate our food crops. Pollination is where bees or other insects move pollen from one plant to another. The pollen fertilizes the plant, which can produce vegetables, fruits, and seeds because of pollination. Give a big thanks to the Honey Bees and other insects that move pollen from one plant to another.

8. over 18,000 species of bees worldwide, and over 3500 of them come from the United States.

Can you share a Honey Bee fact with us?

 

Books about Honey Bees:

1. The Way of the Hive: A Honey Bee's Story by Jay Hosler

2. The Life and Times of the Honeybee by Charles Micucci

3. Flight of the Honey Bee by Raymond Huber

4. The Secret Life of Bees: by Moira Butterfield

Parents ensure all books are child-friendly before reading them to their child/children.

Short story alert:

Once upon a time, this tiny little honey bee loved to fly high above the flowers. We will call her Swoopy! She would swoop down, land lightly on a beautiful flower, and get all covered in pollen. Once she is done collecting the pollen, she flies way up high and swoops down upon another flower. When Swoopy lands on the flowers, she gathers pollen. Some bees collect both pollen and nectar, but Swoopy just gathers pollen. Swoopy has to transfer pollen from one plant to another to reward the bees with nectar. Without pollen or bees like Swoopy, plants would be unable to reproduce. Bees like Swoopy are pollinators. Swoopy loves to carry pollen from plant to plant. It is her job to do so. She works very hard at what she does. Swoopy is a worker bee, and she gets the job done. When Swoopy has finished collecting enough pollen in her baskets on her hind legs, she flies back to her hive and unloads the little balls of pollen she has collected. The pollen will feed the bees in the hive. Swoopy and the other worker bees make many daily trips to flowers to collect pollen and nectar to feed the baby bees and themselves. THE END!  by Mimi Jones 

Facts about Magnifying Glass

The Magnifying Glass

Have you ever used a magnifying glass to look at stuff? A magnifying glass makes everything appear much more significant than what it is. Joey likes to look at ants with a magnifying glass. A magnifying glass is a lens with a handle so you can hold it in your hand and look through it to see the fine tiny details on stuff. A magnifying glass can make an object appear 2 to 3 times more significant. They have ones that can make objects as big as 5 to 10 times bigger. Roger Bacon invented the magnifying glass. The first time the magnifying glass was mentioned as being used was in 1268.

Facts about the magnifying glass:

1. A magnifying glass is a convex lens made of glass or plastic. Convex lenses are used in eyeglasses, telescopes, projectors, cameras, and microscopes. The human eye even has a convex lens. A convex lens is usually thinner at the edges and thicker in the center. It is used to bring distant light rays to focus in your eyes, helping make things appear more extensive and focused.

2. Magnifying glasses come in lots of different styles and sizes.

3. Magnifying glasses are used as vision aids. They help people see better.

4. A loupe is a small magnification device that allows you to see tiny details more closely. It magnifies things better than a magnifying glass.

5. Scientists use magnifying lenses to study tiny germs and insects, and people use magnifying lenses to study stamps and coins.

6. You can see a butterfly with a magnifying glass to see all its beautiful details.

You can help your child’s critical thinking and fine motor skills by letting them use a magnifying glass to see things they haven’t seen up close before, like a tiny ant or other small insects.

 

Can you share a fact about magnifying glasses with us?

 

Books about magnifying glasses:

1. I Use Science Tools by Kelli Hicks

2. Glasses by Rosa France

3. Our Eyes Can See by Jodi Wheeler-Toppen

4. Bugs Up Close: A Magnified Look by John Hallmen

Parents ensure books are child-friendly before reading them to their/children.

 

Facts about the Firefly

Firefly Facts

Fireflies are also known as lightning bugs! How many of you love the firefly and their magical lights? Seeing a field of fireflies lighting up the dark night is such a magical and mystifying sight. Did you know they are in the beetle family? There are over 1800 different types of lightning bugs. Fireflies use their light to communicate with other fireflies. The firefly gets the light on its abdomen from a chemical reaction caused by a compound called luciferin.

What is your favorite type of insect?

 

Facts about the Firefly:

1. The eggs from fireflies glow. The adult firefly lays its egg in moist soil near streams or ponds and under leaves or mulch.

2. Fireflies prefer hot, humid climates and can be found near open fields, outside of forests, and near water sources like ponds and lakes.

3. Fireflies can be found on almost every continent except Antarctica.

4. Not all species of the firefly glow.

5. Most fireflies come out during the hot, humid summer months from May to November, depending on the area they are in. One North American firefly species is active in the winter. It is called the winter firefly.

6. Adult fireflies eat water, nectar, pollen, or other fireflies. Firefly larvae eat worms, slugs, and snails. Some fireflies don’t eat at all due to their short life span.

7. Fireflies from different species glow in various colors, such as yellow, orange, green, and greenish-yellow. If you are lucky enough to live in Asheville, North Carolina, you can spot a rare firefly known as the Blue Ghost Firefly. However, you have to be quick; they only appear for two to four weeks in the summer. The Blue Ghost Firefly glows blue with white hues and can stay glowing for up to a minute.

8. Fireflies are beneficial to humans because scientists study their rare chemicals, luciferin and luciferase. The two rare chemicals are used in research on different diseases humans can have.

 

Can you share a fact about fireflies with us?

 

Books about fireflies:

1. Fireflies in the Night by Judy Hawes

2. Next Time You See a Firefly by Emily Morgan

3. It's a Firefly Night by Dianne Ochiltree

4. Fly, Firefly by Shana Keller

Parents ensure books are child-friendly before reading them to their/children.

 

 

Facts about the Moon

Last week, we focused on expressing gratitude for items and experiences that begin with the letter L. Today, we invite you to share something you are thankful for that starts with the letter M. Your contributions can help foster a spirit of appreciation and reflection.

I'm grateful for the Moon. What are you grateful for that begins with the letter M?

🌕 More Than Just a Glow: Fun Facts About the Magical Moon

Facts about Sloths

Sloth Facts

Sloths are very slow when they move, but they are super cute!! Did you know that without the Extinct Giant Ground Sloth, we would not have avocados today? Yep, that is correct!! If you love avocados, we owe thanks to the extinct Ground Giant Sloths. They were one of a few mammals that could swallow a whole avocado, and the seed would come out in their waste. They would leave seeds wherever they traveled, and those seeds would turn into beautiful avocado trees. How cool is that?

What is your favorite type of animal?

Facts about sloths:

1. Sloths may be slow, but they sure are strong! Sloths are about 3 times as strong as an average human. Sloths have potent arms!

2. Sloths are primarily nocturnal. They have very poor vision and can only see in black and white, which means they are color blind. They can’t see anything at all in bright lights and can barely see anything in dim lights.

3. Sloths spend most of their time in trees. Sometimes, they take a break from the trees and go for a swim. Sloths can move faster in the water than they can on land. They can hold their breath for up to 40 minutes underwater. Sloths are super incredible mammals.

4. Sloths have four stomachs and a large four-chamber stomach. It can take a sloth up to 1 month to digest a meal. Sloths have the slowest digestion time of any mammal.

5. Sloths live, on average, about 20 years in the wild and up to 50 years in captivity.

6. Sloths are classified as herbivores, but they have been known to eat bird eggs, lizards, fruits, and insects on occasion. Their main diet consists of leaves, twigs, flowers, and buds.

7. Sloths live in the rainforests of Central and South America.

8. There are six species of sloths, and they are divided into two groups: the two-toed and three-toed sloth.

 

Can you share a fact about sloths with us?

 

Books about sloths:

1. Sensory Seeking Sloth: by Jennifer Jones

2. Sloths (Nature's Children) by Josh Gregory

3. A Little Book of Sloth by Lucy Cooke

4. Sloan the Sloth Loves Being Different: by Misty Black

Parents ensure books are child-friendly before reading them to their/children.

Facts about Kangaroo

Kangaroo Facts

Did you know that Kangaroos have strong hind legs and jump almost everywhere they go? Their tail acts as a fifth leg to help them jump higher. They can also walk on all four feet if they have to, but they prefer to hop!

Can a kangaroo jump higher than the Empire State Building?  Leave a comment with your answer.

 

Facts about kangaroos:

1. Kangaroos are often referred to as roos. A female kangaroo is called a flyer, doe, or Jill. A male kangaroo is called a boomer, buck, or Jack. A baby kangaroo is called a Joey! A group of kangaroos is called a mob or a troop.

2. Kangaroos can swim, but they can’t walk backward.

3. There are four species of kangaroos; the Antilopine kangaroo (Macropus antilopinus), the Eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus), the Red kangaroo (Macropus rufus), and the Western grey kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus).

4. Most kangaroos are herbivores. They eat plants, flowers, grasses, moss, and some insects.

5. Kangaroos can cover up to 25 feet or more in one leap and jump straight up to 6 feet high.

6. Kangaroos can weigh up to 200 pounds and be as tall as 7 feet. Kangaroos are the world’s largest marsupials. The Red kangaroo is the largest of the different types of kangaroo.

7. Kangaroos live in Australia and New Guinea.

8. Kangaroos can live up to 10 years in the wild and 25 years in captivity.

 

Can you share a fact about kangaroos with us?  

 

Books about kangaroos:

1. Kangaroos (Amazing Animals) by Kate Riggs

2. Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too? by Eric Carle

3. Jump, Kangaroo, Jump! (MathStart 3) by Stuart Murphy

4. Kangaroos for Kids by Judith Lehne

5. Never Touch a Kangaroo! by Stuart Lynch

6. Kylie Kangaroo's Karate Kickers by Barbara deRubertis

Parents, be sure books are child-friendly before reading them to your child/children.