VIDEOS ~ Edward Reid Singing on "Britain's Got Talent"



This entertaining fellow is a drama teacher from Coatbridge, Scotland.  His performance on "Britain's Got Talent" was shown on the Canada AM morning newscast recently.  Alisdair and I loved it!

GEOGRAPHY ~ Arizona ~ Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park

Another geography lesson from Geronimo Stilton, highlighted in the novel "The Race Across America," provides information about Arizona's Monument Valley.  Readers are told, on Pages 76 and 77:  "Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park is 91,696 acres (143 square miles), and it's filled with many strange and unique sandstone formations that have been shaped through time.  They include buttes, mesas, canyons, and freestanding formations with enchanting names."

Ear of the Wind

"EAR OF THE WIND:  If you listen carefully, you can hear the sound of the wind passing through the hole in this formation."

Eye of the Sun Arch

"EYE OF THE SUN ARCH:  At a particular time of day, you can see the sun through the middle of the hole.  It acts like a natural clock."

Three Sisters

"The most famous formations are the unmistakable THREE SISTERS, which appear in many Westerns."

***

"Some of the most famous Westerns of all time were shot right in Monument Valley:

Stagecoach (1939)

My Darling Clementine (1946)

Fort Apache (1948)

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949)

Rio Bravo (1950)

The Searchers (1956)

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

How the West Was Won (1982)"

GEOGRAPHY ~ "The Grand Canyon"

Another stop on the "The Race Across America" for Geronimo Stilton was "The Grand Canyon."  Pages 68 and 69 of the novel, of the same name, tells readers "the Grand Canyon is a World Heritage Site in the state of Arizona.  It is considered one of the wonders of the world.  The canyon is a huge crack in a rock that averages 4,000 feet deep for its entire 277 miles.  It is 6,000 feet deep at its deepest point and 15 miles wide at its widest point."

The Grand Canyon

"The canyon was formed by the path of the Colorado River over the past five or six million years.  Over time, the canyon's walls grew wider and wider from summer thunderstorms and winter snowmelts.

"The Colorado River cuts through the Grand Canyon.  It begins in Rocky Mountain National Park, and flows approximately 1,450 miles to the Gulf of California in Mexico.  Its waters change color from red to blue to green, depending on weather conditions and the different sediments in the riverbed."

GEOGRAPHY ~ San Diego, California

           
Since the "The Race Across America" begins in San Diego, California, the Geronimo Stilton book, of the same name, has a full colour page of information about this city on Page 40 of the novel.

CALIFORNIA ~ SAN DIEGO

Geronimo tell us, "California is the third largest state in the United States, after Alaska and Texas.  It is also the most populous.  One of its largest cities is San Diego, which is located at the southern tip of the state on the Pacific coast."

"The Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo first sailed into San Diego Bay in 1542, hoping to find the wealthy cities known as Cibola.  Today, if you walk along the waterfront, the Embarcadero, you will reach the Maritime Museum, which features one of the finest collections of historic ships in the world.  One of the ships there, the Star of India (1863), is the world's oldest working ship."

The Star of India

"In the heart of San Diego is Balboa Park.  It is the largest urban cultural park in the United States.  Founded in 1868, it is home to major museums, botanical gardens, performing arts centers, and the San Diego Zoo, which holds more than 4,000 animals."


A view of Balboa Park


Thanks for the geography lesson, Geronimo!

FIELD TRIPS ~ New Cap Television Tour Postponed...

The Lloydminster Homeschool Association has planned another field trip opportunity for local homeschoolers ~ a tour of the New Cap television and radio studio in Lloydminster.  We were supposed to be going this Thursday, May 12th at 10 AM.  After a general "sign up" organizers had over 75 people interested in attending the event!  Due to space restrictions, the Homeschool Association has now planned a second tour for Thursday, May 19th.  We have been bumped a week, to the second tour date.  We are all looking forward to this upcoming event!

DID YOU KNOW? ~ A Brief "History of the Bicycle"

Who would have thought you could learn historical information from a "Geronimo Stilton" novel about mice?  On Saturday afternoon, I read "The Race Across America" aloud to Alisdair and was surprised to find Page 13 devoted to the "The History of the Bicycle."

Velocipede

The book tells readers "the first bicycle was invented in 1861 by the French mechanic Ernest Michaux.  It was called the velocipede.  The velocipede had pedals mounted on a large front wheel.  This helped riders travel very fast with very little effort."

It goes on to explain "the modern bicycle was born in 1880 with the invention of the chain, which transfers power from the bicycle's pedals to its wheels.  A few years later, rubber tires were added.  Tires made riding a bike a lot more comfortable.  Before they were invented, cyclists rode on wheels made of wood or iron."

"Today racing bicycles have narrow tires, curved handlebars, and most important, a gear mechanism that makes it easier to pedal up even the steepest hills.  These bikes are made from ultralight materials, like carbon fiber or titanium.  Every piece of the bicycle is designed to be as light as possible to help improve the rider's speed."



I've seen velocipede's ridden in parades, but I sure wouldn't want to try it myself . . .  teaching someone to ride would be a nightmare!  Give me a modern bike and some training wheels any day!

CELEBRATIONS ~ Late Night Fireworks Fun!

On Saturday evening (May 7), as part of the Neilburg Composite School graduation festivities, for the Class of 2011, a fireworks display was held!  Since it was just down the block, both Alisdair and Isobel were excited to go to see the show.  So, just before 11 PM, we drove down to the school and climbed the small hill at the back of the playground, near the track, to enjoy the presentation.  It was a little chilly, but a fun new twist, to graduation!

The show lasted for approximately 15 minutes and, I am told, cost about $600.  Isobel was enjoying herself so much, she jumped up and down exclaiming, "I can't believe Johnny is missing this!"  (Her stepdad had chosen to go to sleep instead of watching the display and she felt he had made the wrong decision!)

After the fun was over, we headed home and the children went to bed, with visions of fireworks dancing in their heads!