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Geometrically speaking

Let’s get geometric! These drag-and-drop tasks are all about some basic terms you might use in your math class.

Armed with a compass and a protractor, you might take on complex geometry concepts at school, but how sure are you about the basics? These interactive tasks are all about simple geometric terms.

1. First, can you tell a line, line segment and ray apart?

Good job! A line extends forever in both directions; a line segment is a part of a line that has two endpoints; and a ray is a part of a line with one endpoint.

2. Standing line, sleeping line — but which is which?

3. To intersect or not to intersect? That is the question.

Great going! Intersecting lines pass through the same point, while parallel lines never meet. Perpendicular lines are intersecting lines that meet at right angles.

Thrilling times

Summer is also the time for adventure sports that involve water and mountains. Check these out…

This summer, gear up for some adrenaline rush. There are a bunch of places you can visit, and a number of adventure sports to try your hand at.

White-water rafting

The best place for this water sport is on the Ganga, at Rishikesh. Located in Uttarakhand’s Garhwal region, below the magnificent Himalayas, you can have a go at the rapids through difficulty levels ranging from 1 to 4. With over 12 adrenaline-pumping rapids in Rishikesh, you have multiple options to choose from. Other places in India for white-water rafting are Barapole in Coorg, Bhagirathi and Alaknanda in Uttarakhand, and Kundalika in Maharashtra, to name a few.

Surfing

Surf’s up, folks. Get on to your surfboard and cool off in the scorching heat. Chennai’s Mahabalipuram is a well-known and popular surfing destination, as are Puducherry, Kerala’s Varkala and Kovalam beaches, as well as Goa’s Arambol. All these places have a number of surfing schools where you can get some basic training so that you can glide over the waves like it’s what you were born to do.


Canyoning
Confused over whether to go trekking, rappelling, or cool off with water activities? Well, canyoning offers all these. Also known as canyoneering, it involves climbing down a river and following its natural course. This includes crossing ravines by diving, swimming, sliding and rappelling down boulders and waterfalls. If this is your choice, then head to Goa, Dandeli, Rishikesh, or Manali.

Paragliding

It’s a bird, it’s a plane… no, it’s just you. Ever wanted to spread your wings and fly like a bird? Then it’s paragliding for you. There are multiple places to choose from. Take off at 8,000 feet and land at 4,000 feet, at Himachal Pradesh’s Bir Billing or fly towards a picturesque view of the Sahyadri mountain ranges at Maharashtra’s Kamshet, just 100 km from Mumbai, or head to Mussorie where you will have views of majestic mountain ranges and pine tree forests.

Sing along

A day to celebrate your mom with some soul-stirring songs from your favourite movies.

This year, Mother’s Day falls on May 14. Of course, every day is Mother’s Day, but it wouldn’t hurt to set aside a day just to pamper your mother, right? Here are some songs from famous movies, just for mothers. Based on the song, guess the name of the movie. Get, set, go.

Head to the hills

This summer enjoy some cool and calm as you explore these serene beauties

Summer is synonymous with the sun. And if there’s one thing you want to avoid this season, it is that hot, uncomfortable feeling. Holidays in the hills make for perfect getaways.<\p>

Fun with rules

There are so many things you can do in a park. But there are some things you cannot…What are they?

We love going to the park! The freedom of open spaces, play areas, trees and birds…what’s not to love! While there are many things you can do at the park, there are some things you cannot do. These rules are in place to keep you safe and keep the park clean for everyone.

This memory game has a few common signs that you would see in a park, prohibiting you from doing certain things. Can you find the matching pair and find out the things you cannot do in a park?

Our complex console

Our brain is what makes us move, think and feel. Take a peek into it…

The human brain is one of the most complex and intricate organs in the human body. It is responsible for controlling and coordinating all bodily functions and processing and interpreting information from the environment.

The brain plays a crucial role in shaping human behaviour, emotions, and thoughts, and is essential for learning, memory, and decision-making. Without the brain, humans cannot perceive, think, feel, or interact with the world around them.

The brain is divided into several parts, each of which is responsible for different functions. This is because the different parts contain specialised neurons uniquely suited to perform specific tasks. For example, the occipital lobe is responsible for processing visual information, while the temporal lobe is involved in auditory perception and language comprehension.

Below is an infographic on the different parts of the brain and the functions they are responsible for:

Infograph: Freepik

Packed and ready

Travel light, says everyone. But how can one pack everything one needs into a small suitcase? Well, that’s the trick. Make a list and take only essentials. See if this crossword puzzle helps.

Are you the type of person who overpacks, under-packs, or doesn’t pack? Here’s a crossword puzzle that might help you. So besides your toilet bag packed with essentials like toothbrushes, paste, and creams, here are a few more items you might want to cross off your list.

The Pluto puzzle

Planet, or not? Dwarfed, yet, huge in stature… how much do you know about Pluto?

How many planets do we have in our solar system? Well, for the longest time, we had nine, including Pluto, the tiniest of them all. But, how did Pluto come to be? It all started in 1906, when Percival Lowell, founder of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, began an extensive search for a potential ninth planet, which he termed “Planet X.” In fact, the search went on till his death in 1916, but there was no progress in the quest for the elusive planet.

The search for Planet X came to a halt and did not resume until 1929, when the job was handed to Clyde Tombaugh, a 23-year-old from Kansas, who had just arrived at the Lowell Observatory. On February 18, 1930, after nearly a year of searching, the youngster discovered a possible moving object on the photographic plates taken earlier that January. Once the observatory obtained more proof from photographs, the Harvard College Observatory received news of confirmation on March 13, 1930. The Lowell Observatory, which had the right to name the new object, received over 1,000 suggestions from across the globe, and the name Pluto was proposed by a 11-year old. The new planet, thus, officially became Pluto on March 24, 1930., and the name was announced on May 1. It continued to remain a planet until August 2006, when the International Astronomical Union (IAU) downgraded its status to that of “dwarf planet.”

How much do you know about Pluto? Try your hand at these multiple-choice questions to find out.

A fear of things

When you have an uncontrollable, irrational, and lasting fear of a certain object, situation, or activity, then it is identified as a phobia.

When you have an irrational fear of something that is not likely to cause you harm, it is called a phobia. It comes from the Greek word ‘Phobos’ which means fear or horror.
A phobia is different from any fear you may usually have. When you have a phobia, you experience intense fear of a certain object or situation. They can cause great distress and may interfere with your daily activities.
Typically phobias fall within five general categories –
a. fears related to animals (spiders, dogs, insects)
b. fears related to the natural environment (heights, thunder, darkness)
c. fears related to blood, injury, or medical issues (injections, broken bones, falls)
d. fears related to specific situations (flying, riding an elevator, driving)
e. other (fear of choking, loud noises, drowning)
Using the clues given can you identify the phobia?

My Monthly Planner: May 2023

May is an exciting month, as you get ready for your summer holidays. Use this planner to figure want to do this month.