Textbook Analysis

Renita Shiwdarsan

Grade Level: 9th grade

Level of class: Honors

Subject: World History

1. Readability Level (Fry’s Readability Scale): 

Use the Fry Readability Graph  - FOLLOW the directions and take the AVERAGE of the number of syllables, etc. from 100 word sections at the beginning, middle, and end of the book. You should come up with ONE plotted point for the grade level equivalent of the textbook. Post the grade level (e.g., 8.5) on the form and list it here.

• Page 4 (per 100 words)
• 7.5 sentences
• 168 syllables

• Page 376 (per 100 words)
• 8.5 sentences
• 165 syllables

• Page 745 (per 100 words)
• 7 sentences
• 176 syllables

• Average: 7.7 sentences and 169.7 syllables= College Readability 

2. Level of Questions (Bloom’s Taxonomy):

Check the end of chapter questions in 3 chapters in the textbook (at the beginning, middle, and end). List the categories of questions found most, next, and least... (e.g., the majority of the questions might deal with comprehension, a few with application and analysis, and none related to synthesis or evaluation).

Within each chapter, there are sections. Each section has a set of review questions. The end of the chapter has a full chapter review. For the three chapters (Ch. 1, 17, 34) the questions are the same for the most part. The section review questions ask to identify, define, describe, evaluate, analyze, and apply. These kinds of questions incorporate a wide range of questions. They all have to do with comprehension and then they move beyond that by asking questions with application and analysis. You cannot apply, analyze, or synthesize content without fully comprehending the information. The questions build on one another. The full reviews at the end of the chapter reviews vocabulary, main ideas, main themes, critical thinking questions, and lastly applying your skills. The different kinds of questions help the student fully comprehend and apply the information. It is not just asking to memorize a particular name, date, or thing. The questions help the reader fully digest the material and then apply their knowledge.

3. Bias (text, images, content coverage):

List or make a notation regarding any bias you find in the textbook... the bias could be in the pictures/images displayed, the examples given, the coverage (or lack of coverage) of events, ideological orientation, etc.

I actually did not really notice any bias. The textbook is about world cultures and history. The textbook introduces the idea of the global environment and the world today. The subsequent units focus on a specific area of the world. Unit 2 focuses on Africa. Unit 3 focuses on South Asia: India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Unit 4 focuses on Southeast Asia, Australia, and Oceania. Unit 5 focuses on East Asia: China, Korea, and Japan. Unit 6 focuses on Latin America and Canada. Unit 7 focuses on the Middle East. Lastly, unit 8 focuses on Europe and the former Soviet Union. The textbook does a good job in the use of illustrations that include pictures, maps, charts, and graphs. The pictures include fine art, photographs, and cartoons that truly bring the various cultures and histories to life. Pictures of men, women, and children are used. Captions include questions that further reinforce the themes of the particular unit. The maps, charts, and graphs analyze major economic, political, and social developments. The captions once again are important because they have background information and questions to help reinforce the student’s ability to use and understand maps, charts, and graphs. The textbook offers a segment called up and close that takes an in-depth analysis of an important person or event to show how that particular thing influenced a region’s culture and history. Lastly, by dedicating a unit to every major part of the world helps eliminate any bias. Moreover, the textbook employs a variety of resources in the textbook that are beneficial to students who have different learning styles.