Jonas Salk: The Battle Against Polio (Reading for Fun and Comprehension) - Tapa blanda

Jonas Salk: The Battle Against Polio, will introduce young readers to one of the epic efforts of the twentieth century: The campaign to find a polio vaccine. In this book, students are invited to take part in a discussion about the history of vaccines, social policy and medical ethics. Jonas Salk: The Battle Against Polio is more than a biography. It is a window into the relationship between science and society. The book reviews the contributions of vaccine pioneers such as Louis Pasteur and Edward Jenner. It discusses the difference between vaccines that use attenuated viruses and those that use killed viruses. The terminology in the book is very accessible. The tone is congenial. Difficult words are underlined and defined in the back of the book. This makes the book suitable for students as young as nine and those who may be in middle school, or even high school. The issues addressed in Jonas Salk: The Battle Against Polio are relevant today. Concern about the safety of vaccines has led many to reject this health intervention. Are safety concerns legitimate? Are vaccines essential to public health? This book will give students the background information to consider these questions intelligently. A brief map study section is included, as are a reading skills challenge and a vocabulary challenge. As with all Rhythm Prism books, the text is accompanied by pictures that add interest and information. With the addition of these pictures, a student is more likely to be engaged than would be the case with a book that has many pages of unbroken text. Jonas Salk: The Battle Against Polio will leave a lasting impression on students and will provide them with a foundation for understanding basic concepts about immunity and modern healthcare issues.

Throughout the early part of the 20th century, polio was a scourge that haunted families around the world. Many died from this disease; many more were left invalids. The battle against polio became one in which the whole world was engaged. In the United States, the best scientists applied themselves to finding a cure, or a vaccine. One of these scientists was Jonas Salk. The story of Jonas Salk's life and determination to end polio is one that every child should know. This story talks not only about a certain time in history and a certain kind of dedication. It also introduces the child to an understanding of what a virus is and how vaccines work. Jonas Salk is part of Rhythm Prism's Reading for Fun and Comprehension series. These books are intended to be windows into history and issues. They are less about one life than they are about events that helped to define that life. In the case of Jonas Salk, the issue that defined his life was the battle against polio. Books in this series are rich in content and are designed to improve reading skills. Map and word study sections are included. Reading comprehension questions challenge the young reader to find information within the text. Finally, an essay is suggested that asks the reader to consider a topic addressed in the book. From the perspective of one life, larger events are studied. In the case of Jonas Salk, the effect of polio on society and the process of finding a vaccine are examined. Every book in the Learning Library/Biography series contains a map and map study questions. There is a reading comprehension and vocabulary section. An essay is suggested at the conclusion of these exercises. Finally, the books end with a picture gallery. The gallery is entertaining and at the same time addresses issues tangential to the subject. Rhythm Prism books are published in black and white paperback. They are in an 81/2 by 11 format. Each contains 50 pages. Suggested age group: 8 to 11.