Designed to provide practical resources for planning and teaching reading development courses, units, or lessons, the objectives and strategies contained in this handbook are generally oriented toward adult basic education academic upgrading or prevocational programs. The first section of the handbook, which focuses on the development of reading…

A cross-cultural approach is used to foster an understanding of modern China in this 8-part handbook of supplementary social studies materials for grades 5 through 12. Part 1 focuses on students' perceptions of China. Following a pretest, in which students consider their own stereotypes, three exercises help students gain a sense of the Chinese…

In compliance with Title 14, Section 12 of the Delaware Code, this document sets forth statewide policies and guidelines developed by the Delaware State Board of Education for selecting textbooks and other educational materials. After a brief introduction and a policy statement, recommendations are provided to local school districts for…

Drawing parallels with critical thinking and creative thinking, this document describes some ways that scientific thinking is utilized. Cognitive approaches to scientific thinking are discussed, and it is argued that all science involves an attempt to construct a testable mental model of some aspect of reality. The role of mental models is…

This paper is based on an analysis of 83 syllabuses and/or catalog descriptions of courses on the politics of education, educational policymaking, and policy analysis received from members of the Politics of Education Association in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. This material provided information on what topics were…

The hard-cover basal textbook continues to dominate teaching and learning in elementary social studies, particularly as a reaction to reduced budgets, the back to basics movement, state-wide testing, and criticism of less traditional teaching practices. Two problem areas encountered by children when using social studies textbooks include lack of…

In the past, science textbooks have been the target of criticism of science educators in studies of sex bias in the past. The purpose of this study was to examine the illustrations in the biology textbooks most commonly used in high schools in the United States. Seven textbooks were examined for their representation of women in illustrations of…

This article introduces and discusses some aspects of the complex problem of textbook reform, and suggests what the future holds for textbooks. (DCS)

A checklist of criteria for determining a text's appropriateness is provided. Suggestions assume four needs: current methodology, guidance for nonnative teachers, students' special needs, and relevance to the sociocultural environment of instruction. Criteria cover general considerations, speech, grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing, and…

The senior author of a textbook presenting U.S. and Canadian history in a comparative framework criticizes U.S. history textbooks for their interpretations of Native Americans and for their mystifying tendencies. Explains how "Canada: A North American Nation" presents a more detached perspective and offers a second opinion on some of the…

Examines the institutional power of Texas's state textbook selection committee. Studies the relationship between selection of educational content and social and professional interests. Finds that centralized adoption provides citizens and interest groups input, but that technical and pragmatic priorities tend to dominate selection decisions. (NL)

Reports on a review of nine elementary social studies textbooks for their treatment of African-American history and culture. Finds that the West African origins and culture of African Americans is largely ignored. Determines that textbooks present a biased and incomplete picture of slavery in early U.S. history. (CFR)

Based on expert review and research, this book provides an innovative standard and guide to social studies textbooks used in kindergarten through 12th grade classrooms for content, style, and design. The standards provide a foundation for individuals to select satisfactory textbooks and to help educators and school boards in the adoption of…

Because textbooks are essential instructional tools, they should play a major role in educational reform for excellence. Despite improvements in response to ethnic and women's movements, deterioration in textbook quality has occurred through competition for markets. Former Secretary of Education Terrel Bell observed in 1984 that educators should…

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…