Technology Then and Now

Submitted by madeleinepundyk on
Author
Cynthia O’Brien
St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2019
24 pp., pbk., hc. & html, $8.95 (pbk.), $22.95 (List RLB), $18.36 (School RLB)
ISBN
9780778762409 (pbk.)
9780778762034(RLB)
9781427122599 (html)
Grades
Preschool-grade 3
Ages
Ages 4-8
Review by
Review by Suzanne Pierson
Excerpt

Travel in the Sky

An airplane is a technology. It helps make travel easier. It helps us get from place to place very quickly.
The first airplane was small. It did not fly very quickly or very high in the sky. The first flight lasted about 12 seconds.

Today, airplanes travel very quickly! They fly high above the clouds. They can carry many people.

Crabtree Publishing has added another group of four books to its “Full STEAM Ahead” series. The new group, “Technology Time”, includes the titles Parts Work Together, Technology and You!, Technology Then and Now, and What is Technology?.

Like other books in the series, Technology Then and Nowis packed with colourful photos and limited text. The format of the book is very visually appealing. Photos of different technologies from the past are juxtaposed with modern versions of technologies that students will recognize. Changing technologies in aviation, automobiles, schools, communication, sports, music, and safety are pictured. The book shows that technologies change to “make life easier, safer, and more fun”.

Before, during, and after reading prompts are included on the verso of the Table of Contents page. “STEAM Notes for Educators” are included on the last page of the book. Also included are “Words to Know” and a short Index.

Worksheets to support the activities in the “Technology Time” series are found at www.crabtreebooks.com/resources/printables. These worksheets help students build a growth mindset. The link to www.crabtreeplus.com/fullsteamahead is not working at the time of this review.

Whether purchased individually or as a part of the set, Technology Then and Now should engage young learners in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math).

Highly Recommended
Reviewer

Suzanne Pierson, EdD., is a former teacher-librarian and instructor of Librarianship courses at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.