Discusses controversy surrounding the equal-protection rights of students versus the freedom of expression rights of authors. This author pleads the side of the students and supports the Civil Rights Commission's endeavor to learn what sex and race bias guidelines textbook publishers use. Gives suggestions for parents and teachers. (BC)

Racial bias in instructional materials is still a monumental and pervasive problem which can and must be dealt with. Here is a description of what one local group did to help correct the problem. (Author/RK)

Reviews five composition textbooks, assessing their attempts to integrate the reading and writing processes through literature and composition. Examines the textbooks' theoretical instantiation and notes their lack of success in achieving the reading/writing connection. (MM)

Discusses U.S./USSR Textbook Study Project and the concerns of its director, Howard Mehlinger. Among the criticisms of Soviet treatment of U.S. history are the overriding ideological biases and the inadequate coverage of such topics as political parties and reform movements. Among Soviet complaints are stereotypes of economic underdevelopment and…

Reports the results of an examination of the contents of major textbooks in order to determine the extent, accuracy, and objectivity of Mexican American history at the high school level in recent years. (Author/JM)

Frances FitzGerald's critique of American social studies and history curricula in "America Revised" is reviewed. The conclusion drawn is that censorship, special interests, and marketability exercise too great an influence on the textbook industry. (JMF)

Using content analysis, presents a study of 14 U.S. history textbooks. Analyzes textbook treatment of the Declaration of Independence, the atomic bomb, and the Holocaust. Examines nontextual materials. Finds errors of omission, boring writing styles, and a basic similarity between the textbooks. (RW)

These critiques of a high school American government textbook, "American Government in Action," (Resnik and Nerenberg, 1973) represent the first in a series of studies designed to assess the effectiveness of social science textbooks in communicating and reinforcing Western values. The critiques are followed by a response by the authors of the…

An examination of eight widely used college English handbooks published since 1974 reveals a range of sexist usage, indicating that authors and editors have not reached a general consensus on which practices they and student writers are to avoid as sexist. Sexism is still manifest in handbooks in such practices as the following: using sexually…

Results of a workshop to review language arts, social studies, and counseling curriculum materials for sex bias are reported. The workshop, held in Lansing, Michigan in June 1979, consisted of 37 teachers who analyzed content and illustrations for sex discrimination. Evaluations are arranged alphabetically by the publisher of the textbook within…

This document represents Volume I of a two volume study to determine the extent to which four elementary level social studies programs reflect the multi-racial, multi-cultural nature of American society. The document is presented in three parts. Part I covers the Michigan Social Studies Textbook Act, an historical overview of previous Michigan…

This document, Volume II of a two-volume report on the extent to which four elementary level social studies programs reflect the multi-racial, multi-cultural nature of American society, contains individual reports of each reviewer. Fifteen reviewers examined textbooks and accompanying instructional materials according to the degree to which they…

Describes newly developed and tested materials which provide models of women who work in significant roles in society. (Editor)

The status of the North American Indian in most history and social studies textbooks has not substantially changed in the last 20 years. The Indian continues to be portrayed in extreme, simplistic, stereotypical roles--on the one hand noble, peaceful, friendly, and helpful and on the other hand fierce and warlike. (JHZ)

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.…