User:The0Quester/sandbox

Warning: As this textbook is based on a 24-volume encyclopedia from 1981, it may contain some dated information that will no be valuable today.

Message from the Editors

Our message is addressed to both children and parents, because we believe that both will share the teachings that this work provides, and because it is very likely that the former will need parental help from time to time to understand the meaning of some word or idea.

My First Encyclopedia was designed with today's children and youth in mind. eager for knowledge to take them and the virtue of this work is that it provides them with the unparalleled opportunity to acquire that knowledge in a simple and enjoyable way, devoid of unnecessary erudition, but with truthfulness, clarity and precision.

Here are some essential facts you should know about My First Encyclopedia:

1. My First Encyclopedia contains articles that will be extremely useful to elementary and secondary school students. Its 24 volumes are illustrated with more than 1,500 drawings, photographs and cartoons. This circumstance will lead to children who are just beginning to read to be attracted to the study of the various topics presented. Cartoons, in particular, have a specific purpose: to provide entertainment with funny scenes involving the likeable Walt Disney characters.
2. My First Encyclopedia comprises 900 articles on nature, outer space, sports, science, history, government, and many other topics of interest, all prepared to be useful during the formative years of the learning process. Perhaps those children who are in the first years of primary school; but we are sure that they will be interested in them as they advance in their studies.
3. Each article is preceded by a symbol is preceded by a symbol that is intended to help the reader organize their knowledge and classify it into categories, instead of just memorizing it. The 24 volumes begin with a list of the symbols used in the work.

My First Encyclopedia was prepared by specialists in the field of child and youth education. The articles were written by people specialized in presenting the most complex topics of knowledge simply and clearly, without sacrificing essence or accuracy. The texts and illustrations have been carefully reviewed by experts in each subject.

We are certain that My First Encyclopedia will encourage children and young people to form the wonderful habit of study, and will lead them along the path, always well rewarded, of knowledge.

What are the symbols for?

Each of the My First Encyclopedia articles is preceded by a symbol. The symbols are pedagogical aids whose function is similar to that of highway signs: they indicate where you are going, in this case, when you start reading an article. For example, if you refer to the article titled Python, the corresponding symbol tells you that python is a reptile belonging to a zoological group that includes lizards, turtles, and snakes. In this way, the symbols help you to classify and organize in your mind the information that this work provides you.

Amphibians • Ancient History • Animal behavior • Art and literature • Birds • Communications • Dinosaurs • Economics • Entertainment • Famous people • Fish • Flowers and plants • Human behavior • Human body • Insects • Mammals • Modern History • Music • Outer space • Planet Earth • Pond and ocean life • Religions • Reptiles • Science • Sports • Transportation • Trees • World affairs

Modern Art

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City was designed by Fran Lloyd Wright, one of the most important modern architects. The museum collects only modern art.

Modern art is art produced by artist who try to find new techniques to express their ideas and feelings about the world.
The modern art movement began mainly in Paris in about 1850. Artists rebelled against the strick rules of composition and coloring and the realistic approach of traditional art. They began to experiment with new ways of seeing reality. In the 1870s, impressionist artists such as Claude Monet painted fleeting moments in time and often used vivid colors.
Postimpressionist such Paul Cézanne also experimented with new ways of seeing objects. Cézanne thought of nature as being composed of simple geometric forms. Cézanne's ideas pointed the way to cubism.
Cubist artists such as Pablo Picasso painted objects as flat shapes seen from different angles. Cubism led eventually to abstract expressionism. Abstract expressionists did not try to paint realistically. They expressed their ideas or feelings in a painting through color, form and design.

Modern Dance

Many modern dancers, like Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, and Paul Taylor, try to express thoughts and feelings through their movements.

Modern dance allows dancers to move freely and naturally, instead of the formal patterns and steps of classical ballets. Modern dance began late in the 19th century. Modern dancers wanted to express their ideas with greater freedom than formal classical ballet permitted.
One of the first modern dancers was Isadora Duncan. Shew wore loose robes and danced barefoot. Her movements were free and flowing. Another modern dancer, Ruth St. Denis, became known for her use of Oriental dance movements and costumes.

Mollusk

Mollusk are an important source of food for humans and many fish. Mollusk also are hunted for their shells.

Mollusks are invertebrate animals. They have soft bodies with no bones. Most mollusk have hard shells. There are more than 100,000 species of mollusks and they can be found all over the world. One group of marine mollusks called bivalves have two hinged shells than snat shut. Clams and oysters are bivalves.
Mollusk have a thin mantle, or fold of tissue, over their bodies. In mollusks with shells, the outer surface of this mantle secretes the material that forms the shell.

Money

Coins and currency are created by a government. The government gives money its specific value and this value is accepted by the people who use it.

Money is anything that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services. In modern life, money consists of coins, currency or paper money, and cheeks. Coins and currency are created by governments. Without money, people would have to trade, or barter, with each other directly, exchanging the goods or services they had for those they needed. At various times, people used such things as shells, cattle, and salt as money. The first coins were probably used in Asia Minor about 700 B.C but people still bartered, and coins did not come into common use until the late Middle Ages. Paper money was not commonly used until the 17th century.

Monkey

Monkeys use their hands to pick up food and put it into their mouths. Baby monkeys ate very dependent on their mothers for food protection.

Monkeys are mammals that belong to a group of animals called primates. Apes and man are two other kinds of primates. There are two major groups of monkeys, Old World and New World. Old World monkeys live in Asia and Africa. New World monkeys live in southern Mexico and Central and South America. Most kinds of monkeys live in forests in tropical climates. Nearly all kinds have tails, unlike apes. Many kinds can grasp and hold things with them. Monkeys are intelligent, but not as intelligent as apes they are agile and can grip branches with their feet and hands. But they do not swing from branches as apes do. Most monkeys eat fruits and plants. Some eat meat and insects.

Moon

One-half of the Moon is always lit by the Sun, but only parts of the lighted area can be seen from the Earth. This is why the Moon appears in different phases, such as quarter Moon or a Full Moon.

The Moon is a large natural satellite that revolves around the Earth. It has a diameter of about 2,160 miles (3,475 km). The Moon travels around the Earth in a egg-shaped orbit. When it is nearest to the Earth it is 221,463 miles (356,334 km) away. From new Moon to new Moon, it takes the Moon 29 days, 12 hours, and 44 minutes to circle around the Earth. It takes the Moon this same amount of time to spin around once on its own axis. For this reason the same half of the Moon always faces the Earth.

Moon Exploration

The Apollo 11 astronauts left an American flag on the Moon as a reminder of their landing.

Exploration of the Moon began in ancient times when ancient astronomers observed eclipses and studied the phases of the Moon. Early in the 17th century, men viewed the Moon through telescopes for the first time. As telescopes became more powerful, astronomers learned more about the Moon's physical features. Other scientists, including Isaac Newton, explained the Moon's motions and shape.
But a great new era of Moon exploration began with the Space Age. The Soviet Union sent the first spacecraft to the moon in 1959. In 1964, an American satellite, Ranger 7, sent back the first close-up photos of the Moon. Other Russian and American spacecraft landed on the Moon and sent back information. In July 1969, two American astronauts became the first men to walk on the Moon. They brought back samples of Moon rocks. Their measurements of the Moon's vibration showed that inside of the Moon may be hot and soft.

Moose

Moose eat plants, including water plants. Often they bend down on their knees to reach roots and stems growing underwater.

Moose are the largest members of the deer family. They live in the forests of Canada and Alaska, the Rocky Mountains in the northwestern United States, and the northern regions of Europe and Asia. The male or bull moose has huge, branching antlers that may be 61/2 feet (2.0 m) across. Moose may gather in small herds, but they tend to live alone. During mating season, males fight each other with their antlers. Moose are now protected from hunters by law in some countries. In Europe, moose are called elk. In North America, the name elk refers to another species of deer.