Kristin Baird Rattini

This is an excellent informational text to teach children about the life cycle of a plant. It is a Level 1 Reader and can be used as a science mentor text for a Unit Study on plants. The text, excellent photographs, (including magnifications), and call-out boxes cover an abundance of information in a child-friendly, concise way with plant jokes along the way.

Critical Analysis: Using informational text in the primary grades, especially in communities from lower socioeconomic settings, helps show more children with their comprehension so they can be successful.

Favorite Quote: "YOu can use your body to remember the parts of a plant. Arms are like leaves. Your body is like a stem. YOur feet are like the roots'" show less

I love talking and learning more about weather!! I did my science SIOP lesson on weather and it was so much fun. The kids in my classes have loved talking more about weather especially during experiments involving weather. This book is great for answering questions such as what causes thunder and lightening? What makes a tornado twist?

Ages 3-5. As with all National Geographic books this one has great photos. The informational text is easy to understand and read and has just enough new vocabulary to keep a young child's interest.

I really like this book and this it would be a great introduction into ecosystems. I love that in this book, it has pronunciations next to key words in the text as well as a reef talk box that includes definitions for key words on that page. I like that the book includes a lot of visuals and pictures of different reefs because they can look a lot of different ways and I enjoy the labels posted on the pictures. The age range for this book is 5-9 and the reading level is an O. The DCI explored show more in this book is life science because the book is about coral reefs and the inhabitants within the reef. The CCC explored in this book are stability and change because the book talks about the difference between the daytime and nighttime life in the reef, and structure and function because the book describes how the reef life supports each other to maintain itself. show less