Animals and the Seasons

This book fosters the development of classifying and observing. Students can classify the different animals into the different seasons and even observe specific characteristics of the animals that may correspond to the seasons they are often associated with. It contains an index with the different months and students can classify these into different seasons based on what they observe about each month and the animals it talks about.

Author: Susanne Riha
Year Published: 2000
ISBN: 978-1567114294

Science Topics

Minimum Suggested Grade Level

1st Grade

Maximum Suggested Grade Level

3rd Grade

Summary

Describes and illustrates animal behaviors and their surroundings during the different months/seasons of the year.

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?

The book allows students to ask and answer their own questions by not only providing a summary of the month, what it is like, and the animals involved, but also provides little questions on each page. The question on each page follows this stem, “What is there to discover in [insert month]?”. The question is then followed by an answer. Children can easily find the question since there is a magnifying glass by it and it is italicized.

Does the book encourage children to think for themselves?

Children can think for themselves with this book since it nudges them to think about what animals could be apart of a particular month and why. It can also cause children to think about other animals within the seasons and think about why a particular month has certain animals in it. It nudges children to also think about what can be discovered in each month as the seasons change.

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

The science topic of the cycle of nature is certainly addressed appropriately. Each month starts with a description of what the morning, day, and night are like. It then goes into detail about the animals and their behaviors. Other aspects of the seasons and nature are addressed, such as talking about the spring when animals are looking for a partner.

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

It is certainly based on sound scientific principles that are accurate. It talks about the different seasons and animals within it. It explains what each month would feel like and how the animals would behave. There is also a glossary and pages for children to look at to find out more resources that can help them further guide their inquiry.

Does the book distinguish between fact and fiction?

It talks about the facts of the different seasons that occur and of different animals. There is not much fiction to the book at all. I think that children will be able to tell from their own observations and prior knowledge that this book is comprised of mostly, if not all, fact.

Are the illustrations clear and accurate?

The illustrations are clear and accurate for the most part. Each illustration shows what the month is like, what animals are involved, and what nature in that setting would appear. For example, in January, there is snow on the ground. However, the illustrations may be deceiving since some animals are enlarged (like on one page where a bunny is as big as a tree). This enlargement could serve to just give students a better look at the characteristics of the animals.

Is the book written at the level of your students?

For my third graders, this book is at the level of my students. It may prove challenging for them because it looks pretty lengthy. The vocabulary is pretty kid friendly and scientific terms are at a minimal usage. It is a book that kids can definitely read by themselves or one a teacher can provide as a read-aloud as each season is learned about.

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

There is not a multicultural component. It is about the seasons, nature, and animals. Since it is about the cycle of nature, there is no stereotyping in it at all. There are no pictures of kids or adults in it. However, I guess the variety of animals could be multicultural since they can be found in different areas of the world.

Is the book free from gender bias?

There are no different genders represented. Again, only animals and nature are present (even in the illustrations. The book is pretty gender neutral as well, with no focus on what boys do or what girls do during the different seasons.

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

I don’t think it shows a close association between science and other disciplines. The main focus is talking about nature and the animals within in each season. I guess it could tie into learning about the months of the year as well for younger children, like pre-K. It could also tie into social studies if you wanted children to branch off from the book and compare the different animals that would be apart of the seasons based on the regions.

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

The book does present a positive attitude towards both. It definitely gives a ton of information about science and the nature components, as well as the different species while still providing colorful illustrations. It also encourages thinking outside the text by providing questions. For technology, it offers different resources that children can access on the Internet to learn more. So, I think it is definitely a positive attitude towards both presented.