In this interactive task, match the suffixes with the correct root words.
A suffix is a letter or group of letters added to the end of a base word to change its conjugation, word type, or other grammar properties such as plurality. For instance, you can add the suffix –s to make it plural (strengths), or the suffix –en to change it into a verb (strengthen). You can then add the suffix –ed to make that verb past tense (strengthened).
Here’s a fun task for you. Can you match the root words with the suffixes in the puzzle below?
Time for a quick Geography lesson! Can you tell which of these facts are true and which are false?
All right, globetrotters, can you identify the true from the false? Get set and go!
Let’s be shock-smart! Do you know how to use electricity safely? Read on.
Here’s a game to check how well you know your scientific descriptions. Can you find all the words in the grid?
Much of Science involves the use of correct terms and descriptions. How well do you know your scientific terms? Here’s an activity to help you learn more. The picture and the text clue will tell you what the scientific term is. Once you solve that, find the word in the grid. Go on, how many can you find?
Learn about the benefits of carrots while you make yourself a cup of soup to cope with the weather.
Chockfull of vitamins and minerals, this crunchy and tasty veggie has multiple benefits. Yes, we’re talking about carrots. Most of us are used to seeing orange or reddish orange carrots but did you know that there are yellow, white and even purple carrots? No kidding!
Now let’s look at what it does for your health. Carrots contain only 10% carbs and are low in fat. They are high in beta carotene, a very good source of Vitamin A, which is important for one’s vision, and for the body’s growth and immune system. They are also rich in different B vitamins, vitamin K and potassium. This is not all. Carrot are full of antioxidants, which are important substance to boost immunity and reduce risk of heart diseases, some kinds of cancer and other illnesses.
So it’s good to include carrots into your diet. Now with the rainy season upon us, here’s something that will help you cope with the cold, as you include carrots in your diet. A recipe for carrot soup. Slide through the images below and whip up a cup of a warm and hearty broth.
Photo credit: Freepik and Flickr
Deepavali is a time to revel in the victory of good over evil. Discover some of the legends that surround the festival.
The festival of lights is here. Don your new clothes, enjoy the delicacies and have a blast… but set some time aside to get familiar with some fascinating legends that surround the occasion.
Victorious Rama
Narakasura vanquished
One of the most popular legends is that of the demon Naraka, said to be the son of Bhumi, the Earth and Lord Vishnu’s varaha avatar (boar). Naraka was the king of Pragjyotishpur and a powerful ruler. He terrorised everyone on Earth. Not satisfied, he turned his gaze on swarga, heaven, and attacked the devas. Indra, the lord of the devas too was unable to match the demon’s prowess and had to surrender to Naraka. He then stole the earrings of Aditi, the mother of the gods, and later, kidnapped 16,000 women. The gods approached Krishna to subdue Naraka and he along with his wife Satyabhama, fought the demon and his forces. Finally, Krishna killed the demon and returned to his kingdom at dawn, after rescuing the 16,000 women that the asura had held captive. On his return, the womenfolk massaged scented oil onto Krishna’s body and bathed him, in order to wash away the demon’s blood. This day is celebrated as Narakachaturdasi, and thus the custom (especially in Maharashtra and South India) of why people have an oil bath before sunrise.
Welcoming Lakshmi
There was a time when the devas incurred the wrath of a sage and lost their immortality. To become immortal again, they had to churn Ksheerasagara, or the milky ocean, for amrit, the divine nectar of immortality. For this, they sought the help of their cousins, the asuras. The churning of the ocean gave the devas and asuras many wondrous things — Ucchaishravas , the divine horse, kalpavriksha , the wish giving tree, the apsaras of swarga, Menaka, Rambha, Tillottama and so on. Out of this churning also emerged Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. Thus, this day is also said to be Deepavali when Lakshmi Pooja is performed to honour the goddess. According to another legend, it is on Deepavali that Vamana, the fifth avatar of Lord Vishnu, rescued Lakshmi from the prison of King Bali, another reason why the goddess is worshipped on this day.
It’s always fun to get your hands busy and create different types of craft. Be different this festive season.
Can you spot the 12 differences between these two images?
Don’t let your eyes fool you into thinking these two images are the same. They’re not. There are 12 differences between them. Can you find them all?
Click on the differences on the picture on the right.
Picture: Getty Images/iStockPhoto
Today is World Jellyfish Day. Learn more about these unique marine creatures that are as beautiful as they are dangerous.
On World Jellyfish Day, here are 10 facts about these lovely creatures that you have to be wary about. As you read about them, solve the jigsaw puzzles as well.
1. They are not fish. They are invertebrates from the phylum Cnidaria and are so varied as a taxonomic group that many scientists have taken to simply referring to them as “gelatinous zooplankton”. They do not have scales, gills, or fins like fish.
2. The body of the jellyfish is 98% water. Their nervous system comprises a loose network of nerves located in the epidermis called a “nerve net”. They have no brain or heart.
3. Jellyfish fossils are hard to come by because these creatures have no bones. Some of the oldest known jellyfish fossils have been found in Utah, dating back to when the entire U.S. West was under the Pacific Ocean.
4. Despite marine heat waves, ocean acidification, overfishing and other environmental hazards, jellyfish are thriving. They could soon outnumber plankton, which need more oxygen and make up the bulk of their diet.
5. Some jellyfish have vision. The box jellyfish, for example, has 24 “eyes”, two of which can see in colour. It’s also believed this animal’s complicated array of visuals allows it a 360° view of its environment.
6. They use the same orifice for eating and pooping. It is a simple or primitive animal because of this, as the dual hole system developed way down the line of evolution. In 2019, scientists discovered that one jellyfish species sprouts a new anus every time it poops.
7. A group of jellyfish is referred to as a bloom, a swarm and even a smack. But sighting a group of jellyfish is rare because these animals are lone drifters. They clump together only when following the same food source or travelling the same ocean current.
8. All jellyfish have nematocysts or stinging structures, but the power of their stings can vary depending on the species. A sting of the box jellyfish can kill an adult human in minutes. One box jellyfish carries enough venom to kill 60 humans.
9. Some jellyfish are so tiny they are practically invisible floating in the ocean’s currents. The smallest are those in the genera Staurocladia and Eleutheria and the largest is the titanic Nomura’s jellyfish, Nemopilema nomurai, which can dwarf a human diver.
10. Jellyfish are edible and are eaten as a delicacy in some places, like Japan and Korea. The Japanese have transformed jellyfish into a sweet and salty caramel. They are also served in salads, fried into crunchy noodles, or eaten with soy sauce like sushi.
Can you guess which form of exercise this activity is about? There’s also a Wordoku for you!
This form of exercise is a great activity for kids as it offers several benefits. It is essential as it improves and strengthens leg muscles, improves balance and coordination, enhances core strength, increases flexibility, helps in cardiovascular fitness and improves bone health.
Can you guess which workout we are talking about? It’s lunges! That’s also the word for this Wordoku. Can you solve it? It’s just like a Sudoku, but instead of numbers from 1-6 you have the letters L-U-N-G-E-S.
