Biography: Snowflake Bentley

Title: Snowflake Bentley
Author: Jacqueline Briggs Martin
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company
Copyright date: September 28, 1998
Number of Pages: 32 pages
Awards: Caldecott Medal
Reading Level: Reader Sr. "I am doing it all by myself"
Generally appropriate for 2nd Grade to 4th Grade
Books at this level are appropriate for the now confident reader who can handle more text on the page and more in depth character development.
Lexile: 830L
Genre: Children’s Literature, Biography, Nonfiction

Summary:
This book tells the true story about a farm boy named Wilson “Snowflake” Bentley. Wilson really loved the snow and snowflakes. He loved nature. He loved taking pictures of things in nature, and showing them to others, for them to realize all the little things they are missing every day. His dream was to take pictures of snowflakes, but they always melted. When Willie was young, he drew a hundred snow crystals each winter for three winters. When he grew older, his parents bought him a camera with its own microscope. Willie spent years trying to figure out how to photograph a snowflake. What did Snowflake Bentley discover about the snowflakes he studied? Does Snowflake Bentley succeed in photographing snowflakes? What steps will he take to achieve his goal? Bentley's enthusiasm for photographing snowflakes was often misunderstood in his time, but his patience and determination was all that mattered to him.

Academic Purpose:

This book is fantastic, and a great book to integrate into classroom instruction. I would have this book and lesson all prepared, so I can do a lesson on this book right when the first snow fall happens. When it snows, the conversation in the classroom is usually all about snow, being cold, and snowflakes. Before I read the book, I would ask students probing questions about snowflakes and have them fill out a KWL chart. I would then read the book aloud to the students or read it by choral reading, and keep track of any misunderstood words the students may have questions about. Then, after the reading we would talk about the book, misunderstood words, and what they learned.

I would then have students do some further researching. I would either use my computer and the projector, or have students use IPads or laptops, whatever is available. I would then have students research and participate in a class discussion about other scientists that have researched snowflakes and what their contribution is. After researching multiple scientists, I would teach students how to make a six branch snowflake all different sizes and designs, and we would decorate the classroom with them. Then, once the students have a good grasp of making the snowflakes, I would have students make about five different size, color, and designs of them and glue them on a large piece of construction paper. In the middle of the snowflake collage, students would then create a poem, Haiku, Sonnet, Limerick, free verse, or Acrostic, about snowflakes. Then, I would display the art pieces on a bulletin board.

**This book is a great reading book to integrate into all content areas!

Rating System:

Categories:	5 Stars	3 Stars	1 Star	Comments
Style and Language	The book anticipates readers’ questions and uses great word choice for the age targeted. It has linear progression and communicates its point clearly.	The book follows a linear progression, with some unclear points. The word choice is okay.	The book is confusing as it doesn’t follow a linear progression at all. The vocabulary in the book is either too simple or too complex for the age group targeted.	This book uses great word choice for the age targeted. There is many vocabulary words such as, microscope, intricate, foolishness, and jumbled. The books style and language creates a great book for independent readers. This book communicates its point clearly about Snowflake Bentley. The linear progression storyline is fantastic. 5 stars
Plot and Character Development	The plot is in depth and helps to create a picture in the reader’s mind. The plot is organized having a beginning, middle, and end. The character development is strong.	The plot is okay. The book is organized with a beginning, middle, and end. The characters are well developed.	The book is confusing and doesn’t have a clear beginning, middle, or end.	This book does have a plot, according to how biographies are written. The book starts with Snowflake Bentley’s birth and goes through until his adult years. The biography creates a picture in the reader’s mind. The biography is organized having a beginning, middle, and end. This book does a great job of unfolding the characteristics of the character. Readers get to know how patient and determined Snowflake Bentley was. 5 stars
Interest	The book holds real life situations, which draw the reader in. The word choice and story hold the reader’s attention. The book is suitable for the age group targeted.	The book holds little interest and draws the reader in sometimes. The book is suitable for the age group targeted.	The book is very boring and doesn’t hold the reader’s attention. The book is not suitable for the age group targeted.	This book definitely holds the reader’s attention. All young readers love to learn about snow and snowflakes. This book has great pictures to capture young readers’ eyes. The illustrations are detailed and engaging. 5 stars
Educational Value	The book is relatable to education. The book can be integrated into other content areas.	The book is relatable to education. The book may need further resources to help connect it to other content areas.	The book is not relatable to education whatsoever. The book is not appropriate to be integrated into other content areas.	This book is relatable to education. This book can teach students about snowflakes and what they look like that not one snowflake are the same. This could also go along in a lesson about how each child is unique and different in his own way. 5 star