Group Content Standard Textbook Work: Geometry

For this assignment my group was given the task of analyzing several textbooks used currently or previously to teach the grade level concepts of geometry. We were each given a range of grades k-8 to find textbooks for and analyze different aspects of the text. After looking at textbooks across grade levels from my content standard textbook group mates, I have established that their are several good aspects of many textbooks, as well as, many faults in the texts.

Starting with grades k-2 that I analyzed. The text I look at for the kindergarten level was very good at teaching the concepts and several skills related to identifying shapes, however, it did not give much real world application or application problems for students to use to help assimilate their newly learned skills and concepts. The text I looked at for the first grade level covered little to no geometry skills. The text for the second grade level was the only text that really touched on application in the content of the text, as well as, concepts, and skills.

At the third to fifth grade level, there was similar difficulty finding application within the texts. There was only two texts out of nine texts for this band of grades that were viewed as textbooks that were completely irrelevant to our standards. Most texts covered some but not all of the areas of geometry. Some were stronger in areas of symmetry while others focused on graphing.

The final grade band sixth through eighth grade showed much more evidence of application within the textbooks at these higher grade levels. However, at the seventh grade level many concepts were not addressed in the texts and did not differentiate between 2D and 3D shapes which is mentioned in the standards for this grade.

Overall this assignment showed the importance of reviewing the textbooks you choose to incorporate into your classroom. If teachers are not given the option of choosing their own texts it at least shows the importance of predetermining what will need to be covered within supplementary texts and activities within the classroom.