Evaluating K-12 Textbooks



Evaluating Social Studies Textbooks (Page one, Continued on page two)

| |1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |

|Standards |100% aligned to the |100% Aligned to both |#2 plus does so for each |100% Aligned to the |#4 plus involves the |

| |national standards, with |National and State at the |lesson. |performance indicator |students with the specific|

| |some state standards |content standard level for| |levels of the MLR and to |language of performance |

| |included for the entire |each chapters | |the National standards |indicators within the |

| |book | | | |content. |

|Engaging Students with |The school’s grade level |One plus encourages |Two plus guides students |Three plus There is |#4 plus Literature |

|Relevant Content |social studies curriculum |students to think about |interpretations and |supportive correspondence |included and referenced. |

| |subjects are emphasized.. |what they have learned |reasoning The narrative is|between the narrative and |There are different genre |

| |The movement of the text |Each unit possesses a |lively in style and rich |the illustrations, |of primary sources |

| |is clearly guided by logic|systematic development of |with experiences of |sidebars, and supporting |included, either as a |

| |as appropriate themes and |ideas. Topics are treated |people. |biographies, or primary |complete reference or in a|

| |patterns emerge. |in depth. | |source references. |meaningful excerpted |

| | | | | |passage. |

|Developing and Using |Provides a variety of |One plus introduces terms |Two plus represents ideas |Three plus provides |#4 plus provided a |

|Social Studies ideas |experiences and knowledge |meaningfully using |effectively Students have|practice which allows |variety of new contexts |

| |The instructional |vocabulary Students of |opportunity to discuss or |students to demonstrate |and incorporates |

| |activities provide |differing abilities find |debate ideas presented in |use of knowledge in a new |discovery, inquiry based, |

| |opportunities for students|opportunities for success |the textbook |context The questions |constructionist |

| |to be actively engaged in |in learning the content. | |provided for students help|approaches. The activities|

| |the learning process. They| | |them to analyze the |provide for curriculum |

| |are varied and include | | |information and to think |integration and |

| |opportunities to write. | | |critically; that is, to |correlation. Activities |

| | | | |reflect, hypothesize, |become more challenging as|

| | | | |analyze, verify, |the year progresses |

| | | | |synthesize. | |

|Teacher's Edition |The TE comprehensive, |One plus additional |Two plus teaching |Three plus resources and |#4 plus includes |

| |organized and useable, it |resources organized and |objectives are clearly |ideas for adapting the |technology suggestions |

| |includes the student |useable including |stated. Answers are |material to different |(CD-ROMs, videos, |

| |edition (e.g. |assessment tools or ideas |included and the book is |ability groups are |websites, computer |

| |wrap-around)? | |durable. |included |programs etc. |

|Supplementary materials |Manipulatives, (and |One plus re-teaching |Two plus chapter extenders|#3 plus includes |#4 plus includes |

| |substitute sugestions) |materials and activities |are abundantly available |children’s literature |technology options |

| |blackline masters, |are available for the |to horizontally broaden |suggestion for reading |(CD-ROMs, videos, |

| |overheads, cumulative |students who struggle with|the concepts for students |that is connected directly|websites, computer |

| |review. practice and extra|the basic skills. and |who master the basic |to the social studies |programs that will operate|

| |practice oportunities are |concepts |skills and concepts |concepts. |on in the Microsoft |

| |available and organized in| |quickly. | |Windows xp environment.) |

| |a useful way. | | | | |

| | | | | | |

|Page Two |1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |

|Continued from page 1 | | | | | |

|Assessment |Pre and post unit bundle |One plus format includes |Two plus assessments are |Three plus alternate forms|#4 plus Assessment |

| |assessments are available |short as well as extended |balanced and give students|of assessment types are |strategies enable students|

| |as well as a followup one |responses, the use of |the chance to show both |given which include |to hypothesize, analyze, |

| |in a standardized format. |graphic organizers and |the concepts of social |bundles, observations, |and draw conclusions about|

| |Both formal and informal |answers requiring writing |studies and skills |open ended questions and |the subject matter they |

| |assessment strategies are |reflection |(inquiry, problem solving,|performance assessments |are studying. |

| |suggested. | |reasoning and |complete with grading | |

| | | |communication) Formative |rubrics | |

| | | |assessments are included. | | |

|Engaging |Too easy |Text above grade level |Text, where applicable, is|#3 plus is dynamic and fun|#4 plus allows choice |

|Developmental Program | |reading ability or |readable at this grade |for this age |ranges of either texts or |

| | |concepts too complex (for |level. The concepts are | |activities or both |

| | |example content demanding |suitable and the skills | | |

| | |conservation of mass |appropriate. | | |

| | |before it is | | | |

| | |developmentally | | | |

| | |appropriate) | | | |

|Depth of Program |Mostly surface coverage it|It generally offers a |Concepts and processes are|#3 plus content and skills|#4 plus extends to doable |

| |is more like exposure that|summary of concepts with |both presented at an |are sequenced to allow for|open ended challenges |

| |instructional in content |little explanation or |appropriate instructional |implications to be | |

| |or process |exploration, the concepts |level and pace. |explored. | |

| | |are densely packed. | | | |

|Gut Feeling of the |It rots. I won’t be able |Partly poor, lots of |Workable, I could live |I strongly like this one, |I’ll fight for this one, |

|Reviewer |to use much beyond the |things that are not |with it. It will take some|I already have enough |It is a wonderful program |

| |scope and sequence. |addressed that will need |labor to adapt to it, but |material to adapt smoothly| |

| | |some major tweaking to |it would be ok. |to it.. | |

| | |work for me. | | | |

Publisher__________________________________________________________________ grade level______ Score____

Adapted from & ; ,and St. Thomas School Staff Review

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