Reviews filmstrip/cassette recording materials titled "Reaction Rates: Molecules in Motion." Also reviews six college-level textbooks, addressing major strengths/weaknesses of texts under consideration with regard to their specific usefulness to high school chemistry teachers. (JN)

Reviews two textbooks: "Principles of Biochemistry" by Albert L. Lehninger and "Inorganic Chemistry, A Modern Introduction" by Therald Moeller. Also reviews text, study guide, and laboratory manual for Morris Hein's "Foundations of College Chemistry, Fifth Edition" and text/study guide for David A. Ucko's "Basics for Chemistry." (JN)

An analysis of research methods textbooks in psychology showed that little coverage is given to control issues in research, such as experimenter expectancies and subject bias. However, space and attention given to research ethics has increased considerably. This is probably due to imposition of controls from the government and the profession. (CS)

Several examples of misinformation and advanced topics included in current chemistry textbooks are provided. Suggests that since these books tend to be too long, too advanced, and too heavy, revisions should be shorter and less costly, with confusing aspects of chemistry (such as molecular-orbital theory) left out completely. (JN)

Investigated two methods of segmenting text based upon phrase boundaries in an attempt to make social studies textbooks more readable for elementary school students. Concludes that phrasing the passages for students improved their reading comprehension by approximately one grade level. (FL)

Children's preferences for different art styles were measured and correlated with text content and sex. Results indicated that content did influence style preference, but sex seemed to make no difference. (CJ)

This study was conducted to determine the cognitive demand made by an eighth-grade science textbook. Reasoning patterns and science concepts were listed and compared. Concrete reasoning was required more often than formal reasoning, but some points of difficulty for students who are not formal reasoners were noted. (MNS)

Surveys the errors, omissions, incomplete explanations, and inappropriate emphases found in the chapters on libraries and librarians in freshman English textbooks of the last 25 years. Suggest ways of improving these chapters. (JL)

Reports the results of a study designed to determine the extent to which fourth-grade students had difficulty answering literal comprehension questions. Suggests that expository passages of social studies content are more difficult to comprehend than narrative passages. (AEA)

Reviews the history of the use of advertisements as instructional material, indicating that they appear almost exclusively in advanced level textbooks for adults and that they are seldom exploited according to clearly defined objectives. Discusses various modes of utilization and suggests criteria for the selection of such materials. (MES)

Some of the major changes and trends in ethical philosophy and ethics teaching are illustrated through an analysis of ethics primers. Changes in the field of ethics and in the development of moral awareness are reflected in the development of ethics primers. (JN)

A survey designed to investigate how challenges to school library materials relate to the overall selection process found that (1) the number of challenges increased steadily with increasing grade level; (2) local challenges were more restrictive than state challenges; and (3) active challenges affected administrators' selection, making them more…

The creation/evolution controversy has gained renewed popularity in the last few years. This has resulted in serious implications for science teachers. All classroom teachers need to protect themselves by learning the distinctions between scientific law and theory and to acquire knowledge of the various theories of evolution. (JN)

In five experiments, adults verified sentences by reading complex information in several technical passages. Both segmenting and indenting influenced performance; however, once a text had been meaningfully segmented, the addition of indentation cues did not affect response time. Implications for typographic design--line length and margins--are…

Describes a study of currently available introductory chemistry textbooks for nonchemistry majors. Investigators (one philosopher and one chemist) read books and noted instances of value judgments and content. Findings include uniformity in factual content, and an abundance of value judgments on social, political, and economic issues. (DS)