The Nantucket Sea Monster Washes Up!
There’s something big in the water and isn’t a whale. Nantucket was notable as a port for whaling ships, but citizens testified that it was anything but a whale. As reports made the newspapers and spread across the country, no one could tell what it was. That left citizens with only one option. It was a new type of creature never seen before–A SEA MONSTER!!
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A TRUE STORY ABOUT FAKE NEWS
In today’s world, kids are bombarded with information, regardless of if it’s true. This book brings valuable lessons to your classroom, and will aid in your endeavors to teach your children critical thinking skills. They’ll look in between the lines and under the surface of the things they read, see, or hear, and this book is a wonderful, non-political book to build those skills that students will use long after leaving the classroom.
In addition to reading this book, you also have the opportunity to create your own fake story! Located on the book’s viewing page, you’ll find a printable activity sheet in which the students can develop their own fake news story about a snowstorm that swept through their town, as well as a fake snow recipe!
There’s plenty of detail throughout this book. Pattison provides a timeline for the events of this story in the order that they occurred, as well as a vocabulary list for words that may be unfamiliar to readers. Quotes cited from Thomas Jefferson spread the simple message that with free press comes fake news, back matter discusses the importance of free speech and press through the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Pattison presents a wonderful and cautionary tale of fake news and reliable sources. Her imaginative account of this event presents readers with a real-world example of when a student can use critical thinking and research skills.
Illustrated by Peter Willis, the images in this book will delight readers. Bringing an enjoyable visual aspect to this story, the readers find this story come to life across the pages in a way that will help them see the way these events unfolded.
Children will be able to connect to these important concepts thanks to Pattison’s direct and comprehensive way of storytelling. Having done extensive research on the events of this book, you can rest assured that the retelling of this fake news story is indeed fact.
With the real-world skills that this book presents, it will be a great tool to have in your classroom to promote critical thinking and reliable information. It can be read aloud to a group or done independently, and readers will walk away having learned the importance of trusting sources either way.
The Nantucket Sea Monster is a wonderful book displaying the cautions of fake news. It teaches skills that are both important and relevant in today’s world, and equips students on the influence media has, and determining how reliable it is.
