What Am I? Where Am I?

Through this book kids are able to develop a few of the processes. However the book doesn't really probe their thinking. Rather they are given two questions and the book answers those two questions explicitly throughout the entire book.

• Author: Ted Lewin
• Illustrator: Ted Lewin
• Year Published: 2014
• ISBN: 97808234428564

Science Topics

• Life Science

Minimum Suggested Grade Level

• Kindergarten

Maximum Suggested Grade Level

• 1st Grade

Summary

This books consists of two questions that are asked for children throughout the entire book. What am I? and Where am I? are the two questions that are asked continually throughout the entire book as kids are invited to look at a part of an animal and guess what animal it is as well as where they live.

Evaluation

• Appropriateness: Medium
• Authority: Low
• Accuracy: Low
• Liteary Artistry: Medium
• Appearance: Medium

Questions

Does the book foster development of processes?

Through this book kids are able to develop a few of the processes. However the book doesn't really probe their thinking. Rather they are given two questions and the book answers those two questions explicitly throughout the entire book.

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

Kids don't really have the opportunity to answer questions since they are already given the two questions that will be asked and answered throughout the whole book. The book is fairly short and consists of about 5 animals which I feel would be appropriate for about a first or kindergarten level.

Does the book encourage children to think for themselves?

Yes, the book does encourage kids to think for themselves because it gives them an illustration of part of an animal and then encourages the kids to guess what the animal is and then gives them the answer on the next page.

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

The topic of animals and where they live is addressed in the book. I feel that it is addressed in an okay way however the animals that are presented don't only live in the areas that they are represented in so I feel that that could be confusing for some children that have seen tigers in their local zoo.

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

I feel that the content that is presented is accurate to a certain extent but I feel that there could be a lot more content that could be added in simple terms to explain to kids that these animals can live anywhere and not just in the places that they have specified in thebook.

Does the book distinguish between fact and fiction?

There is no fiction in the book. The whole book is simply based on the names of the animals and where they live. The book only focuses on one area that they live.

Are the illustrations clear and accurate?

Overall, I feel that the illustrations are clear and accurate and can really get the child to think about what animal will be coming up in the upcoming page. This would be a good place to start your lesson about animals however you should then extend your lesson to let your kids know that these types of animals can live in different parts of the world.

Is the book written at the level of your students?

Yes, this book is written to about a kindergarten or first grade level and does a good job at keep the sentences short and simple so that kids will not be discouraged from reading all while playing a game of what animal they think might be coming up next.

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

No there is not a multicultural component. I would have liked for the book to address that animals can live in different parts of the world and compare and contrast their living styles in different parts of the world.

Is the book free from gender bias?

Yes, it does not distinguish between male and female animals. The book would have been more interesting had they added male and female animals however I feel that for Kinder this book would make sense the way it is.

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

The book talks about different kinds of animals and where they would live in. Kids could use this book to be able to picture the animals in the different environments and look at differences in the environments and then go on to think about why animals such as camels live in deserts.

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

I would say that this book does have a positive attitude towards science because it invites kids to think about what they have seen or heard of about different animals and put it into practice as they strive to figure out what the animal is and where it lives.