Text Book Bibliography

Text Book Bibliography

1. Beyer, Barry K., et al. Neighborhoods and Communities: The World

Around Us. Macmillan/McGraw-Hill School Publishing Company, NY 1991

This social studies text focuses on neighborhoods and communities for the second grade. The emphasis of this book is with building such skills as citizenship, geography, and time. This social studies text also contains many colorful maps, pictures and calendars that illustrate the information noted in the social studies curriculum.

2. Hyder, Bobbie P. and Brown, Carolyn S. Neighborhoods and Communities.

Silver Burdett Company, Morris Town NJ. 1986

The textbook Neighborhoods and Communities, by Hyder and Brown focus mainly on communities and how they work. This book includes chapter reviews, skill development activities, as well as a glossary and index.

3. Bednarz, Robert S., et al. Here We Are. The Riverside Publishing

Company, Chicago Ill. 1982

This Social Studies text focuses on map skills, communities, and how people interact with one another. It also contains chapter reviews, a list of words to remember, as well as bright, large dated pictures.

4. Samuels, Elizabeth W., et al. People and Neighborhoods. Addison-

Wesley Publishing Company, Menlo Park, CA. 1972

This social studies textbook follows three children from different neighborhoods in Chicago. People and Neighborhoods, discusses the differences in communities and families. Unfortunately, this book is outdated for any current use in an elementary school; however, we were surprised by the diversity illustrated in the book for when it was written.

5. Schreiber, Dr. Joan. Neighbors Near and Far. Scott, Foresman and

Company, Glenview Ill. 1986

This text contains information about families, neighborhoods, needs and wants, similarities and differences, as well as making changes. The book incorporates many stories to introduce the concepts outlined in the social studies curriculum and contains a picture glossary for student reference.

Text Book Recommendation

1.  Establishment of Need: The book we have chosen is Neighborhoods and Communities: The World Around Us, by Beyer, Craven, McFarland and Parker, published by MacMillan/McGraw-Hill School Publishing Company of NY in 1991. This text is the first addition published in this format. The need for this book is based upon our existing outdated and over used second grade social studies text. We are teaching in a mid-sized urban community and feel that this text provides an array of diverse neighborhoods, which will broaden our students’ awareness of how communities work and develop.

2.  Procedures for Evaluation: As the committee became more and more aware of the extreme need for an adequate second grade social studies textbook, Neighborhoods and Communities came highly recommended from a neighboring school district. This committee was implemented to review any text that fit the districts social studies curriculum. After reviewing Neighborhoods and Communities, the committee found this text had by far the best objective outcomes, resources, and skill-building materials out of the many text reviewed.

3.  Community Recommendations: It is recommended by this committee that the school district adopt this text and all of its components due to the following reasons. (1) The teachers’ manual contains well-outlined lessons that are easy follow with enriching activities. (2) Each lesson implements activities that meet each student’s individual needs. (3) The building skills sections in each chapter integrate higher order thinking skills with an array of colorful illustrations. (4) The supplemental materials at the end of the student text provide illustrated terms in an easy to understand format.

4.  Rational for Recommendations: This committee recommends this textbook due to the following reasons. The sequencing format is developmentally appropriate for the critical thinking skills of second graders. This book also contains a wide variety of colorful illustrations and photographs that adequately outline the information on each page. Each key word is defined in the picture glossary in a way that can be easily understood by students at a second grade level.

5.  Basic Information of Projected Cost: This textbook gives a broad overview of communities from the past, as well as the diverse communities of today. The publishing company also provides wonderful components that go along with the textbook. Some examples of these components are plays, music, posters and home activities, which would supplement the text. Unfortunately, the total cost of this textbook and all of its components are unavailable at this time due to the recent tragedy in New York City. However, we do expect to have an estimation of the total cost by the end of the week.