My Science School

ORCHESTRA

An orchestra is a large group of instrumental musicians playing together under the direction of a conductor. Orchestras usually include four sections: percussion, brass, woodwinds, and strings. Players of similar instruments sit together, with the conductor keeping time up front.

1. PERCUSSION: These instruments make sounds when struck, and include items that can be tuned to different notes (glockenspiels and xylophones) as well as those which cannot (drums, cymbals, and triangles).
2. BRASS: Blowing air through hollow brass tubes produces sound in instruments such as trumpets and French horns. The note is changed by pressing down valves.
3. LOW BRASS: Trombones, bass trombones, and tubas play the middle to lower brass notes in the orchestra. The trombone has a slide that moves up and down to change the note. The tuba plays the lowest notes, which boom out from its bell-shaped end.
4. WOODWINDS: This section of the orchestra includes piccolos, flutes, clarinets, bass clarinets, oboes, English horns, bassoons, and contrabassoons. Players blow air over a hole or through a reed to make notes.
5. TIMPANI: These percussion instruments are giant copper bowls with skin-like heads struck by wool-topped sticks. They are also called kettledrums.
6. HARP: A harp has a triangle-shaped wooden frame with 47 strings attached. The harpist plays the high notes on thin strings and the low notes on thicker ones.
7. VIOLIN: There are more violins than any other instrument in the orchestra, and it is the smallest member of the string section. Players make notes by moving a bow across its strings.
8. STRINGS: The strings often carry the melody (tune), and there are more string instruments than any other type in the orchestra. The section includes violins, violas, cellos, double bass, and harps.
9. CONDUCTOR: The conductor stands on a raised platform in front of the players. The conductor’s main tasks are to lead the orchestra and keep everyone in time by waving a baton to the beat of the music.

Picture Credit : Google

DANCE

Energetic or graceful, dancers use athletic skill and flexibility to perform a series of movements, often in time to music. Dancing is a form of expression that may be a type of performing art, part of a special ritual, or a fun social activity. The earliest dancers used movement to worship gods and spirits and to act out stories. In performances, dancers often follow a pre-planned series of steps and movements devised by a choreographer.

BALLET: Ballet is a theatrical dance with graceful moves. Dancers undergo rigorous training and wear special hard-toed ballet shoes in order to dance en pointe - on the tip of their toes.

DISCO: In the 1970s, pop songs with strong dance beats ruled the airwaves and people gathered in clubs to disco dance. Some dances had set steps; others were created by the dancers themselves, perhaps inspired by the film Saturday Night Fever.

CHINESE DRAGON DANCE: In this ceremonial dance, dating back to the Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE), a team of performers carries a colourful dragon, held up with poles. They lift and lower the poles to make the dragon dance. This dance is a key part of Chinese New Year celebrations.

BHARATANATYAM: In ancient times, Hindu temple dancers in south India performed a set of moves and postures to tell the stories of the gods. These evolved into the Bharatanatyam dance style. In this dance, certain poses - especially hand gestures -are held to represent different meanings.

TANGO: This dramatic dance for couples began as a street dance in Argentina and Uruguay during the mid-1800s. With hands tightly clasped, dancers either face each other, or look in the same direction, as they move to the beat. Tango is also the name for the music associated with the dance.

CAN-CAN: This high-kicking, cartwheeling dance began in Paris in the 1830s, and was originally for couples. French dance troupes soon took up the can-can in music halls, where chorus lines of girls performed the energetic dance.

TRIBAL DANCE: These traditional African dances, often performed to the beat of a drum, are important parts of many ceremonies, both joyful (weddings and coming-of-age celebrations) and sad (funerals). Tribal dances help to unite and uplift the community.

LIMBO: The limbo was created in the Caribbean Islands. Performers have to dance under a horizontal pole without touching it or losing their balance. The pole is lowered after each round until one limbo champion dancer remains.

FLAMENCO: With its roots in small villages of the Andalusia region in Spain, flamenco is a passionate style of music and dance with a strong, powerful rhythm. Dancers click their fingers and stamp their feet to match the drama of the guitar music.

Picture Credit : Google

MOVIES

From 1895, when the Lumiere brothers first delighted French audiences with their “moving pictures” to today’s multi-billion-dollar film industry, movies have become a popular type of entertainment, an important art form, and a way to shape people’s opinions. The “magic” of movies is that they are created from a series of individual images shown in rapid sequence.

SILENT

Until the late 1920s, the technology to add recorded sound to movies did not exist. Instead, bits of dialogue or key story points appeared as words on screen, and actors relied on body language. Live piano music helped to set the mood.

WESTERN

Set in the tough American West, these movies captivated huge audiences in the 1950s and 60s. Westerns tell of cowboys, outlaws, gunslingers, and good guys as they faced the challenges of frontier life.

HORROR

 These movies are created to terrify and shock the audience. In a typical horror film, characters must overpower evil – be it a monster, a ghost, or a serial killer. Horror films are often quite violent and gory.

SCI-FI AND FANTASY

Imaginative and visually stunning, science fiction and fantasy allow filmmakers to explore future worlds, use special effects, and speculate about our relationship with technology.

ACTION-ADVENTURE

These movies often follow the exploits of a hero, with plenty of fast-paced stunt work, chases, fistfights, and shoot-outs. From intrepid crime-fighters to special agents, these daring heroes always save the day.

ANIMATION

These movies are created when a rapid sequence of drawings (or models) is run together to give the illusion of movement. Animation also uses computer-generated images (CGI).

BOLLYWOOD

From the early 1900s, Hollywood has been the centre of movie-making. Today, more than 1,000 films a year are made in India. Many are lavish, colourful Bollywood musicals (the name is from the “B” in Bombay, the old name for Mumbai).

THRILLER

Action-packed and fast-paced, thriller movies create audience tension as the hero tries to outwit an evil adversary. Some thrillers feature plenty of action, while others rely on creating an atmosphere of suspense.

COMEDY

From slapstick to spoofs, audiences have always loved comedy films. Some rely on the dialogue for the laughs, others on physical quirks of the actors - or a combination of both. These films often have happy endings, even if they explore the darker side of life.

MARTIAL ARTS

These Asian-based action films feature spectacular fight sequences using one or more of the martial arts. Among the martial artists who became stars due to their skills are Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan.

DISASTER

Asteroids hurtling to Earth, shipwrecks, and earthquakes have all been subjects of disaster movies. Since the 1990s, the introduction of CGI special effects has made it easier to create visually spectacular disasters.

MUSICAL

Featuring singing and dancing as part of the storytelling, musicals are often adapted from stage productions. Recently, Hollywood musicals have played to wide audiences in a revival of the genre.

Picture Credit : Google

PHOTOGRAPHY

Photography is a method of making pictures of the real world by capturing light from objects. Light can be captured on film – a sheet of plastic coated with light-sensitive chemicals – or by an electronic sensor. Since cameras were invented, in the early 19th century, photographers have changed the way we see the world. They have shown us the wonders of nature, microscopic bacteria, and the horrors of war, distant galaxies, sporting triumphs, and family portraits.

• ACTION

Modern cameras are very sensitive, and can open and close their shutters in a fraction of a second. This allows them to freeze a moment in time, showing a footballer scoring a goal, or a swimmer powering through the water.

• PORTRAITS

Before photography was invented, only the very rich could afford to have portraits painted by artists. In the early days of photography, people wore their best clothes to strike a pose in a photographer’s studio. Today, family photo albums chronicle birthdays, holidays, weddings, and everyday life.

• EARLY CAMERAS

The first cameras, developed in 1839, were large boxes, which had long exposure times (the time needed for photographic film or an image sensor to be subjected to light). Early sitters look stiff and uncomfortable, for they often had to hold a pose for up to 20 minutes. Over time, cameras became smaller and more sensitive to the light.

• ADVERTISING ART

The photos we see most often are adverts, blown up on street hoardings and in glossy magazines. These photos are often “retouched” so that the models look more perfect. In a lipstick advert, teeth can be whitened, and lips made to shine.

• LENSES

Cameras work by focusing light from objects using curved pieces of glass called lenses. A Zoom lens uses an assembly of several lenses. By adjusting their distance from each other, the photographer can zoom in on distant objects.

• MACRO

This type of photography uses a special lens to take close-up pictures of tiny objects, such as flies. A macro lens can only focus on a limited area of an object. While this fly’s eyes are in sharp focus, its body is blurred.

• REPORTAGE

Photojournalists are reporters who use pictures, rather than words, to tell news stories. Armed with their cameras, they visit war zones and scenes of natural disasters, such as floods and fires, often risking their lives to bring back photographs that will tell an accurate story.

• FILM CAMERAS

Early cameras used heavy metal or glass plates. The roll of film, invented in 1888, made cameras both smaller and cheaper. The image was captured on the film in reverse, as a negative, which was used to print positive copies on paper.

• LANDSCAPES

Like painting, photography is used to record beautiful and often dramatic scenery. Some of the best landscape photographs are taken either in the hour after sunrise or before sunset. The Sun, low in the sky, bathes the world in a warm golden glow.

• DIGITAL CAMERAS

Modern cameras contain computers, which record images electronically rather than on film. Photographers with digital cameras can take as many pictures as they want without wasting film. Images can also be sent easily over the Internet from one computer to another.

Picture Credit : Google

THEATRE

Theatre has its origins in Ancient Greece, where performances included singing and dancing as well as acting. In medieval times, plays were based on religious stories and were staged on large wagons in public places. It was not until the 17th century that theatres were built with a raised, framed platform, separating the audience from the stage by a curtain. Today, modern theatres provide the setting for performances of all kinds, from plays and pantomimes to opera and ballet.

PROSCENIUM

The decorated arch that divides the stage from the audience is known as the proscenium. It acts as a picture frame for the performance on stage. This type of arch was invented in Italy in 1618, although many modern theatres now have an open stage without a curtain.

CURTAIN

Made from heavy cloth, such as velvet, the curtain screens the stage from the audience while the stagehands are changing the scenery. The flameproof safety curtain prevents fire from spreading from the stage to the rest of the theatre.

BOX

The auditorium, where the audience sits, is made up of private boxes, tiered seats called the stalls, the dress circle, and the upper circle. Private boxes contain the most expensive seats and usually have the closest view of the stage.

WINGS

The offstage areas on each side of the curtain are called the wings. Concealed by the proscenium, the actors wait in the wings before they make their entrance on stage.

COSTUMES

The actors’ costumes are the responsibility of the wardrobe department. The wardrobe manager researches, designs, and looks after the costumes and helps the actors change outfits between scenes.

ORCHESTRA

Beneath the front of the stage is the orchestra pit, where the musicians and sound technicians sit. The conductor stands facing the stage to coordinate the music in time with the actions of the singers, dancers, and actors.

ACTORS

The success of a theatrical performance often depends on the skills of the actors, who use facial expressions, tone of voice, and gestures to make the audience believe what is happening on stage. The first recorded actor was a Greek poet called Thespis who was writing and acting out his own plays in the 6th century BCE.

SCENERY

Set designers use scenery to create atmosphere, set the location of the story, and give the illusion of distance and space on stage. Above the stage is a “fly” space in which scenery and equipment hang. A complex system of pulleys hoists heavy pieces of scenery to and from the stage.

STAGE

In the theatre, the stage is the platform where the performance takes place. Traditionally, the stage is made from wooden boards and often contains a trap-door through which performers and scenery can be raised and lowered.

Picture Credit : Google

ART

Some artists seek to create a beautiful object; others use art to reveal something about the world. In the past, art also served a religious, or magical, or mystical purpose. Styles of art vary widely, and artists from different cultures have shown the human form in many different ways.

The first art This carving of a pregnant woman, found in Austria, was made 25,000 years ago. Her hair is shown in detail, yet she has no facial features.

Tomb art Egyptian painters showed each part of the body from its most distinctive angle. Heads and limbs were viewed from the sides, with eyes and torsos shown from the front.

Mona Lisa With her mysterious half-smile, this is the world’s most famous work of art. It was painted in 1503-7 by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci.

Royal portrait German artist, Hans Holbein, was court painter to Henry VIII of England. His 1539 portrait of Henry’s son, Edward, shows the clothing in great detail.

Self-portrait Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-69) painted 60 self-portraits to experiment with techniques and to document his life.

Indian art This painting, made in 1770, is not a realistic image, but follows set rules. The athletes’ heads are shown in profile while their chests face out.

Emotion art In The Scream (1893), Norwegian Edvard Munch aimed to express emotion rather than depict a real scene.

New forms Spanish artist Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) took the human form apart and reassembled it in startling ways.

Art Deco Polish artist Tamara de Lempicka (1898–1980) belonged to the Art Deco movement, which saw art as purely decorative.

Self-image Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo (1907-54) painted self-portraits using scenes drawn from fantasy.

Terracotta Army In 209 BCE, more than 8,000 life-sized pottery figures of soldiers were buried to guard the tomb of China’s first emperor. Every soldier has different features.

Prayer book Medieval European art often served a religious purpose. This illustrated book depicts the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus.

African mask These elaborate works of art were worn for ritual dances, when the wearer communicated with spirits.

Japanese print In 1794, artist Toshusai Sharaku made this woodcut print of an actor called Otani Oniji. He is shown performing the role of a villain, grimacing threateningly.

Brush strokes Like Rembrandt, Dutch artist, Vincent Van Gogh (1853-90), painted many self-portraits, 30 of them in the last five years of his life. He had a loose style, with each brush stroke visible.

Impressionism French artist Edgar Degas (1834-1917) founded an artistic movement called Impressionism. Its aim, shown in painting of ballerinas, was to capture changing light and movement.

Sculptural curves Reducing human figures to simple curving shapes was a speciality of British sculptor Henry Moore (1898-1986).

Pop art Andy Warhol (1928-87) used subjects drawn from popular culture. In 1962, Warhol used a photo of movie star Marilyn Monroe to make screen-print.

Cartoon art US artist Keith Haring (1958-90) started his career as a graffiti artist, drawing cartoon-like figures.

Picture Credit : Google

ARCHITECTURE

The art and science of designing buildings and other structures is known as architecture. From early times, people designed buildings both for practical reasons, such as shelters to live in, and religious reasons, such as stone tombs and places to worship the gods. Over the centuries, architecture has evolved to become an art form using high-quality materials to create ever more daring designs.

• THE COLOSSEUM

The first permanent amphitheatre in Rome, the Colosseum was completed in 80 CE. It is amazing not only for its size but also for its design. Up to 50,000 spectators poured safely in and out of 80 doors to watch all-day gladiator battles and other public spectacles.

• HEDDAL STAVKIRKE

As 12th century Norwegians turned away from Viking beliefs to follow Christianity, they built a thousand beautiful wooden stave churches along trade routes in Norway. Carvings of animals often decorated the door frames.

• KUNSTHAUS GRAZ

Nicknamed “the friendly alien” by locals, this Austrian art museum, completed in 2003, has a blue outer skin of acrylic glass that can display images and animations. Inside, two large spaces can be adapted to display different exhibitions.

• DISNEY CONCERT HALL

This striking home for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra took 16 years to complete from design to opening night in 2003. Its striking exterior is made of stainless steel curves. The wood- panelled main auditorium features state-of-the-art acoustics.

• CHRYSLER BUILDING

This 1920s skyscraper in New York City remains the tallest brick building in the world at 319 m (1,047 ft). It was designed to house the Chrysler automobile company, and the gargoyles that jut from the building were designed like car mascots.

• REICHSTAG

This building housed the German Republic parliament from 1894 until it burned down in 1933. When Germany reunited in 1990, the Bundestag (the new parliament) returned to Berlin. The original building was gutted and a new home built inside the old walls.

• DJENNE MOSQUE

The largest mud-brick building in the world, the present mosque in Mali dates from 1909. The thick walls are coated with a smooth layer of plaster-like mud to even out the surface. Palm-wood supports help people scale the walls to repair them each spring.

• BURJ KHALIFA

Designed to resemble a desert flower, Hymenocallis, this 828-m (2,716.5-ft) super-scraper in Dubai is the tallest building in the world. The Burj Khalifa has more than 160 storeys and the world’s highest outdoor observation deck. The structure is three times as tall as the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

• EL PALAU DE LES ARTS

This Spanish opera house is part of a complex of museum buildings near Valencia. It is set within landscaped gardens with reflecting pools and interlinked paths. The roof is made from a pair of curving steel shells clad in concrete and mosaic tiles.

• ALLIANZ ARENA

This football arena is located in Munich, Germany, and is the only stadium in the world that can change its exterior colour. Opened in 2005, the stadium holds nearly 70,000 spectators. Some locals nicknamed it the “inflatable boat” due to its unusual shape.

Picture Credit : Google