Zoids are characters from a cartoon show which have become incredibly popular with children ages 8 to 12. On the show, and in the books containing stories from the show, the Zoids are large, animal-shaped robotic weapons that seem to possess an individual personality. In our world, they are snap-together models with some interchangeable parts that can move by either wind-up mechanisms or more complicated motors.
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Pokémon are pocket monsters created by Nintendo as part of their video games. They have become popular with school age children and are now seen in TV cartoons, trading cards, books, and numerous licensed products. Unlike previous Japanese creations, such as Power Rangers, Pokémon fight only other Pokémon rather than people. The people train and look after their Pokémon.
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The Harry Potter stories are about the adventures of young boy following the English tradition of boarding school. It is about friendship, curiosity, and growing up. If Harry was an ordinary boy at an ordinary school, the books would still be enjoyable due to the storytelling, wonderful characters, and descriptions the author provides. The fact that the boarding school is a school for wizards and witches and that potions and transfiguration are taught instead of math and literature just make the stories more fun.
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Yugi and his friends love to play Duel Monsters, a card game where
players battle with mystical creatures. According to legend, the
ancient Egyptians played a similar game, called the Shadow Game,
with real creatures and almost destroyed the world. The two worlds
mix as Yugi plays the Duel Monsters game's creator.
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More than a million different kinds of animals inhabit the Earth. The exact number is not known, for new kinds are continually being discovered. They live in the seas, from the surface down to the black depths where no ray of light penetrates. On mountaintops and in deserts, in mud and in hot pools some form of animal life may be found. Animals are infinitely varied in form, size, and habits. The smallest animals are bits of protoplasm that can be seen only with a microscope. The largest, the blue whales, may be more than 100 feet (30 meters) long and weigh 300,000 pounds (136,000 kilograms).
Animals are classified as amphibians, birds, fish, mammals, or
reptiles. Their study is called zoology.
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An art is a special skill or craft that you can learn.
But when we talk about "The Arts", we are usually referring
specifically to the creative arts - visual art, music, and the
performing arts such as theater and dance.
The arts produce imaginative and creative works that entertain,
enlighten and help us to think about things in a different way.
("The arts" can also mean subjects from history to languages and
literature studied at university, leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree;
these areas of study are also called the humanities.)
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A computer is an electronic data-processing device.
It communicates with other electronic devices to receive data, store
and manipulate them (using mathematical and logical calculations
specified in a sequence of instructions called a program), and transmit
the results, e.g accept a sequence of numbers typed in at a keyboard,
and plot a graph of them on a visual display unit, or monitor.
Computers come in many forms and sizes.
Special-purpose (dedicated) computers are designed to perform specific
tasks. Their operations are limited to the programs built into their
microchips. These microprocessors are the basic components of
electronic calculators and can be found in many other electronic
products, including cameras, digital watches, and automobiles.
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Education is learning something new.
It is not limited to children but is something that is done everyday by
everyone. To function in our world, our children must learn the skills
they will need to become productive members of our society.
In some cultures, this may be basic agriculture skills and things such
as where the best grazing land is and the most reliable source of
drinkable water. In other cultures, this may include computer usage as
well as reading and mathematics. How we go about teaching the children
varies as well, from formal curriculums defined by the countries'
leaders to parents teaching their own children
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History is the study and interpretation of the recorded past.
We often think of history as a set of dates, names, and facts to be
memorized. Facts do help us study history, but they are nothing more
than trivia until we try to make some sense out of them.
Thoughtful, informed interpretation and synthesis of these facts will
help us understand the development and interrelationships of human
societies. History helps us understand many events that at first seem
inexplicable, and it also helps us understand that the causes and
effects of these events are often very complex.
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The Humanities are the subjects about people,
the things they have done, the things they believe,
and the things they have created.
The Humanities were originally restricted to the study of classical
(ie Greek and Roman) language and literature.
Later it encompased a wider variety of topics and is sometimes defined
as those subjects that are not considered to be science.
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Literature is a body of written (or oral) works, such as novels,
poetry, or drama, that use words to stimulate the imagination and
confront the reader with a unique vision of life.
A work of literature is a creative, universal form of expression that
addresses the emotional, spiritual, or intellectual concerns of humanity.
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Science is the systematic study of the properties of the physical
world, by means of repeatable experiments and measurements,
and the development of objective theories describing these activities,
and predicting verifiable features that could be also tested by
experiment. Statements in science must be precise and meaningful,
such that they can be tested by experiments or observations by other
people, with the same results.
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Sports are recreational or competitive activities involving some amount
of physical strength or skill. Throughout history, man has played
games primarily as a means to meet socially with others, to display
skills and physical prowess, and to entertain or offer excitement.
At one time, sports were commonly considered to include only the outdoor
recreational pastimes, such as fishing, shooting, and hunting,
as opposed to games, which were regarded as organized athletic contests
played by teams or individuals according to prescribed rules.
The distinction between sports and games has blurred,
and the two terms are now often used interchangeably.
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