A Seed is Sleepy

Yes, there are many different processes that are discussed in this book. This books develops the processes such as how a seed grows into a plant, how seeds leave a plant, and how sunlight is used by a plant. It does a very good job in going into detail and giving a clear explanation of how these processes happen.

Author: Dianna Hutts Aston
Illustrator: Sylvia Long
Year Published: 2007
ISBN: 978-1452131474

Summary

A Seed is Sleepy is a very informative book about plants and their play in the environment. This is a great book that introduces students to a variety of different types of sees with very beautiful illustrations of them. The book goes into many details about seeds and can be used to talk about a variety of topics such as how long certain plants take to grow from a seed, what are the parts of a seed, and what do seeds need to grow.

Evaluation

Appropriateness: High
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?

Yes, it structures some of the pages for students for the students to think about what will happen next. I think that this book can really encourage students to think about plants and ask students to use their prior knowledge of plants to discuss what each plant seed will grow to look like and what plants need to grow. One question that could be thought about from the start of the book is "What does the book mean by "a seed is sleepy?"

Does the book encourage children to think for themselves?

Somewhat. The book provides many examples of different plants, seeds, and information about them, but students will need to think about what plants these seeds will develop into. The book also brings up different measurements and students must think for themselves to imagine the height and weight of certain plants and seeds that are introduced.

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

I believe the book is appropriate to address topics of the reproduction cycle of plants and the diversity of types of plants. This book could be used for a lesson to compare and contrast different seeds and plants. It could also be used to just teach about the properties of seeds. There are many ways to dig into the nature of seeds and plants through this book.

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

The content of the book is an accurate representation of scientific principles. The book correctly identifies parts of a seed and labels illustrations of seeds. It also informs us on the average growth of certain plants from their seeds. Illustrations are correctly label to what is happening to a plant or seed and what is needed in order for it to happen.

Does the book distinguish between fact and fiction?

I think the book does a great job of switching between a poetic tone and informative tone. There is a narrative piece of the book that flows from page to page that is more general about plants and very poetic. This is written in cursive. The other portion of the book is very detailed information about different plants and seeds and very factual. You can determine the facts by that they are mostly written in print.

Are the illustrations clear and accurate?

Yes, the illustrations are very detailed and are aimed to represent and show how plants and seeds really look. Throughout the book seeds of different plants are illustrated and labeled. Illustrations of growth of plants are included and labeled. The fact that all illustrations are labeled makes it able to identify easily what each illustration is.

Is the book written at the level of your students?

Yes, I think this book could be used in the higher elementary grade levels of 3rd to 5th. I think it introduces a bit of on-level vocabulary such as parts of a seed, and different things plants need to grown, and the idea of measurements. With just reading the narrative parts (in cursive) it would be a great read aloud for younger grades, but for older grades it would be a great example of introducing the science concepts of seeds and plants.

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

I think a multicultural component does come up in the text because it talks about different plants from all over the world. It is free from stereotyping and just discusses about facts of seeds and plants.

Is the book free from gender bias?

Yes, there is no gender bias in this book. The book did not place genders on the plants or seeds and talked about them as a group using words "they're" and "their."

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

I think that this book could be used for ELA and possibly mathematics. In ELA, the class can discuss the figurative language of the narrative part of the book. One discussion could be, "What does the book mean by "A seed is adventurous?" In mathematics, we could determine through data, how long it will take different plants to grow through the application of different math ideas.

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

No, there is no sense of technology in this book at all. The book is based on ideas of nature. It is very informative and talks about the science of plants in a positive way. The text is written very beautifully with the narrative in somewhat of a poetic tone.

Science Topics

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