Mammoth – A kind of Elephant

When we use the word “mammoth”, we mean something that is huge. But actually there was an elephant that lived long ago that is called the ‘mammoth’. It is now extinct, but lived in many different parts of the world during the Stone Age.

Mammoth had a kind of pointed skull and very unusual tusks curved in a spiral with the tips pointing to each other.

Mammoth had long yellowish-brown hair covering its body. The body was shaped into a great lump at the back of the neck, and the ears were small. With so much hair all over, mammoth was the only kind of elephant ever to exist feeling comfortable even in cold Arctic climate. It lived comfortably in Siberia.

In other parts of the world, such as France, and England, it survived only as long as the Ce Age lasted. When things warmed up in England between ice ages, the mammoth moved up north.

There were also mammoths in North America during that period. Some of them reached a height of 14feet. Because of their great weight, very often mammoths sank into ice- cold mud which later frozen. That is why frozen mammoths are found some- times well- preserved in places like Siberia.

Make Learning a Life Time Enjoyment

Albert Einstein said, “Never forget that science is exploring and exploring is fun”. Going by the spirit of what the great scientist has said, adults, be it parents or teachers must realize how important it is to inculcate scientific bent of mind at a young age in children.

Kids are nature scientists. We must teach the children to wonder and simulate their interest by just sharing curiosity. Instinctively children are eager to investigate the world around. We can do so by listening to their questions rather than ignoring them.

Children always wonder at something natural. I had a situation in one of my classes. At the middle school level a child stood up and asked whether I had seen a grasshopper eating leaves. I hesitated to answer. Nonetheless, he did not wait for an answer and said he ate leaves like that and had a stomach ache.  It was my turn to learn valuable lesson from a child. I learnt about the overwhelming curiosity to experiment what they are taught theoretically and relearn it by themselves –A wonderful lesson a teacher learnt from a student. Sometimes we may not know the answers. We can as well say” I don’t know, but maybe we can find out”.

Then we can explore the questions together.

Sometimes we know the answer, but we must resist the impulse to respond quickly. The child may think for every 7question there is a ready-made answer from teacher or an adult. Once this mindset sets in, they stops thinking. Instead, we may resort to story- making around the subjects the few reinforcing questions that serve as leads to the questions. Always be ready to answer, “Let us find out’” and work with the child.

 The next important thing is the child must be given time to think for himself. Normally adults wait only a few seconds after asking a questions expecting answer immediately. We must realize the child needs time to gather points for answer. If he answers and then it is wrong, we must have patience to ask a few more related questions to help him find the answer.

Another aspect of arousing a child’s curiosity is ‘cresting real- life impressions of nature. For instance we teach them to wash hands before a meal. It is a simple rule that many ignore. But a magnifying glass put on the hand of a child is enough to show the microbes on hand and Children run to wash their hands. Such simple practical lessons go a long way. They can even be taken to science museums that offer abundant opportunities for hands – on learning.

Even everyday activities provide fascinating lesson in science. For instance kite-flying. With the help of this fun-filled experiment-cum-pastime, you are teaching and they are learning basic lesson in wind directions altitudes. Even toys play a major role in simulating a child’s curiosity.

Thus by sharing your children’ curiosity, you can give them valuable lessons. They will learn that it pays to persist, to experiment, in the face of difficulties. They will also clearly see that learning is not drudgery or something that happens only at school. Learning is something to be enjoyed every day- for a lifetime.

Story of Elevator

Over the centuries, mankind had devised many ways to lift themselves to enormous physical heights. Animal and water power were use4d widely. It is well known that Archimedes, a Greek scientist develops an improved lifting device. His invention was operated by ropes and pulleys. In this device, the hoisting ropes were coiled around a winding drum by a capstan and levers.

Historically, medieval records contain lot of drawings of hoists lifting men and supplies to high locations. The monastery of St. Barlaam in Greece had a hoist. It employed a basket or cargo nest. In 1203 a hoist was installed at an abbey on the French Coast. It used a large tread wheel.

By the 18^th century, use of machine power was experimented in the development of a lift. Louis XV of France used a personal lift for his chambers in Versailles in 1743. It could go up only to one floor, from first to second floor. It was called the “flying chair”. It consisted of carefully balanced weights and pulleys hanging inside a chimney. Operators were stationed inside the chimney to raise or lower it at the king’s command.

To lift and lower the mi9ners in Germany’s Harz Mountains, a system, using reciprocating rods, was used in 1833. In 1835 a belt- driven elevator was used in an English factory. In 1846 the first hydraulic industrial lift, powered by water pressure was used. By 1850 steam and hydraulic elevators were introduced. As machinery and engineering developed, remarkable changes took place in devising lift. In 1852, the world’s first safety elevators was devising by Elisha Graves Otis.

In 1857, Otis installed the first passenger elevator. It was installed in a store ay Broadway and Broom Street in New York. The invention had a series of shafts and belts. It was powered by steam. Charles and Norton, Son of Otis took over, after Otis death in 1861 and continued the heritage. Over 2000 Otis elevator were installed in office buildings, hotels etc. by 1873 across America. Otis introduced a hydraulic elevator in 18738, which had speed up to 244 meters minute. In 1889 electric elevator was devised, with increased speeds. The height of Otis’ inventions came in 1903 when the company devised a new design that became the ’backbone’ of the elevator industry .It used cable wire to operate the gear less traction  machine. The cable wires are attached to the top of the elevator and coiled around the drive sheave.  The other ends are attached to a country weight that moves up and down in the hoist way on its own guide rails. Another land mark took place in 1924 when the first Signal Control System was installed. It automatically controlled the speed up and down. The power of microprocessors has been used to control every aspect of elevation in 1979.

Literature For Children - A Branch Of Creative Writing

Adults have narrated stories to children from time immemorial. Before the invention of printing in Europe, there was little literacy among the general public. Education was co9nfined to the nobles and clergy. Books were copied by hand and were not reachable to everybody. Under those circumstances, children’s literature was based on an oral tradition. It consisted myths, fables, ballads, and poems. Though a few books meant for children were produced, they were instructional in nature. Mostly the writers followed ‘Catechism’ method – which in question and answer style. This format remained in use for few centuries.

This first recognized classic of children’s literature appeared in France in 1697. It was a book of eight tales collected by Charles Perrault. It was entitled Stories and Tales of Times past with Morals; or tales of time past of Mother Goose. In t1744, John Newbury published, A Little Pocket Book in England. It was one of the first children’s books designed mainly to amuse rather than to educate. Newbury was also one of the first important publishers of children’s books.

  Children’s book or writing and publishing for children became a distinct branch of literature during branch of literature during the 1800s. Illustrations or pictures have become an essential feature of children’s books around the same time. It was exemplified by John Tennel’s illustration for Alice in Wonderland and through the looking glass written by Lewis Carroll.

Literature for children is a special branch of creative writing. It is for young readers, ranging from preschool age to the teenage years. It consists of every type used in adult literature, novel, plays, biographies, poetry, collection of folk takes and informative works on the arts, science and social affairs.

   Literature for children is written expressly at their level and they are designed and illustrated to develop the imagination of children. Some books that were written for adults have taken on the status of children’s literature because of their popularity with children. Among these are the collection of folks tales assembled by the brother Grimm (Grimm’s Grimm Fairy Tales), mark Twain’s  ‘Tom Sawyer’, to a certain extent Huckleberry Finn, Daniel Defoe’s  ‘Robin son Crusoe ‘and Jonathan  Swift’s  ‘Gulliver’s Travels. Many adult works have been adapted for children in different versions, for example, the ever- popular story i\of king Thomas Malory’s Morte D’ Arthur.

  During the 20^th century there was enormous growth in children’s books. Picture book is the product of the century. The first picture book was Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Peter Rabbit published in 1910. Books are now there for almost every stage of childhood. They cover almost c\every subject. The latest to be added are J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series in Fantasy and Adventure which are popular among the children. Children’s book now deal with serious social problems like race, drugs etc. as well as with history and biography. Books for children have now become an investable part of their growth.

Lilies – Ornamental Garden plants

Lilies are plants which belong to the genus Lilum of the family Liliaceae. However, many other similar plants are also called lilies.

 Lilies are bulbous herbs. Their stems are not branched. They bear typically trumpet – shaped flowers, white or colored.

True lilies are ornamental garden p[plants. The most famous is the Madonna or Sacred lily. It is a native of South Europe and Central Asia. It was known from very early times and formed part of a mural painted about 1500 B.C.  in Crete. Another common garden favorite is the Easter or Trumpet lily, a native of china and Japan. It bears large fragment white flowers. More than half a dozen species of these true lilies are found wild in Himalayas and Mountain of South India. The Himalayan giant lily can grow up to 4 m tall and bears at the top 6 to 12 large fragrant flowers. The Nilgiri lily from Nilgiri hills in South India and many other species from Himalayan have been grown in gardens and are cultivated all over the world in temperate countries. One more popular plant which belongs to the lily family but not a true lily is the Glory Lily. It is climbing plant. It bears orange-colored flowers and is commonly grown in gardens.