Put on your thinking caps and see if you can solve this crossword based on crafts and the various techniques used.
This thematic crossword introduces you to the world of arts and crafts. Use the pictures and text clues to learn about different materials, tools, and techniques used in crafting.
Imagine the Harry Potter world and its teachers imparting magical education with a smattering of tech…
The professors from the Harry Potter series were formidable, whether it was strict Snape, severe McGonagall, the seemingly amiable Lupin, or Mad-Eye Moody. As teachers, they had a way of imparting knowledge and handling a class of students that they had to turn into matchless wizards and witches. Now, imagine them teaching in today’s day and age…
These characters from comics and movies are also teachers. What did they teach?
Do you know these teachers with superpowers who mentored and guided iconic characters on screen?
Click on their names to read about them.
Now that you have read all about them, why not try this word search? How many of the 11 teachers can you find in the grid?
Discover the nutrient-rich world of fruits, Nature’s colourful fuel to boost your health!
Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap is the world’s longest running play. Read on to know more and try the vocabulary building exercise at the end.
The Mousetrap is a play written by Agatha Christie. It is a murder mystery. The play opened in London’s West End in 1952 and ran continuously till March 2020, because of the pandemic. It re-opened on May 17, 2021. It is the longest running West End Show and also the only play in the world that has run for such a long time.
The scene is set in a country house where a group of people have gathered. A snow storm causes the house to be cut off. One member of the group is a murderer. Who can it be? As the storm rages outside, one by one the house bound guests reveal their sordid past, until finally the murderer and the motive is revealed.
Try your hand at this game. It’s fun and simple. Make as many words as you can with the letters M O U S E T R A P. Remember, every word you make must have the central letter. The words should have at least four letters. Clue: There are no plural words.
The simple spoon, also the most widely used, has multiple uses that will blow your mind. Read on…
A humble spoon? Not really. It is the most versatile and widely used tool in all areas of food preparation, serving and eating, and with a role in religion and royal coronations.
The earliest spoons have been around since the Stone Ages. Made from wood, bone, shells, and stone, they had a small shallow, oval or round bowl at the end of a handle. These primitive tools were used to scoop up food from communal bowls and plates.
Over time, spoons evolved. During the Neolithic times, ceramic ladles and spoons were used. During the Shang dynasty in China, spoons were made of bone. In Egypt, wood, flint, slate and ivory spoons with exotic and strange designs were used by priests and Pharaohs. In ancient Greece and Rome, the rich used bronze and silver spoons. Medieval Europe had spoons made of cow horns, wood, brass and pewter. The 13th century wardrobe accounts of King Edward I of England mention spoons and the coronation of every king of England involved anointing him with a special spoon.
While the arrival of the fork allowed people to eat more delicate foods such as salads and pasta, the spoon continued to evolve. The teaspoon, which is smaller than the traditional spoon, developed and was used to measure ingredients and stir in sugar into tea. With industrialisation and a growing moneyed middle-class, a bewildering variety of spoons appeared in Victorian England. Industrially manufactured metal spoons began to edge out artisans.
Not only were spoons a response to foods being cooked and consumed, they also changed the way we cooked, served, and ate. It became easier to measure ingredients, to scoop out and stir food more efficiently, enjoy a wider variety of foods, and led to the development of more complex dining habits and recipes. For example, soups and stews could be easily scooped up, custards, puddings, sauces and gravies could be stirred and served and eaten more easily. Despite the use of forks, chopsticks and fingers depending on the culture, the spoon in some form or other was present everywhere.
But our love affair with this handy little utensil has gotten out-of-hand with the arrival of the plastic spoon. Did you know that the U.S. alone throws away 20 billion plastic spoons every year? Think of what this is doing to Nature and us. The best thing is to do what royalty across empires did: carry your own spoon. When you dine out, insist on metal spoons.
Did you know that vultures are expert recyclers and that they have unique traits that help them thrive? Read on.
By eating what no one else wants to, vultures play a critical role in maintaining the ecological balance. Talk about taking one for the team! This International Vulture Awareness Day (September 7), learn more about these spectacular scavengers and why they matter.
Calling all amateur astronomers! Here are the celestial events you should not miss this month.
What do the September skies have in store for us?
Lion or deer? Bunny or bear? Match the animals with their shadows as quickly as you can.
Got an eye for detail? Well, put your skills to use in this memory game! Can you match the animal with its shadow?
Pottery is one of the oldest crafts known to humans. Read on to know more and also solve the puzzle.
The craft of pottery has been around since ancient times. As early humans began to settle down, they began to feel the need to store the various items that were produced in excess. Initially the vessels were crude and misshapen. But, over time and especially after the discovery of the potter’s wheel, vessels of various types were manufactured.
Slowly the idea of decorating vessels also came into being. These ranged from simple designs being etched on the wet mud to elaborate paintings. Pottery can be divided into earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain. Pottery requires specific kinds of clay, depending on what the artisan plans to make. Apart from vessels for storage, excavations into ancient civilisations have found bangles, beads, lamps, bricks and other items made by potters.
Now that you have a brief introduction to what pottery is all about, try your hand at this jigsaw. Click on Start and put the pieces back together to form the original image.
