On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein

Yes, the book fosters the development of the processes. It takes us through Einstein's life and shows us how his interest sparked as a young child and how he worked with that to develop his ideas on new science topics. It shows how it took time for people to understand his ideas and his reasoning but in the end his curiosity helped us all in developing our world.

• Author: Jennifer Berne
• Illustrator: Vladimir Radunsky
• Year Published: 2013
• ISBN: 978-0-8118-7235-5

Science Topics

• Physical Science

Minimum Suggested Grade Level

• 1st Grade

Maximum Suggested Grade Level

• 4th Grade

Summary

This book is about Albert Einstein and how he became to be seen as one of the greatest geniuses of our universe. The story takes us through his childhood and adulthood, giving us a glimpse into Einstein's thoughts and ideas.

Evaluation

• Appropriateness: High
• Authority: High
• Accuracy: High
• Liteary Artistry: High
• Appearance: High

Questions

Does the book foster development of processes?

Yes, the book fosters the development of the processes. It takes us through Einstein's life and shows us how his interest sparked as a young child and how he worked with that to develop his ideas on new science topics. It shows how it took time for people to understand his ideas and his reasoning but in the end his curiosity helped us all in developing our world.

Does the book provide an opportunity for children to ask and answer their own questions?

Yes, it does provide opportunity for children to ask questions. The students have the opportunity to ask themselves why certain things are happening in the book. For example if they ask, "why did the teacher tell Einstein he would never amount to anything?", they would see that the teacher wanted him to fit in and that his curiosity was not seem as normal.

Does the book encourage children to think for themselves?

The book does not actually ask them to think or predict, but yet the students are given the opportunity. It encourages the students to think about science and how science is ever-changing and ideas are always surfacing. It allows them the opportunity to connect the text with their lives.

Is the science topic addressed in ways that are appropriate to the lesson?

The content is appropriate to the lesson. It would be a good book for an introductory lesson on famous scientists and their lives.

Is the content based on sound scientific principles? Is it accurate?

Yes, the content is based on sound principles. The author researched about 50 books about Einstein and his life while writing the book. The book explains to us certain terms, such as gravity and atoms, accurately. It shows us that Einstein's findings help people understand our universe as no one ever had before.

Does the book distinguish between fact and fiction?

The book is factual so there is no need to distinguish.

Are the illustrations clear and accurate?

The illustrations are clear and accurate. The illustrations are line drawings with accurate colors. They are all recognizable and easy to look at.

Is the book written at the level of your students?

Yes, the book is an appropriate level for students 1-4. The book touches on some physical science subjects, but we are given the information necessary to understand these concepts. For some of these topics we are also given examples. For instance, it tells us that the world is made up of atoms and has an illustration of someone saying, "Even this book is made of atoms!".

Is there a multicultural component? Is it free from stereotyping?

There is no multicultural component. We aren't told where Einstein's family is from so it is free from stereotyping.

Is the book free from gender bias?

The main character is Albert Einstein. There are illustrations of other girls and boys as background characters but no information is really given on them. Since the focus is on Einstein and his journey with science, there is no real gender bias.

Does the book show the close association between science and other disciplines?

The book shows close association between science and other disciplines such as math and literacy. The book makes a connection with literacy because it shows that Einstein read various books that helped him understand topics such as light and sound. It also makes a connection with math. The book says that Albert loved to read about numbers and that they were "like a secret language for figuring things out".

Does the book present a positive attitude toward science and technology?

The book presents a positive attitude toward science. In the end the reader is given the idea that perhaps they can go into the science field and someday answer the questions that Einstein has left us. There is very little technology mentioned in the book.