Conducting a Text Book Review

December 1, 2011

Common Misconceptions

Textbooks are:• Foundation of Curriculum– Standards are the foundation

• Used Cover to Cover– Sections are pulled to be used with other material

• If it is the textbook it should be taught– Standards from 50 states make this impractical– Make things dull

Common Misconceptions

• If it is the textbook it must be accurate– Duh, that is why we are here. Look at Five Ponds

Press stories about VA History.• If it isn’t in the textbook it must not be

important– Duh 2, that is also why we are hear.– You could give the kids the books and let them

read. We wouldn’t need any teachers.

How to do a Book Review• Review Standard of Learning for Subject• Review Tests - Desired Outcome• Document Title, Authors, Issue, ISBN• Review Table of Contents – How does author

approach subject:– Chronologically– Topically

• Intended Audience

How to do a Book Review• Objective is to Analyze not Summarize• Be Objective• Include Strengths and Weaknesses • Does Author have an objective point of view– Political Ideology - Liberal or Conservative– Religious Ideology

• Sources– Secondary, Primary, and recommended on-line

Example

World Cultures: A Global Mosaic Teacher’s Ed.Pearson Education/Prentice Hall “Jesus, the founder of Christianity, was born in

Palestine while it was under Roman rule.” Page 587, Ifkithar Ahmad, Herbert Brodsky, Marylee Susan Crofts, et al., [“The Gospels say Jesus was born in ‘Bethlehem

of Judea.”]

ExampleStandards of Learning The standards depict Islam as “a unifying force that

accepted other religions.” particularly during the era of the Ottoman Empire [WHII 5(a)].

This is extremely disingenuous because non-Muslims were consistently treated as second-class citizens in all Muslim empires and jihad, not tolerance remained the unifying force of Islam.

Example

When the Ottomans conquered Constantinople they immediately converted the great church of Santa Sophia into a mosque, an act of desecration and dominance that had occurred before and would be repeated again.

Example Like other Muslim rulers, the Ottomans forced

Christians and Jews to pay an oppressive tax called the jizya specifically required by the Quran. And, the Ottomans developed a levy known as the devshirme, under which pre-adolescent Christian boys were enslaved, converted to Islam, and forced to fill the ranks of the Janissary Corps, the main infantry unit of the Ottoman army.

How to do a Book Review• Sources (Cont)– Old or New– Is there a pattern or other observation

• Organization– Does it make sense the way it is organized– Suggestions

• About the author– What other books

How to do a Book Review• Author (Continued)– University teacher– Organizational Affiliations – Papers or presentations

• Contributors– Organizational Affiliations– Background of key participants

• Reviewers & Their Affiliations

How to do a Book Review• Overall Opinion– Did book deliver on its promise– How did book affect you– Back up conclusions you reach

• Recommended Actions– Remove book from approved list– Distribute errata sheets– Recommend alternative titles

Thank You for

Your Kind Attention