Synopses & Reviews
Fully updated for the twenty-first century, The New First Dictionary of Cultural Literacy lists essential facts in twenty-one subject areas to promote successful learning in kids. and#160;
Child education expert E. D. Hirsch Jr. cuts through the wealth of information available today to highlight terms that a child should be familiar with by the end of sixth grade. With nearly 3,000 concise definitions and including 250 new entries (like Harry Potter, centaurs, northern lights, and World Series), this popular sourcebook makes it easy for children to become literate in mythology, literature, U.S. history, science and technology, and more.
Synopsis
From child education expert E. D. Hirsch Jr., the national best-selling author of How to Educate a Citizen, The New First Dictionary of Cultural Literacy gathers together all of the essential facts that youngsters should have at their fingertips for school success.
The perfect one-stop homework helper and family reference for children cuts through the wealth of information available to highlight terms that a child should be familiar with from the beginning of the first grade through the end of the sixth.
With nearly 3,000 concise definitions, this popular sourcebook makes it easy for children to become literate in mythology, literature, US history, science and technology, and more.
About the Author
E.D. Hirsch, Jr. is the Linden Kent Memorial Professor of English at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, and the author of Cultural Literacy, The First Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, and The Core Knowledge Series. Dr. Hirsch is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and has been a senior fellow of the National Endowment for the Humanities. He is president of the Core Knowledge Foundation, a nonprofit organization devoted to educational reform.
Table of Contents
Contents Maps vi Preface to the Third Edition vii To Parents and Teachers ix To Young Readers: How to Use This Dictionary xii Pronunciation System xiv Proverbs 1 Idioms 6 English 12 Literature 18 Mythology 44 Music, Art, and Architecture 54 The Bible 75 Religion and Philosophy 87 United States History to 1865 99 United States History Since 1865 117 Politics and Economics 135 World History to 1600 144 World History Since 1600 158 United States Geography 169 World Geography 187 Mathematics 214 Physical Sciences 228 Earth Sciences and Weather 240 Life Sciences 251 Medicine and the Human Body 261 Technology 276 Illustration Credits 287 Index of Entries 289
Maps The Original Thirteen Colonies 114 Roman Empire 155 United States 170 Middle Atlantic States 175 The Midwest 177 New England 178 Pacific Coast States 180 Rocky Mountain States 182 The South 184 The Southwest 185 The World 188 Africa 189 Asia and the Middle East 192 Australia and Oceania 193 Europe 198 North America and the West Indies 206 South America 210