I'm So Mad
Image courtesy of yayayoyo via iStock
Fun Facts
Mad Face
From the blood that has rushed to my head
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What happens when something makes you angry? Your body kicks into fight or flight mode while your brain figures out how to deal with the “threat.”
This makes the blood vessels in your face widen and dilate. Wider vessels allow more blood flow to the head and closer to the skin. This is what makes your face look redder and feel hotter to the touch.
And it all happens involuntarily. Which means you have no control over your reaction. What you do have control over is how you respond to that anger. See the I’m So Mad Activity for some suggestions.
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Hypothetical
No hypotheticals, I snarl in a rage
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Hi po THET ick al is how you pronounce hypothetical. It means something you can imagine, but that is not actually happening right now. For example, extraterrestrials attacking the Earth is just hypothetical, so I’m not going to worry about it.
When you ask and answer “what if” questions, you are dealing with hypotheticals. For example, what if ETs attacked the Earth? (A hypothetical situation.) Some things I could do would be to hide or offer my hand in friendship or play my favorite music and see if the ETs like it too. (Hypothetical reactions.)
While hypotheticals are made-up situations, using them can help you figure out challenges and discover new things or different ways of thinking.
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Bird Mobbing
Fleeing from small birds protecting their nest
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Look up into the sky—especially in Spring. You might just witness several little birds attacking a much larger bird. This is a behavior known as mobbing. It is useful for driving off predators and protecting food, territory and vulnerable chicks in the nest.
The smaller birds harass the hunting bird by flying close to it and all around it. At times they dive at the larger bird, sometimes ramming into it.
The chasing birds appear to work together, coordinating their moves. They also let out alarm cries to warn others of the threat.
Sometimes other birds—even ones of different species—will join in the mobbing behavior. The whole group takes turns swooping in and attacking to chase a predatory bird out of their territory.
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