For the knowledgeable teacher who can avoid the pitfalls of anthropomorphism, this book offers valuable ways to integrate reading and science. It is a collection of teachers' favorite picture books, followed in each case by hands-on, inquiry activities based on each story.
The 15 lessons included are designed for children in grades three through six, although some lessons could be adapted for younger or older children. Chapters 3 and 4 in the book explain how the lessons use the 5E Instructional Model developed by the Biological Science Curriculum Study. Each of the lessons contains reproducible handouts for children, explanations for teachers, extension activities, and a variety of assessments. There are also bibliographies for further reading on the topic. Activities to help in reading comprehension are marked with a special icon throughout the book.
Chapter 5 in the book includes the National Science Education Standards for grades K-8, with a data table that show where each lesson in the book would fall. All the activities in this book have the Standards related to that particular lesson highlighted in green at the beginning of the lesson. Suggested guiding questions are included in each lesson, and a section at the end contains suggestions for developing open inquiry. The book also includes ways for the teacher to develop reading comprehension while still keeping the spotlight on science activities.
The lessons are not meant to be a full curriculum for science, but are designed to be used by where appropriate in the formal science curriculum. They also would also be useful for connecting pleasurable reading with science activities and reinforcing the idea that science is not an isolated body of knowledge, but has many connections to other disciplines. However, the anthropomorphism evident in such storybooks as Sheep in a Jeep requires that the teacher recognize the possibility of creating misconceptions in young children.
A teacher must also have a solid understanding of the difference between Larmarckian explanations for evolution and Darwin's model. On page 136 of the book in the activities on symbiosis, there are statements such as “Guide the students to the idea that species acquire their unique characteristics through a gradual process that takes many generations. Explain that, when an organism’s environment changes, that organism must adapt to survive. Adaptations occur in the structures of an organism or in the way it behaves within the environment.” Statements like these often lead to the Lamarckian misconception that acquired characteristics are passed on to offspring, rather than the understanding that the best adapted organisms survive to pass their characteristics on to future generations. Elementary teachers would be better served by avoiding the questionable picture books for science lessons and using the ones that contain accurate scientific ideas like Rice Is Life or Sound. This book contains excellent and exciting lessons for both of these books.