One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia

This book helps kids development because it helps kids develop the sense of importance to notice problems in their community and find solutions to improve their community and help them be problem-solvers.

Author: Miranda Paul
Illustrator: Elizabeth Zunon
Year Published: 2015
ISBN: 978-1467716086

Summary

In Njau, Gambia, people simply dropped the bags and went on their way. The bags accumulated in ugly heaps alongside roads. Water pooled in them, bringing mosquitoes and disease. Some bags were burned, leaving behind a terrible smell. Some were buried, but they strangled gardens. They killed livestock that tried to eat them. Something had to change so the women of the village decided to recycle those plastic bags by using them to make something new.

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?

This book help children ask themselves what are some environmental problems in their society and how can they find some solutions to help fix those problems. Also, developing that sense of agency and ownership over what they want to do and how they can solve it is an important message in this book.

Does the book encourage children to think for themselves?

The book encourages children to have agency over their learning and observe their community and what are some problems that is around them and how they can use their science knowledge to solve them.

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

Science is addressed appropriately in this book because it addressed how pollution can impact animals and how can it impact human lives and how recycling could help. also, it shows how to approach a problem by noticing it and including it uses and then finding ways to solve it through exploring.

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

The scientific principles in this book is accurate because when I searched this project was an actual project that they had created to help clean the environmental and recycle plastic.

Does the book distinguish between fact and fiction?

This is the true story of how one person made a huge difference in the world. Actual photos are included of the women in the story. In Gambia plastic bags were thrown away when no longer usable or needed. As anywhere that created a pollution problem, but it was also a danger to the health of the people and caused the death of some of their animals.

Are the illustrations clear and accurate?

the illustration is clear and accurate which shows the pollution of the village and how they worked together to clean the village. it showed details of the village which helps the child draws an image of how the village is like.

Is the book written at the level of your students?

This book is written for the level of 1st to 3rd grade because it incorporates numbers in the book ad the vocabulary is a their level. Also, recycling and environmental problems is important topic that they are leaning in their grad level.

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

Miranda incorporates Gambian culture and language into the text, immersing the reader into Isatou’s world. Which gives the children the opportunity to explore other cultures and lives solving problems that we are also trying to solve in our country which show kids different perspective and cultures solving similar problems such as, environmental problems.

Is the book free from gender bias?

This books transcends age and gender and race, it will appeal to any audience, and can be used with young children to teach them early the importance of recycling and protecting our environment everywhere. In the book woman there came up with an idea of how to reuse plastic bags. The impact her initiative made is very impressive.

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

This book shows close association between science and other discipline. Such as, the book showed how team work and collaboration can help find solutions and work together to accomplish them.

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

This book present a positive attitude toward science and technology because it shows how can science helps develop the community and saves the environment from pollution problems and saving animals from dying.

Science Topics

Minimum Suggested Grade Level

Maximum Suggested Grade Level