Artifact # 2
Social Studies Textbook Evaluation was used to compare and contrast the differences between two fifth grade textbooks. The evaluation is used to discover the strengths and weaknesses of the elementary texts. In doing this, a teacher would pick the book that would best suit their needs and those of the classroom.
Context
I performed this evaluation while in my block at Appalachian State
University in my Social Studies Methods class. The evaluation included
information on the text's overall content, organization of chapters, paragraph
and concept development, vocabulary density, the ease of reading, illustrations,
how and where questions were asked.
Impact
While evaluating these two books I was exposed to the criteria in which
the books must be graded, the curriculum of fifth grade and the instructional
level at which these children are expected to perform. In order to
purchase books that will be helpful in the classroom, the books must be
reviewed for information pertinent to the grade level, as well as the overall
organization of the book. This experience allowed me to obtain much
needed practice in the evaluation of textbooks for my own personal use
in my future classroom.
Alignment
The textbook evaluation enabled me to dissect the different parts of
a Social Studies textbook, and decide which one would be more appropriate
for optimal performance while teaching and learning in my classroom.
After a careful investigation I was able to choose one that I would deem
worthy of use in my classroom. (II C)