In today's world, it is a fact that some people want the poor to be helped and some people want poverty to be eliminated. One way to narrow the gap between these two situations is to know what children need. The premise of this study is to evaluate the role of secondary school social studies textbooks in addressing poverty, unemployment and…

A checklist of procedural guidelines for selecting new and replacement textbooks, films, tapes, kits, anthologies, and other instructional materials. (DD)

Examines obvious and covert efforts of censorship on young adult novels and the publishers' reluctance to provide more realism. Concludes by urging teachers to counteract those forces through diligent consumer education. (HOD)

Presents the views of three secondary-level teachers regarding the use of textbooks in geography instruction. (JDH)

This paper discusses the needs of high school students and teachers that writers and publishers of psychology materials and textbooks should keep in mind. To take students' needs into consideration, publishers should stress practical application and relevance of subject matter, provide opportunities for interaction with peers, aim reading…

Reported are results of a survey in which 13 series of secondary level geography textbooks were tested to determine readability. Findings indicate that there is little difference in the readability level of geography texts published for grade six and those published for the secondary level. References are included. (Author/DB)

A treatment group of ninth-grade students were instructed in selected science concepts with drawing-plus-text materials; the control group used text only. Results showed that the treatment group scored significantly higher on post-tests on the selected science concepts. (MLH)

Presents opposing views concerning the effects of the publishing industry on the English curriculum. (JL)

California's "History-Social Science Framework" adopted by the State Board of Education in 1987 is similar to the report by the National Commission on Social Studies in the Schools in emphasizing the central role of history in the social sciences. (MLF)

This article examines the topic of racism in textbooks by reviewing the content of a geography textbook popular in the United Kingdom and Australia. Concludes that the problem of racism in textbooks is pervasive and in violation of United Nations standards for antiracist instruction. (JDH)

Describes what publishers can do to improve textbooks and teaching, and what teachers can do with inadequate textbooks to repair the "faulty" state of language education. Lists nine "knowns" about language education and explains how textbooks can exploit that knowledge within existing constraints. (RS)

This paper addresses the question of whether introductory students are learning the essential concepts of sociology. A study of 18 introductory sociology textbooks, dated from 1973 through 1977, indicates that these basic concepts are not clearly and intelligibly presented. Although over 1500 concepts were included in 18 glossaries, only one…

Presents a set of "neutral" language guidelines as a way of pointing out the problems of using language guidelines in the first place. (JL)

This textbook evaluation instrument is provided to assess (1) content properties; (2) instructional properties; (3) physical properties; (4) readability; and (5) other properties such as cultural mix, organization of text, and suitability for various grade levels in secondary level world geography and global studies textbooks. For the first three…

The amounts and kinds of speech information in high school English non-literature textbooks were examined in 32 textbooks published between 1960 and 1964 to measure the proportion of each book devoted to speech instructional materials and to locate 28 pre-determined speech areas recommended for secondary level speech instruction. Using a Quality…