Anna Edge
CI 3110
January 29, 2001

 The ability to analyze textbooks is one all teachers should possess.  It is a skill learned through practice and experience.  The difference between a good analysis and a bad one is made obvious in the students once the textbook has been implemented.  A teacher must look for many things in textbooks in order to perform an adequate analysis.  Some things to be considered are strengths and weaknesses, difficulty or ease, well-developed concepts or poorly specified ideas, text organization, and visual information.  The list goes on and on.  However, the point at which you begin a textbook analysis is being familiar with the students in your grade level and their character and abilities.  If you are not familiar with your students and what is required of them, it is unlikely that a good analysis, appropriate for your grade level, will be made.
 The second grade curriculum centers around the neighborhood and the community.  I chose two Social Studies books at this level:  People Together:  Adventures in Time and Place (PT) by James A. Banks, Berry K. Beyer, and Gloria Contreras and Meeting Many People written by Dr. Richard G. Boeham, Claudia Hoone, and Dr. Thomas M. McGowan.
 The books had many similarities between them.  They were both well organized with units divided into individual lessons rather than chapters.  The books’ overall content was presented topically and addressed the curriculum for the second grade.  Each book identified key words by listing them at the beginning of each unit; throughout the lessons, the words were either in bold, blue print (PT) or bold print boxed in yellow (MMP).  Most of the information will be new to second graders, but the author does include statements that will remind students of things they have previously learned.  Both texts use some context clues such as direct definition.  For example, in unit three, PT defines service in the sentence, “A service is something useful that people can do for others.”  However, neither text includes many restatements or examples of contrast.
Both books have wonderful visual aids.  Neither text features labeled illustrations and the authors rarely refer the reader to them.  There does seem to be an equal representation of gender and race in illustrations throughout both books.  Picture glossaries are present in both textbooks, which aid in student’s understanding of new words.  These are some examples of the strengths these books offer.
 There are also several differences between the two texts.  PT uses a consistent story format to introduce new lessons and information, which includes dialogue and models of social interaction.  This format creates a pattern with a nice, predictable flow of information.  MMT has a choppier format.  The information is generally presented as bland facts with a story interrupting occasionally.  These stories are very much needed after the overwhelming flood of facts.  The repetitive story format featured by PT is a better approach, in my opinion, as it is a consistent style and helps students find connections to real life situations.
 Questions within the text and at the end of a lesson are useful assessment tools for students and teachers.  MMP only asks one question at each lesson’s end.  The question is usually opinion based:  “What are some landmarks in your community?,” and require little reference to the information that proceeds it.  This will help students incorporate
their ideas into Social Studies, but it offers little in the way of a review.  PT has several questions throughout the lessons.  This helps students review what they have just read to provide deeper understanding.  There are also a few questions at the end of each lesson that require students to recall what they read:  1) “Which kind of land had water all around it?” and 2) “What kind of water and land are near your community?”  Both of these styles of questioning serve a relevant purpose, which is to use the information in the reading and personal experiences to form connections.  Unfortunately, both styles do not appear in either book regularly.
 New concepts are developed, defined, and linked to student’s prior knowledge throughout the lessons in PT.  However, MMP presents most of the information in the text as facts.  The facts contain a bundle of new information with few examples.  Sometimes a story form is used to introduce new topics.  This makes it easier for students to make connections to their prior knowledge.
 These two texts have many good aspects as well as some negative ones.  Overall, they seem quite similar, even when considering the readability estimate.  I used the Ragor Readability Estimate to calculate the approximate grade level of the two books.  Interestingly, I plotted them at the exact same point.  They both fell on the second grade level.
 Both of the texts under consideration are obviously appropriate for second graders.  It is hard to choose between two valid sources, but I would prefer PT.  I like the way all of the information is introduced in a story style format.  I think that definitely contributes to learning.