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Textbook Assessment

READING LEVEL
This textbook, United States History: Civil War to the Present has a readability score 9.5,
according to the Flesh-Kincaid scale. This means the textbook is supposed to be suitable for
ninth grade, possibly tenth grade. However, I did three readability score tests and took the
averages to get a score of 9.5. Readability is a quantitative measurement that informs roughly
what grade should be reading the text. It is found by typing in a more than one-hundred-word
random passage (with the use of a random number generator) in the textbook. This is done three
times, and then the score is the average of the three numbers. It is a way to measure if written
information is likely to be comprehended by the reader. This specific textbooks score is above
the grade level it is used in. It is used in a seventh grade class. The higher grade level is due to
the high vocabulary and sentence length. I think this is a realistic level because even though a
ninth grade level is higher than a seventh grade reading level, teachers can help students with the
reading while supporting them along the way. There are some bigger vocabulary words, but the
textbook does a great job at highlighting and defining them. This is something the readability
score cannot pick up on. I do not think students will have an issue reading this because of the
supplied vocabulary definitions, examples, summaries and pictures provided throughout the
book.
TEXTBOOK INFORMATION
Deverell,W.,&White,D.G.(2012).HoltMcDougalUnitedStateshistory:CivilWartothe
present.Orlando,FL:HoughtonMifflinHarcourt.
Thistextbookcurrentlycosts$67.38and$1684.60foraclasssetof25.Youcanalsopurchasea
CDromthatis$53.94and$1348.55foraclasssetof25.HoughtonMifflinHarcourtandthe

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Historychannelhavepartneredtowritethistextbook which they claim is aimed to highlight

Social Studies skills such as, map reading, research, geography, and civic participation, are
integrated throughout the program, highlighted where they appear, and frequently revisited
(Harcourt, 2016). This textbook supports common core with rigor, skills, and document based
instruction. This partnership designed the textbook to bring history alive by adding sections
called What You Will Learn, If You Were There, and Main Ideas to each chapter. These
sections are also meant to help with reading support and accessibility. The textbook can be used
anywhere from sixth to eighth grade, depending on the states curriculum, but in my practicum
class it is used for grade seven. There are two main authors, William Deverell and Deborah Gray
White. The textbook includes a page with their pictures and short descriptions of their experience
and careers. Deverell is a professor at the University of Southern California, he has written many
history books, and is the former chairman of the California Council of Humanities. White is an
African American woman who was a former New York City school teacher. She is now on the
Board of Governors Professor of History at Rutgers University in New Jersey. She has written
many books about women and African Americans in particular. Kylene Beers is also a
contributing author. She is the author of When Kids Cant Read: What Teachers Can Do, and is a
former middle school teacher. There are many writing and content consultants, as well as,
academic and educational reviewers. There are approximately 470 pages of content, that are
broken into 10 units and 31 chapters. The back of the book includes a writing workshop, atlas,
facts about the states, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, an English and Spanish
Glossary, and an Index.

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EVALUATION
I chose the Beers text instrument (shown below) to evaluate this text because I really like the
four categories it is comprised of and the overall format. Instead of providing an exact number
on a certain category, Beers has a spectrum. I also used Alvermanns book that clearly identifies
characteristics to examine in a textbook.
Content:
This textbook has an enormous degree of content
to cover. The authors decide what ingredients get
to placed into the textbook and what is left out. In
figure 1, the book presents a primary resource of a
picture. This picture is not the original, it has been
adjusted. The original shot, found in figure 2,
Figure 1. Example of editing primary source.

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has a man holding a bottle of champagne, as opposed to what appears to be just a fist in figure 1.
The authors chose to change this image slightly. This could make others wonder if they have
messed with other primary source pictures. There is only
one perspective offered in this book, which is
Americas point of view. Even though it is a U.S.
history textbook, it is important and crucial to
provide students with all sides of events. This
decision could have been made to limit the
size and amount of pages in the textbook. This
content analysis pairs with the

Figure 2. Example of original primary source.

ideas presented category for Beers

instrument. After examining the content, this
book falls on the far left of the spectrum. It is
less demanding because it has easier evidence
that is basic information and has a clear
purpose.
Format:
The format is initially overwhelming because of all the visuals the authors have included. But,
each visual was chosen for a reason and has a specific purpose. These visuals enforce the content
presented, and cater to visual learners. Figure 3 demonstrates how the textbook places pictures
and graphs within the content. This format teaches students how to interpret maps and analyze
information. These types of visuals are extremely helpful to

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students and push them to dig deeper

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Figure 3. Example of charts and visuals.

with the material. The textbook does

provide many picture primary sources, but the diaries and other types of sources lack in length.
The book does a phenomenal job at highlighting and bolding certain key points. This can help
students who struggle with reading and comprehension. The reading checks throughout the
breaks in paragraphs can also aid struggling readers. Format pairs with the structure used
category Beer describes. The textbook falls to the near left on this spectrum. Meaning it is
primarily explicit, offering one perspective and the visuals clarify points.

Utility:
The textbook offers a variety of questions and enrichment at the end of sections. After each
section, there are normally three per chapter, there is a six question assessment. Figure 4 displays
an example of this. There are four multiple choice questions, one critical thinking and then one
question devoted to writing. At the end of each chapter there are chapter reviews. As shown in
figure 5, these consist of reviewing vocabulary terms and people, comprehension questions,
themes, and skills. Following the review, there are standardized text practice questions. I would
use every single one of these reviews, especially the standardized test practice questions. This
really allows the teacher to see if the students are understanding the material or not. These
questions could be used for warm-ups, discussion or formal assessments. The glossary provided
at the end of the book is great. It has appropriate definitions that do not define a word by saying
to look up another word. There is also an atlas, presidents with pictures and descriptions, famous
primary sources broken down, and an index. All of these are materials that should be used in the

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classroom to further student understanding. Utility

pairs with the knowledge required section for
Beers. The book falls to the right of the spectrum
making it a little more demanding. This placement is
due to the reviews and other added materials having
students explore complex ideas that are beyond

Figure 4. Example of assessment

questions.

students experiences. Some things are not explained in the text, so students are pushed to make
connections and think critically.
Style:
I like the way the author changes diction. There is
a good mix of different structured sentences
throughout the textbook. There are not constantly
long sentences, they are broken up with shorter
sentences that still contain a lot of information. The
text is very easy to read and flows nicely. The
Figure 5. Example of chapter review.

authors do not refer to the United States as we,

instead they refer to the country in third person.

The way the author choses which sentences to highlight, and which words to bold does not
distract the reader. The definitions included in the text are not lengthy, but simple and to the
point. This style section compares with the language used category for Beers. This textbook
falls on the left side of the spectrum of easier evidence. Language is explicit with mostly Tier II
and III words that are defined in context and used sparingly. Sentence structure is more complex
with more than one idea presented in a sentence. Each of these instruments are crucial in

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assessing a textbook. I learned even though a textbook has strong format, it could have a weaker
instrument. That being said, each instrument goes hand in hand in determining whether or not to
purchase the text. This information can be used to tell the difficulty of the text and how much
students will be pushed to go to the next level. Where the text falls on the spectrum of each
instrument can inform the teacher if there will be enough aid with the content. For example, this
textbook is over the students grade level, but there are so many extra things contributing to
helping the students learn. This specific textbook provides readers with hundreds of visuals,
graphs, and reviews to allow struggling readers to be successful.

EVALUATION SUMMARY
Strengths:
There are many strengths of this book, I
especially love how the authors set up the
beginning of each chapter. The first page of
each chapter has a What You Will Learn
section that previews the main points to come
in each section. There is also a timeline of the
events to be
discussed (See

Figure 6). These attributes are great

because it shows

readers where the text is going and

gives a visual

representation of the chronological

order to come in

the chapter. The way the authors

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support the readers during the content section of the

chapters is wonderful. They have reading checks and
little notes that describe how the specific material
impacts today (See Figure 7). These two during reading
checks can really help students stay on track with their reading. Too often students read
something fast and then have no idea what they just read.
Reading checks can guide their reading and
make sure they are comprehending the material

Figure 6. Example of timeline and section

summaries.

in the appropriate way. The impact today section (left, green passage) gives students a personal
connection with the material. History can be boring to students, so this highlight can spark a
student to continue
reading.
It also makes the material relevant, which is something a lot of students seek in their studies.
The authors do a spectacular job incorporating other skills into this textbook. History is not the
only subject being practiced. They have included

Figure 8. Example of writing workshop.

writing workshops throughout the book,

normally at the end of each chapter (See Figure 8).

Figure 7. Example of how text related to

today.

These workshops consist of an assignment, tips, writers framework, and steps to successfully
complete the assignment. Each workshop teaches students a different skill. This is a strength to
students because they are learning that all subjects fit together. For example, one skill they learn
in English can be applied to History, and vice versa. Students are getting steps instead of just
being assigned something with no explanation. Incorporating things like this writing workshop
will allow students to master skills they will use throughout their entire school career.

Figure 9. Example of blurry picture

and too much text.

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Weaknesses:
No textbook is flawless, so there are some weaknesses
with this one. There are many primary sources used
throughout the book, and figure 8 instructs students on
how to deal with these sources. However, they are
extremely short, and sometimes blurry. Notice in figure
9 how the picture is not very clear, and there are words
all over the picture. This is a common theme throughout all chapters. The authors embodied a
wonderful picture, but it is hard to focus on when there are so many things directly on top of the
image. I would like for the picture to be by itself on a page, so students could take everything in
and truly focus on what they need to. In fact, there are no pages with just a picture on them.
Pictures can be just as useful to students as words, if used the correct way. Providing longer
primary sources can allow students to practice their historical skills, and get a better grasp of
what was going on in that time period or particular event. Even though the authors do a fantastic
job at incorporating visuals everywhere, there are sometimes too many images and add-ons on
the page. This can actually hinder students ability to focus on the content because Middle
School students have an extremely short attention span and get distracted easily. Another
downfall to the book is there are not many perspectives shown. The topic of the textbook is U.S.
history and that is very evident upon reading the material. Its important for students to look at
every aspect of an event or decision because it allows for higher order thinking. Some events
where the book lacks other perspectives are the Holocaust, the Middle East conflict, the Korean

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War and both World Wars. Giving students a chance to analyze and investigate all the parties
involved grants them the ability to have an expanded view of what is going on. Having only one
perspective leaves them with a narrow and distorted view. After assessing this textbook in great
detail I would buy this book and use it in my classroom. It would not be the only thing I used,
but I would incorporate the review sections and activities into my teaching. In order to combat
the books weaknesses, I would bring in supplemental texts for the students.
ADPATING TEXT FOR STUDENTS
To use the text successfully in the classroom I will bring in other books for the students.
Elizabeth Leads the Way is a picture book about the struggles women went through to get their
right to vote. This would help students with the content because it focuses on one woman,
Elizabeth Stanton, and gives many details the book does not mention. It also encompasses
slavery, which will be a refresher from previous material. When the textbook discusses the
Holocaust it only mentions Anne Frank and Night. These are wonderful books, but they only
show one point of view. I would bring in the novel The Years of Extermination to allow students
to analyze events from different points of view. The stories are not just from the victims, they are
from the perpetrators, and bystanders. This novel is suggested for adults, but I would pull out
specific stories and data for students to examine. The textbook covers material all the way up to
the present day, including the Middle East conflict. However, it does not go into any detail at all
about why the conflict started, and why things are still going on today. It only mentions 9/11 and
how presidents are trying to fight terrorism. The book The Lemon Tree is a seventh grade
suggested reading level novel about an Israeli and a Palestinian. This novel explains the conflict
and the many opinions people in this area have. This would be great for students to read when we
got to this unit because it is on their reading level and is through the eyes of children their age. It

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would also make many connections to the current conflict they see on the news and hear about in
politics. The Civil War can be a difficult topic for students to grasp. This text explains the events,
but never discusses the interactions between the two sides. Pink and Say is a picture book about
two boy soldiers during the war. It would give students an opportunity to learn about the
relationship between the two sides, while having great illustrations to go along with the story.

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Works Cited

Alvermann, D. E., Phelps, S. F., Gillis, V. R., & Alvermann, D. E. (2010). Content area reading
and literacy: Succeeding in today's diverse classroom. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Beers,G.K.(2003).Whenkidscan'tread,whatteacherscando:Aguideforteachers,612.
Portsmouth,NH:Heinemann.

Friedlnder,S.(2007).Theyearsofextermination:NaziGermanyandtheJews,19391945.New
York,NY:HarperCollins.
This is an adult novel about the Holocaust. It has personal accounts from all sides of this tragedy
including victims, perpetrators, and bystanders. This will inform students of all perspectives and
give an overwhelmingly accurate account of the event.
Harcourt,H.,&HISTORY.(2016).UnitedStatesHistoryU.S.HistoryTextbookandEnhanced
CurriculumGrades68.RetrievedNovember2,2016,from
http://www.hmhco.com/shop/educationcurriculum/socialstudies/secondarysocial
studies/unitedstateshistory#resources.
Polacco,P.(1994).PinkandSay.NewYork:PhilomelBooks.
Thispicturebookhasasuggestedreadinglevelof35.Thestoryisabouttwoboysoldierswho
meeteachotherinthebattlefieldduringtheCivilWar.
Stone,T.L.,&Gibbon,R.(2008).Elizabethleadstheway:ElizabethCadyStantonandthe
righttovote.NewYork:HenryHolt.

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This is a fourth grade suggested reading level picture book that discusses
what life was like being a woman before they got the right to vote. It also
encompasses a little about slavery, and abolitionists who spoke against slavery.
Tolan, S. (2006). The lemon tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the heart of the Middle East. New York:
Bloomsbury Pub.
This is a seventh grade suggested reading level novel. It describes the situation in the middle east
by telling a story between two people. It takes readers through the eyes of an Arab and a Jew.

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