Much of the attention given to literacy, of late, has focused on ensuring that students can read, without consideration to what they are given to read. Kristin Conradi Smith & Elfrieda H. Hiebert discuss four general aspects of the texts used in elementary classrooms -- text complexity, text type (narrative versus informational), text format…

Argues for a more principled and careful consideration of composition handbooks. Discusses the values and measures used to evaluate handbooks, what constitutes the act of writing, what constitutes good writing, and who writes and why. Lists questions to serve as a guide for instructors in handbook selection. (TB)

Textbooks for GCE Advanced Level Biology have provided over-simplified and inaccurate accounts of Charles Darwin's contribution to the study of evolution over a period of many decades. They have credited him with field skills and insight that he did not possess, and repeated several historical inaccuracies. Darwin's strength was as a synthesiser…

The procedures undertaken in developing and organizing skills indexes for use in coding elementary school language arts textbooks to determine what is actually taught are presented in this paper. The outlined procedures included performing a preliminary analysis on four language arts textbooks to compile an extensive list of skills and performance…

The selection of textbooks used in content analysis to determine values taught to students is important. Only widely used texts must be analyzed. The samples of U.S. history texts used by Fitzgerald (1979) and Barth and Shermis (1980) in their studies were not representative of textbooks used in schools. (RM)

The preparation of spelling skills indices, which may be used to describe the spelling content commonly taught in textbooks and the performance modes used to practice this content, is outlined in this paper. Separate sections discuss the preliminary analysis that was performed; the establishment of a Content Index that specifies major categories…

Reviews whether textbook publishers have put the "world" in world history textbooks by comparing the editions of four different world history textbooks over 25 years. Evaluates 10 current editions of world history textbooks. Offers questions to consider and discusses additional content concerns. Includes charts and references of the reviewed…

This paper originates from the perspective that school textbooks are crucial organs in the process of constructing legitimated ideologies and beliefs and are a reflection of the values considered important by powerful groups in society. This claim is explored through investigating the manner in which a selection of history textbooks in use in US…

Using a cross-section of European secondary school history textbooks, a study examined general developments in the presentation of history over the last decades. Three to 5 textbooks from 13 European countries were examined. Until the mid-1960s textbooks were primarily concerned with the history of the particular state or nation, but over the last…

This book presents an overview of the treatment of the Holocaust in the textbooks used in the Federal Republic of Germany, Israel, and the United States. Selection of these three countries was based on historical, political, and state administration criteria. All three countries are democratic but vary in terms of history, heritage, and…

This report examines the portrayal of the Second Amendment of the Constitution (the right to keep and bear arms) in U.S. history and U.S. government textbooks. The document contends that not only were there numerous errors and misrepresentations of facts, but also there were many omissions of various events throughout history. Further research…

Reported is a study designed to determine whether reading grade level (RGL) assessment techniques used for elementary and secondary education textbooks would discriminate among plant and soil science textbooks. The study was to select the RGL indices suited to quantify the readability of these sources, and to identify the factors affecting…

Maintains that most history textbooks support the traditional view that dropping the atom bomb on Hiroshima (Japan) was necessary to end World War II and save U.S. lives. Briefly articulates the revisionist view that the bombing's main purpose was to intimidate the Soviet Union. Reviews six textbooks. (MJP)

Provides some background on Frank Abbott Magruder and compares the 1917 and 1993 editions of his landmark textbook, "American Government." Although the text has gone through 76 editions it remains true to Magruder's original intention to portray the fluid and dynamic nature of U.S. democracy. (MJP)