Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day is a US "holiday" (although nobody gets a day off!) which takes its tradition from the German Candlemas day. On 2nd February, Germans would watch the badger emerge from its sett to see whether the animal cast a shadow on the ground, which it would only do if it was a sunny day. If it did, the tradition went that there would be another six weeks of wintry weather. If it didn't - in other words if the weather was cloudy that day), then Spring had arrived early.

Having arrived in America, the tradition was carried on, using a groundhog (a small animal from the squirrel family, also known as a woodchuck) instead of a badger.

Facts

• The first groundhog was eaten after his prediction.  The tradition began with a sign from the rodent followed by a feast which included menu items containing groundhog.  Once Groundhog Day became famous, the items containing the animal were removed from the feast.
• Punxsutawney Phil does not live in his own crafted burrow as do other groundhogs.  He lives in a climate-controlled, man-made burrow.
• While Phil is the most well known groundhog, there are others across the nation that are brought out for their weather predictions.
• Punxsutawney Phil’s accuracy is only 30-40% which doesn’t make him very credible.  This superstition is more of a morale booster for those that are enduring a harsh winter.
• While it is common for groundhogs to come out of their burrows this time of year, it really has nothing to do with predicting the weather.  This is their mating season, so the males will come out of their holes, find the females, and then both go back underground.

In reality, no groundhog has the ability to predict the weather.  It’s all a fun tradition started over 120 years ago, but the little fella can sometimes shed some hope that the extreme winter weather will soon be moving out making way for warm, sunny days.  Let’s all hope that Phil gives us a good (and accurate) prediction of an early spring this year!

Día de la Paz, El Guernica

Material para trabajar en clase el Día de la Paz, CEIP Ntra. Sra. de Guadalupe de Miajadas. Dirigido al alumnado de3er ciclo de Educación Primaria.

Un poco de Historia

El Guernica es el cuadro más famoso de Picasso. Se ha convertido en un símbolo, en un grito contra la barbarie y el horror de las guerras. Ha tenido y tiene diversas interpretaciones.

El pabellón de España de la Exposición Universal de París de 1937 se convierte en un grito de auxilio del gobierno de España de la II  ante el avance de los militares golpistas, la barbarie de la Guerra Civil y la pasividad de las democracias europeas. Para ello se movilizaron los nombres más reconocibles de la cultura española de la época, entre los que se encontraban Pablo Picasso, Miró (el mural El Segador, obra desaparecida) o Julio González (La Montserrat). El gobierno encarga al pintor, afincado en Francia, un cuadro de grandes dimensiones para que presida el pabellón español de la Exposición Universal de París de 1937.

El Guernica tiene un fuerte valor histórico y de denuncia; se pinta en plena Guerra Civil.  Pocos días antes de iniciar el cuadro, la aviación alemana que apoyaba a Franco bombardeó el pueblo de Guernica (Vizcaya). Este grave hecho afectó enormemente a Picasso y le indujo a titular así el cuadro.

Debido al estallido de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, el artista decidió que la pintura quedara bajo la custodia del Museum of Modern Art de Nueva York hasta que finalizara el conflicto bélico. En 1958 Picasso renovó el préstamo del cuadro al MOMA por tiempo indefinido, hasta que se restablecieran las libertades democráticas en España, regresando la obra finalmente a nuestro país en el año 1981. Desde 1992 el lienzo está colgado en una de las salas del Museo Reina Sofía de Madrid. Cumpliendo con el deseo del artista, la obra  vino a España una vez instaurada la democracia.

Datos técnicos y artísticos

Picasso antes de iniciar el cuadro hizo numerosos bocetos preparatorios sin alusiones al bombardeo. Son un alegato contra la barbarie de las guerras.

El lienzo tiene unas dimensiones considerables (3,50 x 7,80). Lo pinta con la técnica del  óleo en blanco, negro y variaciones de grises, como símbolo de luto, para acentuar el dramatismo.

Es de estilo cubista (estilo que descompone las imágenes reales y las representa en un mismo plano de forma geométrica), expresionista y simbólico. La composición se organiza en triángulos, destacando el central. Y en dos grupos de figuras representadas: seres humanos (soldado herido, varias mujeres y niño muerto) y animales (toro, caballo y paloma). La línea está claramente definida.

Información  obtenida del blog https://profeanacob.wordpress.com/2016/01/24/por-que-el-guernica-es-un-simbolo-de-paz/

 

Frida Kalho

Learn Human Body - Cardiovascular System

The circulatory system consists of the heart, blood vessels and blood. It moves blood through the heart and around the body. Blood gives our cells the oxygen and nutrients they need. Blood also collects waste products, such as carbon dioxide, and takes them to the parts of the body which expel them.

How Your Bones and Skeleton Works

The Skeletal System

The Reproductive System

Urinary System

Our excretory system excretes waste from our body. Two organs called kidneys clean waste from blood. The waste combines with water to make urine. Urine travels down two tubes called ureters and collects in a bag called the bladder. When the bladder is full, the urine leaves the body through the urethra.

Our body also eliminates waste through the skin. This waste is in the form of a liquid called sweat.

Nervous System

How Your Lungs Work

How Your Heart Works

Digestive System Human Body for Kids

Los músculos y los huesos del cuerpo humano