Tree Life

This book doesn’t necessarily come out and directly address the processes of sciences, but it does have some of the processes of science embedded in it. The book provides opportunities for observing the close up pictures, interpreting what the pictures show to help you understand the parts of each animal.

Author: Theresa Greenaway
Year Published: 1998
ISBN: 0789434776

Summary

About different animals present in a tree ecosystem. Shows photographs of each animal and offers information about each one.

Evaluation

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

Questions

Does the book foster development of processes?

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

I definitely think this book has students asking and answering their own questions. The book has so much information, that students could ask a question based on an observation, and find the answer in the information provided.

Does the book encourage children to think for themselves?

Because this book is so jam-packed with information, a lot of times students don’t have the opportunity to think outside the box.

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

Absolutely! This book can be made into several different lessons. You can talk about ecosystems, or the different classifications of animals present in the book, or in the “tree life”. If you have a class pet, like a lizard or any other animal present in the book, you can connect it to them personally and let them observe the animal over a period of time.

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

The content present in this book is definitely accurate. It talks about the patterns of each of the animals, which comes from observations. What scientists know about these animals seem to be presented in the book.

Does the book distinguish between fact and fiction?

This novel is completely fact based with no ground in fiction. It talks about animal life in a tree and presents the information as a sort of diagram.

Are the illustrations clear and accurate?

This book is illustrated through photographs, so they are presented clear and accurately. Photographs of animals up close, as well as at a distance are presented in the book so readers can get a good idea of where the animals are in relation to the tree.

Is the book written at the level of your students?

My students would definitely be able to read this book. There may be challenging words in the book such as body parts, plant names, etc. but the concepts present in the book would be easy for my students to grasp.

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

Because this book is strictly written about animals, there is no multicultural component to result in any sort of stereotyping or lack of diversity in the book.

Is the book free from gender bias?

The book is a factual account of animals and therefore has no gender bias present in this book.

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

The book is a predominantly science book and therefore is based in science. The vocabulary present in this book can be challenging, so developing that scientific language and terminology can be beneficial to science and language arts.

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

The book doesn’t really promote a positive or negative attitude about science, but maintains a neutral attitude. It also doesn’t promote technology, other than perhaps photography because that is the medium the book is presented in.

Science Topics

Minimum Suggested Grade Level

Maximum Suggested Grade Level