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Book details

If: A Mind-Bending New Way of Looking at Big Ideas and Numbers

If: A Mind-Bending New Way of Looking at Big Ideas and Numbers

Published in
2014
4.21
on Goodreads (523)

Description

"Some things are so huge or so old that it's hard to wrap your mind around them. But what if we took these big, hard-to-imagine objects and events and compared them to things we can see, feel and touch? Instantly, we'd see our world in a whole new way." So begins this endlessly intriguing guide to better understanding all those really big ideas and numbers children come across on a regular basis. Author David J. Smith has found clever devices to scale down everything from time lines (the history of Earth compressed into one year), to quantities (all the wealth in the world divided into one hundred coins), to size differences (the planets shown as different types of balls). Accompanying each description is a kid-friendly drawing by illustrator Steve Adams that visually reinforces the concept. By simply reducing everything to human scale, Smith has made the incomprehensible easier to grasp, and therefore more meaningful. The children who just love these kinds of fact-filled, knock-your-socks-off books will want to read this one from cover to cover. It will find the most use, however, as an excellent classroom reference that can be reached for again and again when studying scale and measurement in math, and also for any number of applications in social studies, science and language arts. For those who want to delve a little deeper, Smith has included six suggestions for classroom projects. There is also a full page of resource information at the back of the book.
Age
8-12
Text complexity
expert
Length
40 pages

Why to read

  • Expands Perspective: The book offers a unique approach to understanding complex concepts by scaling them down to a more comprehensible level, making it easier to grasp the magnitude of big ideas and numbers.
  • Enhances Knowledge: 'If' provides readers with a wealth of information across various subjects, including geography, economics, history, and science, broadening their knowledge base in an engaging way.
  • Encourages Critical Thinking: By presenting information in an unconventional manner, the book challenges readers to think critically about the world around them and the statistics they encounter in everyday life.
  • Visual Learning: David J. Smith utilizes creative illustrations and comparisons that cater to visual learners, making the learning process both enjoyable and memorable for readers of all ages.