Genre - Biography Rating - 3.5/5
Age group recommendation - K-3
The Scoop - Sam Patch was born jumping...or that's what people say! For the rest of his life Sam made amazing jumps, even over Niagara Falls!
The Story - This book has a sad, abrupt ending. It is factual and matter of fact, but there is little cushioning of Sam Patch's fall to his death. The details of his jumps in the beginning of the book are interesting and exciting. I think kids would be interested to see how daredevils created their stunts in the 1800s. The ending gives a realistic conclusion to a dangerous life, but I wish the author had padded it a little.
Educational applications - With help from Holiday House.
Georgia Performance Standards
M3N4. Students will understand the meaning of division and develop the ability to apply it in problem solving.
The illustrations in the book make Sam Patch's jumps look amazing, but often younger students often do not have a clear concept of distances. By measuring Sam's jumps (up to 125 feet), students will better understand the concept. Students can divide each of Sam’s jumps by 3 and then use a yardstick to measure out (perhaps on the school playground) exactly how far Sam jumped.
Sam Patch: Daredevil Jumper by Julie Cummins Illustrated by Michael Austin
New York : Holiday House, c2009
Copy from Atlanta Fulton County Library
No comments:
Post a Comment