Textbook Evaluation 1
Running head: EVALUATION OF EXPLORING ART
Textbook Evaluation of Exploring Art
Kimberlee Bullock
University of Montevallo
Textbook Evaluation 2
I.
Abstract
In this paper, the textbook that will be evaluated is called Exploring Art. This textbook
was written by Gene Mittler, Ph.D. and Rosalind Ragans, Ph.D. It was published by The
Mcgraw-Hill Companies, Inc. in 2007. This textbook was written for middle school children
who are interested in art and its concepts. This paper will describe what makes this textbook a
good fit for any art classroom. I will give you a subjective approach to my evaluation by stating
my personal opinions about certain aspects of the textbook. An objective evaluation will be
given based on findings from the Fry and Smog analysis and other sources.
Textbook Evaluation 3
Textbook Evaluation of Exploring Art
II.
A.
Subjective Readability
Vocabulary/Symbol Usage:
In the textbook Exploring Art, there is a strong emphasis on new key terms. These key
terms are highlighted in a bright yellow to emphasize their importance. The definition of the
word is stated directly after in italics to make it stand out for the reader. There is also a useful
glossary in the back of the book with all the key terms. In the Check Your Understanding
section at the end of each lesson, the reader is asked to define the highlighted vocabulary words
from that section. He or she then has a chance to recall the information that was presented to
him or her throughout the chapter.
The degree of specialized and technical usage of the vocabulary words is very age
appropriate. The book starts off with basic vocabulary words and art concepts and builds off
them throughout the sections and chapters. So it is very important for the teacher to start with
the very basics of the book depending on what the students already know. The vocabulary words
and concepts follow a chronological order so the reader can build his or her skills from the
vocabulary words. For example: In Chapter 1, Lesson 1 (p. 4), the textbook section heading
asks the reader “What Is Art?” The section proceeds to define art as “a visual statement that
represents the real word, communicates and idea or feeling, or presents an interesting design.”
It then explains that looking at art involves more than just looking at an object; it involves
perceiving. Then it defines the word perceiving. As you can see one vocabulary word builds off
another to create many opportunities for the reader to learn.
One thing that I love about this textbook is the fact that it uses both concrete and abstract
ways to define vocabulary. For example, in Chapter 3, Lesson 5 the book defines the word
pattern as “a two-dimensional decorative effect achieved through the repetition of colors, lines,
Textbook Evaluation 4
shape and textures” (p. 5). For a student who has a hard time visualizing that definition, the
book gives them a picture of Fontana, an artist from Western Europe. She is wearing a dress
with bold patterns on it. This way a child can visually see what a pattern is.
The terms, which would commonly be new to the students, are clearly defined and easily
accessible. Although the definitions are age appropriate some of the definitions for tools, like
the brayer a printmaking tool on page 152 are not well described in the text to help the students
understand its function with art.
B.
Syntactic Maturity:
The length of the sentences in this textbook is very age appropriate. With middle school
children, it is hard to keep them at attention and focused. The sentences in this textbook help the
students to stay on track by using brief and to-the-point sentences. The sentences are on average
ten words long. There are approximately five to seven sentences in a paragraph, making the
sections seem effortless for the student to read. An example of this type of paragraph structure
would be in Chapter 9, Lesson 1 (p. 168) on Tempera paint:
Another very old medium is tempera (tem-puh-ruh). This is a painting medium in which
pigment mixed with egg and water is applied with tiny brushstrokes. Tempera
does not
spread or blend well, it is transparent, or clear, layers of color must be built up
little by little.
This can take time. Once dry, tempera is water-proof” (p. 169).
As observed in the paragraph above, the text is easy to read and flows well taking into
account the interest of the student.
The order of the sentence parts in this textbook is very appropriate for this age group.
Each sentence is complete and easy to follow. The sentences go in a reasonable order so the
reader does not get lost in the text. An example of a good sentence from the text would be,
“Digital art also relies on software. Among the most basic software applications are paint and
Textbook Evaluation 5
draw programs. The main difference between the two is the way they store images.” (p. 87) As
you can see, each of the sentences builds off the next and each sentence fits in an appropriate
order.
C.
Graphic Aids:
The variety of the artwork and activities in this textbook would appeal to every child.
Each work somehow relates to the text or the lesson that is being learned. What I found most
interesting was that the book tells you how the artist created the work. For example, there is a
photograph of a painting by the Aborigines, and it tells you the process in which the artist used to
create it. That is a very helpful tool if a student would like to try to mimic an art piece in their
own creative way. It also teaches the students about cultures other than their own. Overall, there
is a variety of different types of art work to appeal to everyone. Each section could spark the
interest of a child.
The art works and the photographs in this textbook are full of vibrant color and
interesting subject matter. The book uses bright and colorful headings to draw in the reader. At
the beginning of each chapter, there is an interesting photograph of an art piece that will draw the
student into the lesson. A good example of this would be at the beginning of chapter 15 (p. 264).
The first thing the viewer sees is an interesting picture of Vincent van Gogh in a digital photo
mosaic piece. Photo mosaic is thousands of little photographs that are digitally arranged to make
up one large photograph. Students will find this interesting because they can try to figure out
what is pictured in the tiny photographs.
Everything included in this textbook, from the photographs, artists’ works, to the
activities for students, are all connected to the content and text. This book always has very
relevant activities to go along with the lesson to enhance student learning. An example of this
would be in chapter 10, Lesson 4 (p. 192). This textbook discusses the different types of
Textbook Evaluation 6
photography, and then proceeds to talk about hand-colored photography. In the end of every
section, there is also an activity for the student to do. In this case the student is asked to collect
black and white photos and color them using the different techniques they learned in the chapter.
This is an excellent hands-on approach to teaching the student a new skill.
Although I found that the art examples are pleasing to my eye, I think a more commonly
seen works would appeal to the students. Most of the examples are some of the less famous
works of well know artist. Many students will recognize art but not the artist, therefore if
examples of the better know works were also included to give the students a stronger sense of the
artist, they may have a stronger connection understanding the art.
D.
Instructional/Learning Support
This textbook is filled with new concepts and experiences to give to the student. The
chapters’ first start out explaining the new area of art the student will be studying. Then it
discusses the background and history of the concept. When the textbook explains a new concept
or an idea, the authors do a great job of relating it to the students’ lives. The textbook then
provides an activity for students to do to apply the new skills they have learned. In Chapter 11
Lesson 1 (p. 200), the text talks about how our world is filled with visual art such as television,
posters, billboards, etc. This helps relate the concept of graphic design into the students’ world.
The summaries at the end of the chapters are done in a very creative way. The
Connecting Art & Social Studies section of each of the chapters is a useful tool for the student to
understand how art fits into the everyday world. This section goes further in depth on how
different concepts and techniques of art fit into our everyday lives. For example, in chapter 12’s
CONNECTING ART AND SOCIAL STUDIES (p. 226), the section talks about art symbols in
world religions. This section helps the reader understand the importance of symbols in various
Textbook Evaluation 7
world religions. This shows the student that sculpture and is not always just a pretty thing to
look at.
The motivating activities in this textbook can be very appealing to the reader. A great
example of an activity is in Chapter 12, Lesson 4 (p. 224). In this lesson the student learns about
plaster carving. This activity goes along with the text and teaches the student how to carve a
small sculpture out of plaster. The activity not only teaches the reader how to make a sculpture,
but it also teaches the reader how to mix plaster and handle the carving tools safely. This lesson
and many others in the textbook allow the students to take a hands-on approach to what they
have learned.
One of my favorite parts of the chapters is the CROSS-CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
section of the Chapter Review. These sections help to establish
the relevance of content in
the chapter. In Chapter 12, the CROSS-CURRICULUM CONNECTION asks the student to find
examples of relief and freestanding sculptures in their community. These kinds of questions help
he or she relate what they have learned to their own lives and their community. It makes them
aware of the things they can find in their own backyard.
The book does a nice job of outlining how to create a printmaking plate, but only gives a
very brief description of how to create a woodcut print. The woodcut would be something to
describe in better detail, because it uses different tools and is something the students could create
at home, because woodcuts do not require the use of a press (a very large manually cranked
roller which applies several pounds of pressure to the plate in order to print the image).
E.
Other Factors:
Judging a book by the cover is a very good idiom to apply towards this book. I do not
find the outside cover appealing at all. It seems very dated when outwardly looked at, but the
inside is well written, current to the publishing year, and has decent images as examples.
Textbook Evaluation 8
At the beginning of each chapter, the textbook tells the readers what to expect when he or
she is reading the text. It also gives the students an introduction of the main ideas and what he or
she is expected to learn from the chapter. In the right-hand column next to the introduction to
the chapter, there is a section called Ready, Set, Read! This brief synopsis of the chapter
includes all of the vocabulary and useful study tips for successful completion of the chapter. An
excellent example of this would be the introduction of Drawing on the first page of chapter 7 (p.
135).
The chapter titles and subheadings are a very important part of the textbook. They are in
bold primary colors that catch the reader’s attention. Usually, the titles of the chapters and
sections are one or two words long. They are brief but straight to the point. A good example of
this would again be in Chapter 7 on drawing. The chapter is called Drawing, but each section is
labeled by a specific type of drawing such as The Art of Drawing, Gesture Drawing, and
Contour Drawing. The names are straight to-the-point so a student can quickly thumb to the
sections they need. This is certainly helpful to the student.
This textbook may appeal to a different social status, gender, and ethnic background. It
contains a variety of activities suitable for both male and female students. The text also covers
various cultures of art and ethnic traditions. A good example of this would be in Chapter 13. In
the section CONNECTING ART & SOCIAL STUDIES the text talks about signs of status in the
United States and other countries. An example of this would be the presidential seal for the
United States (p.244). This allows the text to teach the students who have significant differences
in culture. Most of all those differences affect the way art is produced looked upon in other
countries.
III.
Objective Readability
Textbook Evaluation 9
According to the SMOG Calculator, this textbook has been given a grade of 9.58 which
means that the education level is appropriate for some high school. SMOG says that an example
of text that would be equivalent to the readability of this textbook would be Reader’s Digest and
Newsweek. Comparing the textbook to these two works for this age group would lead me to
believe that this textbook would be difficult for middle school students to follow. The Fry
analysis gave a slightly different rating than the SMOG analysis. This calculator gave the
readability of 12 years. Comparing the two analyses, there is about a two and a half year gap in
the age readability of the text. Considering that these are two very different ways of analyzing
the text, the results of the calculators are significantly close.
IV.
Final Recommendation
In reviewing this textbook, it is in my opinion that I would definitely recommend this
textbook as a tool for teaching in the art classroom. Not only is it interesting, colorful, and wellorganized but it is also very informative about many different types of art and the cultures related
to them. According to the article “Choosing a Textbook, Part 1: Readability,” this textbook in
my opinion, fits the criteria of a well-organized textbook that is very suitable for classroom use.
It will be an exciting tool for middle school students who are interested in the different areas of
art. It will also be useful in exploring careers in the art field. This textbook is an exceptional
example of the reading material that should be presented to our students in middle school.
Textbook Evaluation 10
V.
Appendices
Annotated Bibliography
Brown, J.
(September/October 2007).
Choosing a Textbook, Part 1:
American City and County, 25, 421-423.
Readability.
This article states that the readability is the most important component when selecting a
textbook. Choosing a reading level that is about two grades lower than the intended grade level
for the course is helpful in choosing the right textbook. The article goes about giving ideas for
determining the readability of the textbook. This text determines that the textbook is often
related to how successful the student is in the classroom.
Chambliss, M.J. (November 2004). Evaluating the quality of textbooks for diverse learners,
Remedial and Special Education, 15, 348-62.
The author argues that the evaluation process of a textbook avoids a student-centered
approach. The authors tries to convince the reader that graphic organizers, based on the success
in the individual classrooms, would serve as excellent sources in evaluating textbooks. Graphic
organizers would help evaluators be more objective. Having a graphic organizer or a guide to
view while evaluating the textbook would make it easier for the evaluator to look at the textbook
as a whole and in an objective manner.
Feynman, R.P. (July/August 1999). Judging books by their covers. The Textbook Letter, 40(2),
57-69.
Textbook Evaluation 11
This article talks about the corruption of schoolbook adoption proceedings. Feynman
thinks that state textbook adoption proceedings are pervaded by sham. These schools are being
bribed with fabulous gifts and prizes to adopt expensive textbooks without any regard to there
contents. He believes the people who are taking part in these bribes are incompetent and should
not be part of this important process. The proceedings still reflect cozy connections between
state agencies and schoolbook companies.
Mathews, J. (October 2007). Why don’t we fix our textbooks?
(Washington D.C.), www.washingtonpost.com.
The Washington Post
This article talks about the authors’ opinion to get rid of state textbook adoption
committees. He believes that the system survives by bringing in $4.3 billion a year to big
publishers and lavish gifts for the buyers. Critics argue that these lobbyists pay billions of
dollars to keep state legislatures from derailing their gravy train. In this article, you will find
explanations as to why the state won’t pay for what they know are the best textbooks students.
The author supports his opinion with significant facts from other sources.
Stein, M. (February 2001). Textbook evaluation and adoption practices. Reading and Writing
Quarterly (Washington D.C.), 17, 5-23
The purpose of the article is to encourage educators to examine carefully the process by
which they select materials and, more specifically the procedures they use to evaluate the
materials. This article states that 75-90 percent of the classroom instruction comes from the
textbook. Better designed instructional materials would have their greatest impact on lower
performing students. One very important aspect of this article is that several weaknesses in the
adoption process contribute to the lack of decent textbooks especially the lack of training of
educators serving on adoption comities.
Textbook Evaluation 12
Fry and SMOG Readability Analysis
Fry Analysis
SMOG Analysis
Number of Words
91
90
Number of Sentences
8
9
Syllables
147.6
132
Readability
12 years
9.58
*also see below
Textbook Evaluation 13
Types of Text
1. Skim through the book and make a
list of all the different types of
documents or types of text you will
have to read (include graphic texts like
graphs, maps).
*Pop out images of famous art works
*Pop out images of technique examples
*Step-by-step graphics
*Design charts
Sidebars and Pull Boxes
2. Find examples of pull out boxes or
sidebars.
What kind of information appears in
these? Are these “extras” standardized
throughout the book (e.g., “Profiles in
History,” “Science in the Workplace”)?
*Evaluating your art
*Reflective thinking
*Meet the artist
*Historical importance
Feature: Typography
3. Find examples of different typefaces
and styles.
Write down the examples and where
they appear (e.g., large, bold type for
chapter titles (e.g., 24-point font), 18point font for subheadings throughout
the chapter). How does this book use
bold-faced type? What does it mean
when they use italicized words?
*Bold and highlight key words and phrases
*Bold figure references
*Bullets to break down complex terms (ex: shapegeometric and organic)
Feature: Color
4. Does the textbook use color to
convey
Information (e.g., what does it mean
when you see words in red ink on the
page?)
*Red print chapter titles (appx 48-pt)
*Green print lesson headings (appx 36-pt)
*Red print section headings (appx 24-pt)
*Green print figure identification (appx 14-pt)
Feature: Symbols and Icons
5. Does the textbook use symbols or
icons to convey information? (E.g., if
you see an icon with a question mark in
it, what does that mean? Are you
supposed to do something, like ask a
question? Does it mean this is a
potential test question? Or is it a link to
a theme running throughout the book?)
*Book shows a question mark throughout book with
the small text written beside it “Did you know”
*Book uses a paint brush to show the beginning of
the chapter
Features: Images and Graphics
6. What kind of information accompanies
illustrations or images? Find examples of a
map, chart, and a photograph and then look
for captions or sidebars that explain or
discuss the image. How is the image
identified (e.g., Figure 2.6)?
*Images are identified by a green heading a bold
explanation of the image (ex: Figure 2-20)
Textbook Evaluation 14
SMOG Conversion Table
Total Polysyllabic Word
Approximate Grade Level (+1.5 Grades)
Count
1-6
5
7 - 12
6
13 - 20
7
21 - 30
8
31 - 42
9
43 - 56
57 - 72
73 - 90
91 - 110
111 - 132
133 - 156
157 - 182
183 - 210
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
211 - 240
18
When using the conversion tables the results for the textbook readability equaled a 31, which is a
ninth grade reading level. This book is used for seventh and eighth grade classrooms, but I do
not think the reading is inappropriate for the reading level of these students. The sentences were
not complex but had many compound words.
Irwin-Davis Readability Checklist
Textbook title: Exploring Art
Publisher: McGraw Hill
Copyright date: 2007
5 = Excellent, 4 = Good, 3 = Adequate, 2 = Poor, 1 = Unacceptable, NA = Not applicable
Textbook Evaluation 15
Understandability
3
Are the assumptions about students’ vocabulary knowledge appropriate?
3
Are the assumptions about students’ prior knowledge in this content area appropriate?
3
Are the assumptions about students’ general experiential backgrounds appropriate?
NA
Does the teacher’s manual provide the teacher with ways to develop and review the
students’ conceptual and experiential backgrounds?
NA
Are the new concepts explicitly linked to the students’ prior knowledge or to their
experiential backgrounds?
5
Does the text introduce abstract concepts by accompanying them with many concrete
examples?
5
Does the text introduce new concepts one at a time with a sufficient number of examples
for each one?
5
Are definitions understandable and at a lower level of abstraction than the concept being
defined?
4
Is the level of sentence complexity appropriate for the students?
5
Are the main ideas of paragraphs, chapters, and subsections clearly stated?
4
Does the text avoid irrelevant details?
4
Does the text explicitly state important complex relationships (e.g., causality,
conditionality, etc.) rather than always expecting the reader to infer them from the
context?
NA
Does the teacher’s manual provide lists of accessible resources containing alternative
readings for the very poor or very advanced readers?
3
Is the readability level appropriate (according to a readability formula)?
Textbook Evaluation 16
Learn ability
5
Is an introduction provided for in each chapter?
5
Is they’re a clear and simple organizational pattern relating the chapters to each other?
5
Does each chapter have a clear, explicit, and simple organizational structure?
5
Does the text include resources such as an index, glossary, and table of contents?
5
Do questions and activities draw attention to the organizational pattern of the material
(e.g., chronological, cause and effect, spatial, topical, etc.)?
NA
Do consumable materials interrelate well with the textbook?
Reinforcement
4
Does the text provide opportunities for students to practice using new concepts?
4
Are there summaries at appropriate intervals in the text?
5
Does the text provide adequate iconic aids such as maps, graphs, illustrations, etc. to
reinforce concepts?
3
Are there adequate suggestions for usable supplementary activities?
3
Do these activities provide for a broad range of ability levels?
3
Are there literal recall questions provided for the students’ self-review?
4
Do some of the questions encourage the students to draw inferences?
4
Are there discussion questions, which encourage creative thinking?
5
Are questions clearly worded?
Textbook Evaluation 17
Motivation
NA
Does the teacher’s manual provide introductory activities that will capture students’
interest?
4
Are chapter titles and subheadings concrete, meaningful, or interesting?
4
Is the writing style of the text appealing to the students?
4
Are the activities motivating? Will they make the student want to pursue the topic
further?
3
Does the book clearly show how the learner might use the knowledge being learned in
the future?
3
4
Are the cover, format, print size, and pictures appealing to the students?
Does the text provide positive and motivating models for both sexes as well as for other
racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups?
Textbook Evaluation 18
VI.
References
Mittler, Gene, Rosalinds Ragans (2007). Exploring Art. California: Glencoe/Mcgraw-Hill, Inc.
Words Count (2008). Retrieved October 19, 2008, from
http://wordscount.info/hw/service/smog.jsp