K-12 Textbooks

Consider when looking at textbooks:

• What is the title?
• What do you already know about the subject as stated in the title?
• What is the copyright date? Why is this important?
• Read the table of contents and list the major divisions or parts in the book.
• Is the book organized chronologically, topically, or does it follow some other organizational plan?
• Make three predictions about what your students can expect to learn in the rest of this book.
• Ask one question you would like answered.
• Read the introduction and preface. Who is the author, and what do you now know about him or her? Mention qualifications and background, biases, unusual approach, or any other information about the author you find in the introduction or preface.
• List three items of useful information in the preface or introduction that will help your students read the book.
• Look at the first chapter of the book. What is its title?
• How are the chapters organized? What do they contain?
• Look at the last chapter of the book. What is its title? Why do you think the author decided to place it last?
• Look to see whether there is an index, glossary, or other built-in aids to help you read the book. List these aids.
• Assume you have just been asked to describe this book in fifty words or less. What would you say about it?

Source (also linked below).

Additional ideas to consider for K-12 teaching:

• What is the intended grade level? Does it seem appropriate? Why or why not?
• Are facts represented accurately and appropriately? For instance, is there any bias present? (Especially consider for Social Studies topics).
• How does this text follow the curricula? How would you fit it into your teaching?
• What sort of questions do you see at the end of the chapters? Are they helpful, and is there anything you would add or change?
• List out the non-text features (photographs, charts, etc). What is there, what is missing? What do you notice about these features, and how might they help readers engage with the text?
• Is this a Teacher's Edition? If so, what extra features are available, and are they helpful? Describe them, and consider how that might help you to use the book with your class.
• Is there anything about the book that you would do differently? (The order of the material, arrangement within chapters, text features, concepts that are missing, approaches to lessons, etc).
• Would you use this text in your classroom? Why or why not?