This article is an auto-ethnographic account of the development of a children's literature book critique assignment by a science teacher educator sharing instructional dilemmas and pedagogical responses. Prospective elementary teachers enrolled in an elementary school science teaching methods course in the US selected and evaluated children's literature books with science, environment and nature content. The book critique assignment sought to enhance prospective elementary teachers' ability to evaluate the quality of children's environmental literature books for use in elementary school classrooms. Prospective elementary teacher responses for two characteristics, scientific accuracy and anthropomorphism, are presented demonstrating a range of sophistication in their understanding of these concepts. The discussion explores insights into prospective elementary teachers' thinking with implications for science, ecology, natural history and environmental education.
Prologue: a pedagogical puzzleAfter the elementary school science teaching methods class one of my prospective elementary teachers, 'Christy', lingered and tentatively asked the question on her mind, 'Is this children's literature book OK to use for my critique assignment?' Other students had asked me the same question in other semesters so it did not take long to form the pedagogical response, 'So, can you explain some more about why you selected this children's literature book?' Christy did not realize that I phrased this question in answer to her question with pedagogical purpose. In my view Christy anticipated the simple answer, 'Yes, this is a good book to use for your assignment'. In this context it appeared that she wanted confirmation that her book choice was 'right'. Yet as I thought about her question, Christy appeared to shift pedagogical decision-making from herself to me and in a sense asked the tacit question, 'You decide. If I select this book will I achieve a high grade on my assignment?' But I wanted Christy to decide -to practice deciding. I would not be present in the future to help her decide which books to use in her elementary classroom. As her instructor I believed that my duty in this context was to create *
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