Winter Solstice & the New Year
People stay up to welcome the stroke of midnight on this night to celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of the next
NEW YEAR'S EVE
This is what a green house is made from
GLASS
With historical names like “Helios”. “Apollo”, and “Sol” this is our closest star and the basis for what we call “The solar system”
The SUN
This is what the snowman said to the aggressive carrot
HEY, GET OUT OF MY FACE!
When something is funny, this human (and mammalian) response includes showing teeth, changing breathing, becoming weak and achy in some places and even crying
LAUGHTER
True or False: It makes sense that winter is cold as this is the point in the year when earth is farthest away from the sun.
FALSE
This is the only rule in Wally's Neighbourhood
ALL THINGS HAVE DOUBLED LETTERS
True or false: When we look at stars and other distant objects through a high-powered telescope, we are actually looking back in time.
TRUE
This is what you might call an old snowman
A PUDDLE
Humans are more likely to laugh longer and more often when they are (A) alone or (B) in the presence of other humans
B) IN THE PRESENCE OF OTHER HUMANS
Technically speaking, this day has the same number of hours as any other day in the year, but because it has the least amount of sunlight, we think of it as the shortest day in the year
WINTER SOLSTICE
This is where you would find cities but no people, forests but no trees, and what but no fish
A MAP
This term describes the distance light travels in one earth year
A LIGHTYEAR
This is what a gingerbread man uses when he breaks his leg
A CANDY CANE
Research conducted in the 1990s revealed that these lab animals were laughing in response to being tickled
RATS
This term beginning with a T is defined as “something you do in a special way at a certain time of the year”
TRADITION
This is the unique pattern shared by words like revive, banana, grammar, and voodoo
YOU CAN MOVE THE FIRST LETTER TO THE END OF THE WORD AND READ IT BACKWARDS
Like a science lab on wheels” this unit, called “Perseverance” landed on Mars in February of 2021
MARS ROVER
This is what little elves learn at primary school
THE ELF-ABET
True or False: People who laugh more can cope with stress more effectively and have better cardiovascular health than people who laugh infrequently
TRUE
One of the most famous solar calendars ever constructed is this rough circle of standing stones erected on the English plains
STONEHENGE
This explains why Toliver can only ride the elevator all the way home to the penthouse on rainy days or when he is accompanied by someone else and otherwise takes the elevator as far as the 4th floor and walks up the rest of the way
TOLIVER IS A LITTLE PERSON
The International Space Station (ISS) generates this by positioning enough panels made of purified silica to cover 24 football fields directly in the path of the sun's rays
SOLAR POWER
This is how we might say, "three cats went down with the ship" in French
Scientists have discovered that volitional or "fake" laughter and authentic spontaneous “real” laughter are generated in two totally different areas of this complex organ
THE BRAIN