Social Studies Textbook Evaluation Form

Evaluator: Melissa Myers Textbook Title: Our Michigan Adventure! Textbook Author(s : !avid "# Mc$onnell %ublication !ate&Edition: '(() %ublisher: *illsdale Educational %ublishers+ ,nc# ,ntended -rade .evel(s : /th grade Overall descri0tion o1 the textbook: This book 1irst goes into detail about 2hat Michigan is# From 2hat it looks like on a ma0 to the ecosystem o1 Michigan# Then it talks about the history o1 Michigan# The history o1 Michigan starts 1rom the 1irst 0eo0le 2ho came to Michigan+ this section talks about the 3ative Americans and ex0lains ho2 ex0lores come over 1rom Euro0e# The book discusses ho2 Michigan became a state# Some o1 the book talks about issues that America 1aced that a11ected Michigan+ like slavery+ travel+ 4orld 4ar 5+ 4orld 4ar ' and ho2 are government 2orks# The rest o1 the book covers 2hat Michigan has done+ like building cars+ Michigan 0roducts+ the Michigan economy+ 0laces to see in Michigan+ and 2ho 2e are as Michigander6s# To summari7e+ the books talks about the develo0ment o1 Michigan through the years+ ex0laining ho2 it started+ issues it 1aced+ and 2ere it is today# .ist and describe all materials that accom0any the textbook# 8: This is 2hat , could 1ind related to this textbook# Material Type Description 8 Teacher6s Edition The teacher6s edition is //( 0ages# This edition is sold in a 9 :ing "inder and is only sold to ado0ting schools# Student 4orkbook %arent Materials Materials 1or ES.&E.. .earners Materials 1or Students 2ith S0ecial 3eeds 8 Audio Media This audio is on ) $!s and is read by the author# ,t is organi7ed by lesson and is only sold to ado0ting schools# ;ideo Media So1t2are Online Media Test "anks "lackline Masters

2 Trans0arencies Other

The assessment 0ackage is sold only as a $!# ,t 0rovides to levels o1 MEA% like test 1or each cha0ter# These tests include 0rom0ts+ charts and gra0hs+ and extended res0onses# Assign a numerical score 1or each statement belo2# <se the s0ace beside each statement to 0rovide additional comments# SCORING: /=excellent> 9=good> '=ade?uate> 5=0oor> (=unacce0table&nonexistent Practical Considerations Scor Element Comments e / The textbook is clearly organi7ed# 9 Table o1 contents and index are clear and ex0ansive# ' <nits&cha0ters&sections are o1 acce0table length 1or target audience# 9 %age design includes am0le 2hite s0ace and acce0table backgrounds# / -ra0hics are clear and accurate# ( A00endices are accurate and easy to use# / The book is attractive# / The si7e o1 the book is a00ro0riate# / The book a00ears durable# ' The textbook integrates National 4hile it is clear 2hat the Council for the Social Studies learner needs to learn+ the Standards# @uestions think about and "rain Stretchers are not really ?uestions that 2ould make a student go out o1 the box+ think 2hat they learned and develo0 an ans2er# ,nstead+ all they are really doing is re0eating 2hat learned 1rom the text book# 4hile it does technically have

3 the di11erent ste0s+ they are not enhancing a student to think beyond kno2ledge ("looms Taxonomy o1 .earning !omains + 2hich , believe is the 2hole 0oint o1 the National Council for the Social Studies Standards# Each lesson has a ?uestion that the cha0ter is about# For instance cha0ter one lesson t2o is about our state symbols and the ?uestion is+ B*o2 do our state symbols hel0 0eo0le learn about MichiganCD

5 The textbook o11ers clearly stated goals or obAectives 1or each cha0ter#

9 %rovides u0EdoEdate ma0s+ illustrations+ and to0ical discussions# Target Audience Scor Element e 9 The content is age a00ro0riate and sensitive to the develo0mental level o1 the target audience# 9 The layout and 2riting style a00eal to the target audience# 9 To0ics a00eal to students at the targeted grade level# / Ex0lanations are clear and delivered in a manner understandable to students#

Comments

Each lesson has a clear obAective and the 2riting is very understandable# Along 2ith this there are 0ictures to hel0 students understand 2hat the reading is talking about# For instance+ in one section it is talk about the king o1 "ritish# O11 to the right o1 the 0ager is a carton dra2ing o1 a king 2ith the "ritish 1lag#

4 9 The text 2ould be enAoyable 1or students and teachers to read and use# ' :eading level is ageEa00ro0riate#

, honestly cannot decide i1 this ageEa00ro0riate# %art o1 the reason is because ,6m used to really detailed textbooks+ even 2hen , 2as in third grade+ and so seeing a textbook that has large 2ords and is very easy to read is strange 1or me# "ecause o1 that , 2onder i1 this book should be more 1or 'nd or 9rd grade# *o2ever+ , can6t decide i1 , only think this because that 2as ho2 , 2as taught or i1 the students 2ould be at a higher reading level than this book#

Content Sco Element re / The amount o1 material addressed in each cha0ter is reasonable#

Comments Each cha0ter is s0lit into t2o to 1ive lessons (aka# sections # These lessons are not long either+ and they contribute to the main 0oint o1 the cha0ter# , believe it does ho2ever

/ $ontent material se?uencing is logical# 9 $ontent se?uencing 0rovides 1or

5 revie2 o1 0rior kno2ledge and connections to ne2 kno2ledge# the book is 1ormatted in a 2ay that the students 2ill never reach 0ast kno2ledge# , believe good it is because 1irst it discusses Michigan as a 2hole+ then it goes into the history o1 Michigan+ landing as 2ere Michigan is at today# ,n the beginning it s0eaks o1 to0ics like our state symbols+ then at the end o1 the book the to0ics o1 Michigan ex0and to talk about the economics o1 Michigan# , did not 1ind any exam0les# ,6m not sure 2hat your mean by that# The to0ics range 1rom the student as a Michigander and 2hat that means+ to historical events and ho2 that evented Michigan# This book is more 1ocused on kno2ledge o1 Michigan6s history# ,t could relate to the students 0ersonal lives because they live in Michigan#

/ $ontent in1ormation is accurate# ( Exam0les are contextuali7ed+ authentic+ and FrealE2orld#F / $ontent o11erings 0rovide de0th to individual to0ics#

' $ontent o11erings 0rovide breadth across the curriculum# ' ,nterdisci0linary relationshi0s are obvious#

' $ontent addresses each o1 the NCSS Standards thematic strands# 9 %rovides a balanced 0ers0ective o1 history and culture# ( %rovides suggestions 1or diversi1ied activities# 5 Assessment extends beyond lo2er cognitive taxonomic levels# 5 ,ncludes nonEtraditional assessment methods#

6 Cultural Appreciation Sco Element re / Myriad cultures are re0resented#

Comments There is a section in this book dedicated to talking about the di11erent cultures 1ound in Michigan+ 1or exam0les+ *is0anic+ !utch+ and ,rish#

,mages re0resent individuals 1rom multi0le cultural backgrounds# 9 ,mages re0resent individuals 1rom both genders in e?ual roles o1 0o2er and authority#

For the most 0art they used dra2ings to sho2 di11erent 0eo0le# *o2ever+ , did notice that they tended to sho2 more $aucasian 0eo0le in actual 0hoto gra0hs near the beginning o1 the book# 3ear the end they 2ere more diverse 2ith the 0hotos sho2n#

9 ,mages re0resent individuals 2ith and 2ithout handica00ing conditions# / Text encourages cultural a00reciation# / $ontent coverage is unbiased# MaAor strengths o1 textbook: Some maAor strengths o1 this text book are that it uses many 0ictures and the 2ords are big and easy to read# , don6t have any clear exam0les 1or these seeing as you can o0en the book and see many 0ictures and can tell ho2 big the 2riting is# MaAor 2eaknesses o1 textbook: Some maAor 2eaknesses o1 this textbook are that it does not go 0ast kno2ledge in blooms taxonomy and it does not have good vocabulary 2ords# For all the ?uestions at the end o1 the lesson+ the ?uestions do not go beyond kno2ledge# For exam0le+ B*o2 do our state symbols hel0 0eo0le learn about MichiganCD These ?uestions ask 1or in1ormation clearly stated inside the book#

Once again ,6m not sure ho2 to give an exam0le+ besides saying that the 2ords chosen are not really good descri0tive 2ords+ they are 2ords like+ but+ like+ and# 4ords that in .anguage Arts they 2ant you to avoid#