Running head: EVALUATION OF CIVICS TODAY
Mark Windham
ED 512
Ms. Crystal Lamar
November 17, 2010
Textbook Evaluation of Civics Today
University of Montevallo
Textbook Evaluation 2
I.
Abstract
The textbook being evaluated for this assignment is called Civics Today. It was written by
Richard Remy, John Patrick, David Saffell, and Gary Clayton and published by The McGrawHill Companies, Inc. This textbook was designed by to educate students in junior high about the
meaning of citizenship, the structure of local, state, and national governments, and to get
acquainted with personal economic strategies. This paper will analyze this textbook by looking
at the textbook objectively and subjectively, taking into account my experience with the text and
using calculators to determine the grade level suitability.
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Textbook Evaluation of Civics Today
II.
Subjective Readability
A. Vocabulary/Symbol Usage
Subjective Readability about a book generally varies from person to person as they
review text about that book. The aspects surrounding vocabulary and symbol usage for this text
are good and have many good aspects to support the text. The glossary in the back of the book is
strong as it gives solid definitions to support those that are found in the text of the book. The
glossary offers more support as it gives the page number the word being defined can be found
on. Vocabulary words are introduced in a positive way in that they are highlighted in blue at the
beginning of each section of the chapter and are in the same place every time. The definition of
each vocabulary word is easily found next the word in the text. At the end of each section, there
is an exercise using different examples to help students master the vocabulary words in even
more. The vocabulary words for each section are brought together at the end of each chapter in
exercises where the student is given the definition and they must find the vocabulary word that
matches up with the definition. An example of the use of vocabulary words can be found in
Chapter 1 with the word civics. Civics is listed in the key terms at the beginning of Chapter 1 (p.
6) and is found and defined on the same page. Students must write a complete sentence using
the word civics at the end of the section (p. 12) and then must match the word with its definition
at the end of the chapter in Reviewing Key Terms (p. 24). If a person is still having trouble
understanding the definition of civics, the glossary has a definition for civics as well (p. 676)
letting you know what page you can find the word on. The one weakness with the vocabulary
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words is that as you get towards the end of the text, some vocabulary words are used in a
sentence without giving the definition of the word.
B. Syntactic Maturity
An important feature to consider when reviewing a textbook is syntactic maturity. The
sentence structure for this textbook starts on level that is very is to comprehend and then
becomes more complex the deeper into the text you get. For example, in Chapter 1, a passage
from the text states, “Within a single country, many levels of government exist” (p. 9). Towards
the middle of the book the text states, “These people argue that judges who must run election
campaigns may be too concerned about the effect of their decisions on the public” (p. 299). By
the end of the text, the passages have become even more complex. A section of the text from
Chapter 26 states, “Opponents of NAFTA contended that American workers would lose their
jobs because U.S. plants would move to Mexico to take advantage of cheaper wages and less
stringent enforcement of environmental and workers’ rights laws” (p. 568). There are still short
some short passages towards the end of the text, but overall, the text is much more complex to
challenge the reader. Also, the text does a good job with sentence order as nearly every sentence
follows subject-verb-predicate order. The downside to the text is that slower learners could
struggle during this the text towards the end of the book, but it is still laid out in a manner that
could be followed.
C. Graphic Aids
Graphic Aids are an important part of any text that most books seem to overlook. This
text does an excellent job of giving graphic aids throughout the book and gives different
examples that can be used effectively. Graphic aids in Chapter 1 offer up a chart to list the levels
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of government and then list the function of each with an example to go with it (p. 6). Later in the
book (p. 112), the text offers an example of a cause-and-effect organizer to help students explain
the effects of poll taxes in the South. Each chapter of the book offers a type of graphic organizer
that can be used to help remember the information presented in that chapter. Graphic aids could
be the strongest point of this book with the array of examples they give to students to help them
find different ways to understand the material being presented. The graphic aids in some
chapters are multi-colored and draw the readers’ eyes to them to obtain the pertinent information.
The only weakness with graphic aids is that there are so many being presented, it
D. Instructional/Learning Support
The Instructional/Learning Support offered adds another strong point to this text. At the
beginning of the text, there is a listing for the Alabama Course of Study Standards for
Citizenship (AL 6–AL 10). These pages list out the standards and objectives that students are
expected to know when they finish this text. These early pages go on to explain how the text
attempts to accomplish the goal of helping students meet these standards. These pages (AL 12–
AL 17) also go on to explain the process of the Alabama High School Graduation Exam and
what is expected of students in order to progress to a passing score in order to receive an
Alabama high school diploma. Once inside the main context of the book, the support does not
stop. The Declaration of Independence is explained in full detail from what the Preamble means
to all those who signed it and what state they are from (pgs. 44-47). The Constitution of the
United States is described out in full detail to easy-to-read text on the side of each Article so the
reader can have an easier understanding of what each section is talking about (pgs. 60-81). The
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text also contains pictures and/or cartoons on every page that are relevant to the material being
discussed on that page. At the end of each chapter, there is a “Review to Learn” section that
gives a summary of each section of the chapter. In this area, the top two to three points from
each section are highlighted as the important items from that part of the text. The sections in
each chapter of this text flow in a smooth pattern that is easy to follow. Each section of each
chapter contains two to three paragraphs to cover the material in way that reader can
comprehend. Each chapter has three to four sections where the material is discussed. The end of
each chapter is highlighted with assessment and activities that help strengthen the readers’
comprehension of the text. There are sections for reviewing key terms, reviewing the main
ideas, critical thinking, analyzing visuals, and a technology exercise. There are no recognizable
weaknesses that could be found in this area of the textbook.
III. Objective Readability
Readability is a very important part of a textbook, especially on a core course. A
textbook fails its objective if it comes in a manner that cannot be comprehended. Textbooks
should come in a manner that is able to be comprehended, but at the same time offer a challenge
to the reader to keep them interested in the text. Texts that are too high on comprehension levels
overwhelm the reader and make them want to give up on trying to understand it. I used the
SMOG calculator (Words Count, 2007) to help comprehend objective readability. Each one of
the sections I surveyed contained seven sentences. However, the number of syllables contained
in each section went up from 160 to 191. The readability level in Chapter 1 graded out at a 7.4
reading level, Chapter 13 came in at a 10.2 reading level, and Chapter 26 came in at an 11.1
reading level. This was a good rise in the reading level that starts the student off with a level
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they are on and increases gradually to a level that challenges them and prepares them for the next
grade. Even though the book finishes on a high grade level, the information is still presented in a
level that is easy for the reader to follow.
IV. Recommendations
This text would receive a very high recommendation from me to use in the classroom.
The information presented in the text is current and is presented in a manner that is easy to
follow and tied in to experiences that the reader can relate to.
The chapters are arranged in an
easy-to-follow pattern and are short enough to get the related information across to the reader
and keep the reader interested. The text contains plenty of graphs and pictures that readers can
relate to help increase their comprehension. The text would need to be updated every ten years
to keep up with the changing laws and economies that our world possesses. Overall, this book
would be a great benefit to the classroom.
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V. Appendices
A. Annotated Bibliography
Grensing-Pophal, L. (2010, April). Are Textbooks Obsolete. EContent, 3, 18-22.
With the expansion of technology in today’s society, schools are trying to stay on top as
well with new ways to present material to their students. Schools and parents are looking
for ways to cut costs and the digital technology might be the answer. Publishers today
are looking for newer ways to present their material in an appealing manner that interests
students. Many pedagogical experts agree that presenting the information in a digital
manner increases learning. However, many people still prefer to have a copy in their
hands that they can access at any time. All of these forms of technology make publishers
find the best way to present the information that interests everyone.
Lin, L. (2009). Whose History? An Analysis of the Korean War in History Textbooks
from the United States, South Korea, Japan, and China. The Social Studies, 100 no.
5(September/October), 222-232.
Textbooks, especially those related to history, are presented according to the beliefs of
the country the textbook is being used in. The author of this article believes that stories
from multiple sides should be used to get a better understanding of how this war and
other wars played out. This approach would help students better understand how
different countries felt going to war. Too many times, textbooks are wanting to make our
country feel good about ourselves and only presenting one side of the story. In order to
be more effective, textbooks should bring in more sides to give a true feel to how wars
have affected the different sides involved.
Alter, G. T. (2009). Challenging the Textbook. Educational Leadership, 66(8)(May), 7275.
This article discusses a situation in which a textbook adoption committee adopted a
textbook and this decision was opposed by community leaders and a group of educators.
The author of the book had left out topics dealing with racism, slavery, and other
injustices because they felt this information was not pertinent to the text. In order to
satisfy the needs of all, the publisher provided a supplemental edition to go along with the
text that covered the injustices. By working together with the publisher, the school
district was able to come up with a solution that was workable with all groups.
Newkirk, T. (2008, Winter). When Reading Becomes Work. Independant School, 67(2),
18-22.
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The author of this text notes how the Harry Potter phenomenon encourages reading for
many readers. However, most texts are developed, not written, by several writers who
are trying to meet the goals of school districts instead of presenting them in a way that
readers can connect to. Many companies are stretching out the text by adding many
unnecessary graphs and charts that confuse the reader. Because of a drawn-out text that
is trying to meet standards, many students become disconnected with reading and no
longer want to by the middle school ages.
Standish, A. (2008). Changing Perspectives in High School World Geography: 19502005. Journal of Geography , 107(4/5)(July/October 2008), 121-130.
This article deals with how geography changes over time the methods publishers are
going to keep up with these standards. During the 1950s, most textbooks were only
concerned with the geography and citizenship standards of the United States. Most
textbooks focus on the traditional interpretation of citizenship because that is the way
most educators want it presented. This lack of coherence makes it harder for students to
get a balanced look at how different cultures and countries perceive citizenship.
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B. Readability Analysis
Readability
Avg. Grade Level
SMOG
8.2
Fry Readability
8.5
C. Irwin-Davis Readability Checklist
IRWIN & DAVIS READABILITY CHECKLIST
1. Textbook: Civics Today: Citizenship, Economics, and You Grade Level: 7
In the blank before each item, indicate a “Y” for YES, an “S” for to SOME extent, an “N” for
NO, or a “NA” for does NOT APPLY.
UNDERSTANDABILITY
Y Are the assumptions about students’ vocabulary knowledge appropriate?
Y Are the assumptions about students’ prior knowledge of this content area appropriate?
Y Are the assumptions about students’ general experiential background appropriate?
N/A Does the teacher’s manual provide the teacher with ways to develop and review the
students’ conceptual and experiential background?
S Are new concepts explicitly linked to the students’ prior knowledge or to their
experiential background?
Y Does the text introduce abstract concepts by accompanying them with many concrete
examples?
Y Does the text introduce new concepts one at a time, with a sufficient number of
examples for each one?
Y Are definitions understandable and at a lower level of abstraction than the concept
being defined?
Y Does the text avoid irrelevant details?
Y Does the text explicitly state important complex relationships rather than always
expecting the reader to infer them from the context?
N/A Does the teacher’s manual provide lists of accessible resources containing alternative
readings for the very poor or very advanced readers?
S Is the readability level appropriate?
USABILITY
External Organizational Aids
Y Does the table of contents provide a clear overview of the contents of the textbook?
Y Do the chapter headings clearly define the content of the chapter?
Y Do the chapter subheadings clearly break out the important concepts in the chapter?
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Y Does the glossary contain all the technical terms in the textbook?
Y Are the graphs and charts clear and supportive of the textual material?
Y Are the illustrations well done and appropriate to the level of the students?
Y Is the print size of the text appropriate to the level of student readers?
Y Are the lines of text an appropriate length for the level of the students who will use the
textbook?
N/A Is a teacher’s manual available and adequate for guidance to the teachers?
Y Are the important terms in italics or boldfaced type for easy identification by readers?
Y Are the end-of-chapter questions on literal, interpretive, and applied levels of
comprehension?
USABILITY
Internal Organizational Aids
Y Are the concepts spaced appropriately throughout the text, rather than being too many
in too short a space or too few words?
Y Is an adequate context provided to allow students to determine the meaning of technical
terms?
S Are the sentence lengths appropriate to the level of students who will be using the text?
Y Is the author’s style (word length, sentence complexity, paragraph length, numbers of
examples, etc.) appropriate to the level of students who will be using the text?
Y Does the author use a predominant structure or pattern of organization
(compare/contrast, cause/effect, time order, problem/solution, etc.) within the writing to
assist students in interpreting the text?
INTEREST
N/A Does the teacher’s manual provide introductory activities that will capture the
students’ interest?
Y Are the chapter titles and subheadings concrete, meaningful, or interesting?
S Is the writing style of the text appealing to the students?
Y Are the activities motivating? Will they make the student want to pursue the topic
further?
N Does the book clearly show how the learner might use what is being learned in the
future?
Y Are the cover, format, print size, and pictures appealing to the students?
Y Does the text provide positive and motivating models for both sexes as well as for
other racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups?
Y Does the text help students generate interest as they relate experiences and develop
visual and sensory images?
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SUMMARY RATING—Circle one choice for each item:
The text rates highest in interest. Usability would be second.
The text rates lowest in understandability but is very understandable.
With the text, my teaching can best supplement usability.
With the text, I would still need assistance with interest.
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VI. References
Remy, R. C., Patrick, J. J., Saffell, D. C., & Clayton, G. E. (2005). Civics Today: Citizenship,
Economics, & You. Columbus, OH: Glencoe.
Words Count (2007).Retrieved August 3, 2001, from http://www.wordscount.info/hw/smog.jsp