One of the key requirements of the Common Core State Standards for Reading is that all students must be able to comprehend texts of steadily increasing complexity as they progress through school. By the time they complete the core, students must be able to read and comprehend independently and proficiently the kinds of complex texts commonly found…

This paper attempts to clarify the concept of textbook science, discusses the methodology used to identify it, and illustrates some of its aspects. Further research is suggested on the validity of the science represented in textbooks with regard to recent advances in disciplines, including the history and epistemology of science. (Author/LMO)

Provides eight concepts, with illustrative questions for interpreting the authorship of texts, that are borrowed from cultural studies literature: (1) representation; (2) the gaze; (3) voice; (4) intertextuality; (5) absence; (6) authority; (7) mediation; and (8) reflexivity. States that examples were taken from British Columbia's (Canada) social…

The Canadian Supreme Court demanded concrete evidence of unlawful conduct that actually fostered discrimination before certain teachers were adjudged to be unsuitable to teach in public schools. A year later, the court held that a schools board's decision not to approve certain curricular materials depicting same-sex parents was unlawful although…

Considers the ubiquitous use of textbooks in social studies classrooms and recommends constructing critical-thinking exercises revealing textual bias. Suggested exercises concern issues of emotional or ambiguous language, geographic and cultural inclusion/exclusion, and accuracy of data. Includes several examples of critical-thinking activities.…

Three problems concerning the use of history texts in secondary schools can be underscored. The first is philosophical, the intended use of the history text. The philosophical underpinnings of history texts are a matter of some contention today. History and social studies texts were, for many years, viewed as a means of socializing new citizens…

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…

Reports on an analysis of history textbooks used in Canadian schools during the 1930s. Presents a set of six criteria used by the evaluators. Concludes that the textbook study is a reminder of the period when the social studies curriculum was the subject of political criticism from the left. (CFR)

In summer 1982, at the request of Alberta Education, an evaluation study was undertaken of all learning resources presently listed in their publications "Alberta Social Studies Learning Resources for Elementary Schools" and "Alberta Social Studies Learning Resources for Secondary Schools, 1980/81," including recommended and…