A study was conducted to analyze how accurately and adequately United States children's books and school texts teach about Central America. Findings indicate that the majority of materials perpetrate ignorance and distortion about Central America. Book titles included in the study are listed. (AM)

Describes a study which analyzed 10 current and widely used secondary U.S. history textbooks for their coverage of the Vietnam War to determine their accuracy, completeness, and objectivity. Most of the textbooks studied offered a too sketchy account of the Vietnam War. Certain key topics are often neglected. (RM)

Changes in language are suggested to eliminate phraseology that reflects outdated assumptions concerning women. (Author)

Analyzes information in social studies textbooks in the United States regarding the history of the USSR. Identifies major problems, including failure to take the work of Soviet scholars into account, political bias, oversimplification, distortion of the truth and failure to highlight achievements of Russian culture, science, and sociopolitical…

Focusing on elementary education, this article examines some of the pitfalls found in textbooks dealing with global interdependence. Suggestions are made to avoid these mistakes and involve students in activities outside of the textbook. (DE)

This article is the world history counterpart to a previous paper on American history textbooks, "How Much of the Sky? Women in American History High School Textbooks from the 1960s, 1980s and 1990s," Social Education, January/February 2004. The authors of this article examined six books from each decade, the 1960s, 1980s, and 1990s. The analysis…

Textbooks of eight publishing firms were identified, analyzed for their treatment of minority groups in the United States, and each review was then responded to by publishers agents. (JB)

How many names of women from American history can the average, recent high school graduate come up with? How does this number compare with the number of males she or he can name? These are the kinds of questions that informed Janice Trecker's classic study of U.S. high school textbooks. They were also the basis for the research in Sadker and…

Describes two recent international incidents which tell a great deal about the Japanese "world view." The incidents regard the content of a new Japanese history textbook (protested by South Korea), and alleged racist remarks of Prime Minister Nakasone. Claims the two are related and provide lessons for our own version of history and conduct. (JDH)

The author concludes that what is needed--besides more information on women in history--is a new attitude: one which departs from the bias of traditional views of women, and treats both men and women as partners in society. (JB)

Discusses the results of several studies which evaluated how Africa was and is presented in elementary and secondary social studies textbooks. In the past five years, the coverage given to Africa has increased in quantity and quality. However, major new problems have arisen. (RM)

Social studies textbooks of the 1930's frequently accepted the changing times and the new world leadership without criticism. Textbooks downplayed the Depression, took an uncritical approach towards Roosevelt, and showed relative neutrality toward European totalitarianism. Political, social, and cultural reasons for these attitudes are explained.…

A person considering a textbook for possible adoption should consider the following questions: does the textbook include sufficient information on important females; does the textbook deal adequately with women's issues; do the photographs and illustrations in the textbook deal effectively with women; and does the textbook contain sexist language.…

A content analysis of secondary U.S. history textbooks revealed that texts do include discussions of women. However, the emphasis is usually on female contributions that are an extension of women's nurturing role within the family or that are supportive of male activities. Eleanor Roosevelt is the most featured woman. (RM)

Introduces a cooperative project undertaken by the USSR Ministry of Education and by various educational institutions in the United States to assess what youth in each country learn about the other country from geography and history textbooks. The objective was to minimize misinformation. (DB)