This study, undertaken in 1963, analyzed the references made to religion in elementary social studies textbooks. The report was intended to inform authors, publishers, and teachers and enable them to correct errors, supply omissions, and omit irrelevant material. The textbooks used in the study consisted of 120 elementary (grades 1-6) public…

Identifies developments in U.S. history in which religion played a decisive role. Investigates the way these religious forces were dealt with in 10 high school U.S. history textbooks used in Alabama. Concludes that they ignored or distorted the place of religion to the extent that students are denied knowledge of recent historical research. (LS)

Five fifth grade and five sixth grade textbooks commonly used in Michigan public schools were examined to determine the extent to which they (1) reflected the pluralistic nature of the U.S. society and also (2) showed scholarship, educational soundness, and appropriate readability. Six of eight independent and qualified educators reviewed and…

Based on an examination of 50 general social studies textbooks, the report discusses the most frequently found biases, misconceptions, omissions, inaccuracies, and misrepresentations. Criteria for judging the textbooks include: readable and suitable materials; accurate and current content; presentation of Africa as a diverse continent; open…

Pressure from scholars, educators, fundamentalists, and others has convinced publishers that textbooks are weak in religion, classics, social studies, and science. Publishers, pushed by new content standards set by California and other states, seem ready to change their content and approach. (Author/MSE)

This section, from a larger report describing a project designed to systematically investigate how religious and traditional values are represented in today's public school curricula, presents a review of the literature focusing on studies that have analyzed the treatment of religion and values in elementary and secondary textbooks. This survey is…

Selections from the recent history texts of 13 foreign countries are contained in this document as an effort to gather the curricular perceptions of other countries about key events or periods in American history related to the U.S. Revolutionary War. The compilation provides American secondary teachers with contemporary source material not…

This section, from a larger report describing a project designed to systematically investigate how religious and traditional values are represented in today's public school curricula, presents seven studies intended to examine how religion, religious values, and family and family values are presented in the typical textbooks used in the nation's…

Intended to examine equity in values education in public school curricula, this comprehensive report is organized into two major sections. Section 1 is empirically oriented and presents evidence describing how religion and traditional values are represented in the nation's public school textbooks. Part 1 of section 1 (by Donald Oppewal) is a…