Margaret Martell

READ 472
Textbook Assessment
The textbook I am using for this textbook assessment was purchased by the Harrisonburg
City Public School system for their 8th grade physical science class. The textbook is titled
Physical Science. It was published 2001 by Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.
Readability
To develop the readability score of the Physical Science textbook, I randomly selected
three pages from the textbook using a random number generator at https://www.random.org/. The
Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease score was calculated for each passage on the website
https://readability-score.com/. According to the website, A grade level (based on the USA
education system) is equivalent to the number of years of education a person has had. A score of
around 10-12 is roughly the reading level on completion of high school. Text to be read by the
general public should aim for a grade level of around 8. A higher score indicates easier
readability; scores usually range between 0 and 100 (Readability Score, 2015). Below is a table
showing information for the three randomly selected passages. The table represents each
passages Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease score, average grade level, syllable count, word count,
sentence count, and words per sentence. All of this information was calculated by the generator
on https://readability-score.com/. I chose 100 word passages because I wanted to have a certain
size passage be evaluated. From each randomly selected page, the passage begins at the top of
the page and ends at 100 words.
Page
Number
553
143
232

FleschKincaid
Reading
Ease
57.7
68.8
54.6

Average
Grade
Level
8
7.2
10.3

Syllable
Count
163
146
156

Word
Count
100
100
100

Sentence
Count
9
7
5

Words per
Sentence
11.1
14.3
20

Readability calculators assume that longer sentences are harder to read and that the more
infrequent words in the passage, the harder the passage is to read. Disregarding word count,
which was fixed, there is a somewhat large range for the rest of the scores. It seems that the
grade level and Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease score are not directly correlated with syllable
count, sentence count, or words per sentence. The one score that does concern me is the 10th
grade level of the third random passage. I believe that ELL (English Language Learners) and
ESL (English Second Language) students will have some difficulty with this text. However, the
other two passages received a grade level score of 8 and 7.2. This makes me think that the text is
almost at grade level on average. If more passages are tested, it could provide a more accurate
average grade level. Based on the information generated, this text seems to be right on grade
level.

Content
Although the Physical Science textbook was not developed specifically for the Virginia
SOLs, the content covered in the textbook is aligned with the Virginia SOLs. A chart below
shows how the SOLs match up with the units in Physical Science.
Textbook Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
Unit 4
Unit 5
Unit 6
Unit 7
SOL
PS.1 &
PS.10
PS.6 &
PS.3 &
PS.5
PS.11
PS.8 &
PS.2
PS.7
PS.4
PS.9
At the beginning of the textbook, there is a page that specifically outlines each unit and
what is covered, including the chapters in the unit. On the next page each chapter is further
broken down into sections. This allows students to find topics for research. All of the vocabulary
words can be found in the glossary of the textbook. Throughout the text, the words are bolded
and in purple so students can see what important vocabulary is present in the chapter. From
When Students Cant Read: What Teachers Can Do, I found that if vocabulary words are bolded
in a text, it builds cognitive confidence in students by allowing them to easily determine the
meaning of the vocabulary word. Some vocabulary words I found in the textbook are:
Periodic

conduction

density

mechanical efficiency

insulator

Although the textbook wasnt published until 2011,

Physical Science still seems relevant to middle school material
and to students interest. The year of the book was definitely a
concern at the start but after looking through the content, I have
found that it relates to student interests for most examples. The
content covered in this textbook is, for the most part, the same
content that most 8th grade middle school students are learning.
The textbook supplies numerous labs, example, labeled pictures,
and graphics for the students supplemental learning. At the side
of at least one page in each chapter, there is something called a
Quick Lab. This allows students to conduct quick experiments on
concepts covered in the chapter. It reinforces their knowledge of
the content covered and is really easy to do at home as well.
A possible negative of the book is that each chapter is at
least 20 pages in length. For an 8th grade class, I do not think it is
appropriate to ask the students to read a 20 page chapter. This is
Content page split into
very discouraging to students. If I was back in 8th grade and had to
chapters and units
look through the textbook to see that there are some 30 page
chapters. Pictures, quick labs, and other side notes definitely contribute to the length of the
chapters.
Format
The whole format of Physical Science is very interesting. At the beginning of the chapters
there is an inquiry based activity. The chapters all start out with some sort of story that includes
concepts covered in the chapter. Following the story there is a What do you think? blurb that
gives the students essential questions to make them think about the story. After they inquire
about the story, students have the opportunity to perform an investigation that will introduce

concepts discussed in the story. To introduce the content, the textbook relates some of the new
concepts to everyday life so the student will understand it. As I said earlier, the publication date
does not take away from the relevance of the everyday relations to content.
Each chapter is broken into sections. Each section length can vary from 3 pages to 10
pages. Their length depends on the amount of pictures and supplementary material on the pages.
Throughout each chapter there are really cool graphics that catch my eye. I think that for most
students, they enjoy color and cool visuals that will help their thoughts
stay organized. However, I know that for some other types of learners,
color and graphics will only distract them from the content. At the
bottom of some pages, there is a little box with short review questions.
It gives two content based questions and the third question allows
students to apply the concepts to evoke higher level thinking.
Something that I like that reminds me of the SOLs is that there
is a little box on some pages that tells students the terms they will learn
as well as what they will do. The what youll do part is basically the
objectives of a lesson plan! I was so happy to see this in the textbook
because it is something students arent informed enough about.
Another helpful supplemental blurb in the book is the
Vocabulary and objectives that
connection box. Lots of students go through a lesson not
mimic the Virginia SOL objectives.
remembering what the real connection to real life is. This little
box at the bottom of some pages relates the content back to real life for students to be more
investing in learning. Having a consistent check in for the students allows them to continually be
motivated to understand the content because they can apply it to real life experiences.
One possible negative of the format of Physical Science is the organization. Yes, the
textbook is organized but it also appears disorganized. It is very hard to follow the main text of
each chapter because there is so much on each page. Since there is already so much main text, a
lot of students will breeze by the graphics, pictures, and articles that will reinforce content
because they dont understand what it is or dont want to take more time to go through them. I
think a great way to make sure the students utilize the supplemental material is for the teacher to
shorten the text and hand it out to the students. Students can keep the textbook at home and for
homework look at some of the supplemental material and write about it.
Utility

At the end of each chapter, there are

chapter highlights for each section. This
includes vocabulary from the sections as
well as important bullet points that students
should know by the end of the reading.
Something I really like in this review is that
there is a way to apply mathematics to the
concepts. Although there is not always a
direct relationship between the science
How to apply mathematics to the physics concepts.
concepts and the mathematics skills at the
end, it shows how mathematics skills can
be applied to the science content. One final supplemental reading that is included in the textbook
is a cool article or application at the end of the chapters. There are about two at the end of each
chapter. This provides more interesting and higher level application of the content from the
chapter.

Lab from the Lab Book at the

end of the textbook. This lab
covers acceleration.

Students are given further opportunities for

supplemental learning at the end of chapters through the
website: go.hrw.com. The Physical Science textbook says,
Visit the HRW Web site for a variety of learning tools
related to this chapter (p.53). This website will provide
students with additional questions and chances to apply
their knowledge to higher level questions. There is an entire
other book in this textbook called Lab Book. This has so
many labs that reinforce and apply higher level thinking to
the content in each chapter. The end of each chapter, in the
review section, gives specific page numbers in the lab book
for labs that work well with each section.
A negative to the utility of Physical Science is that it
is pretty heavy for a textbook. I think that students will
leave the textbook in their lockers or at home and not use it
unless it is for required readings. However, as I have
suggested, I believe that the teacher of this class can use the
textbook to outline the chapters for their students. Then
they can have the students keep the textbook at home to use
for activities and labs at home. This textbook has so many
extra activities, examples, and labs that it can be used for
just that by students.

Style
The style of writing in Physical Science is exactly what you would expect for a textbook.
The book is intended to be a learning tool in an 8th grade physics classroom and not middle
school reading leisure. I have noticed that the textbook is not all definitions and confusing
application of science concepts like you would think of a textbook. It is fun, interactive with
pictures and graphics, and relatable. The writing style is more immature than anyone would
expect for a textbook but I think it works in favor for the students. This definitely allows students

to find more pleasure in reading because they are working on understanding vocabulary and
concepts rather than the language used in the text. As we can see when we look back to the
information received when performing a readability test, the reading level of Physical Science is
on grade level, at average. The syntax level of the sentences is appropriate because the sentences
are straightforward with their educational intent. When new, harder, vocabulary words are
introduced; they are used in very simple sentences. The style of writing in this textbook is used
in a way that allows students to learn content in the most effective way possible. The writing is
clear but since the concepts are more difficult, it is still a challenging read for 8th grade physics
students.

Summary
Overall, this textbook seems like it can be a great learning tool for an 8th grade classroom
of physics students. I am not sure that my practicum teacher, Mrs. Webb, would feel the same.
According to A Benchmarks-Based Approach to Textbook Evaluation, To make the most
effective use of a textbook, however, teachers must decide which textbooks are appropriate for
their needs. A teacher needs to determine the extent to which a textbook focuses on and is
aligned with a coherent set of significant, age-appropriate student learning goals that the teacher,
school, or district has identified as integral to the understanding of and progress in a particular
academic subject. They must also assess how well a textbook's instructional design effectively
supports the attainment of those specified learning goals. The only way to gain this information
is through careful evaluations of textbooks and other curriculum materials (American
Association for the Advancement of Science, 2013). I believe that my teacher evaluated the
textbook and decided that it was not going to be the best way to introduce material to her
students. However, she does use the textbook to find labs, classroom activities, and her topic
outlines. She makes her own outlines of notes for her class but I am sure she gets a lot of the
material from the textbook, online, and from other teachers. I believe that Mrs. Webb could allow
students to bring home the textbooks for them to look through. There are definitely a handful of
students that would take the initiative to investigate the textbook.
The average reading level of the textbook is right on grade level. This is going to be
helpful for all students. It will challenge the students a little further behind and will allow higher
level reading students to focus on the content. The color and layout of the textbook is very
interesting and can keep students focused and always looking at other enforcements in the
chapter. Although the chapters are fairly long, the fact that they are broken into sections allows
students to feel more accomplished when they finish each 3-10 page section. There is an entire
book of labs at the end of the content that will help teachers find labs that reinforce content from
class.
There are also some negative aspects of Physical Science as well. The layout of the text
can also be an issue for some students. The color and layout can also distract students from the
content and cause them to lose place in the main text. The weight of the textbook is very
discouraging because students dont want to lug around a heavy textbook. They are more likely
to leave the textbook at home and never open it unless a reading or questions are assigned. Based
on the information received from the readability test, there is a range of reading levels. Since
these reading levels are taken from different, randomized pages, I can assume that some sections

or chapters have higher reading levels because of presence of low frequency words and syllable
count. This will make it harder for some struggling readers to understand certain concepts
covered in the book.
Trade Books
1. The Manga Guide to Physics
Nitta, H., & Takatsu K. (2009). The manga guide to physics. San Francisco, CA: No
Starch Press.
This trade book is a comic book with anime characters. The main character Megumi is
struggling with physics when she befriends Ryota, a gifted physics student. Ryota explains
Newtons laws of motion, inertia, velocity, and acceleration through real life examples. The
author provides extended explanations along with the examples to help Megumi understand the
science of motion. This is a beneficial trade book for students because it appeals to the students
who enjoy comic books. Those students are more often than not struggling readers. This cartoon
book will allow students to understand the concepts of physics in terms of motion because they
already like reading this kind of book. They will have more pictures and less text with this book.
This will provide a less vigorous supplemental text for the students that will still help them
understand the content covered in Physical Science. The pictures in the comic book are perfect
for explaining physical science and motion to students. These pictures are similar to the pictures
in Physical Science that correspond with the text.
2. Physics: Why Matter Matters
Green D., & Basher S. (2008). Physics: Why matter matters. London, ENG: Kingfisher.
This book covers almost every physics topic covered in Physical Science. Physics: Why
Matter Matters is a more advanced picture book for middle school students. It is very colorful
and contains many pictures with a lot of content. The book is formatted as a chapter book with
tabs for each topic covered. It begins with an overview of what exactly physics is and some of
the basic information students will need to know to continue with the book. Each chapter is
sectionalized as well with smaller topics within the broader chapter subject. The sections contain
small boxes of bulleted information for the reader. Following the bullets is a picture of an atom,
or another personalized vocabulary word. The character provides a first-person point of view
explanation of what it is like to be an atom, electron, etc. The book also provides examples of
where and how the character is used. The book is very fun and interesting for students. It is
playful but also does not lose focus on the content it is presenting.
3. Rockets
Miller R. (2008). Rockets. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publications Co.
Although Rockets is not a trade book that specifically addresses physical science content,
this is a book that can be used to intrigue students in a physics classroom. This book talks about
the history of rockets from when they were toys to now when they go on space explorations. I
think this is a great book for physics students because it shows what they can do if they want to
continue with a more intense education of physics. I dont think that students are shows what
possibilities they have with STEM subjects and I think this book can help spark more interest in

physical science. The book is a Space Innovations Series that discusses the science and
engineering that goes into the field of physics.
4. Full Speed Ahead!: How Fast Things Go
Crushciform (2014). Full speed ahead!: How fast things go. New York, NY: Abrams,
Harry N., Inc.
Full Speed Ahead is another book that does not deal directly with content. The book
directly compares the speed of animals, modes of transport, and forces of nature in a clear and
visually striking album format. I particularly like this book because it starts from the slowest
speed and eventually gets to the fastest. Throughout the book it shows some objects that travel at
the same speed as each other. I think this book is a fun trade book for physical science because it
shows the fun side to science. Although it does not specifically introduce or reinforce content for
the students, it is a fun way of talking about velocity. It can also be used to create problem sets
later on. I would go through and have my students solve for velocity on a worksheet as we read
the book. This would make it more fun for the students.
5. Extreme Laboratories
Squire A. (2014). Extreme laboratories. United States: C. Press/F. Watts Trade.
I didnt find many trade books for physics because I think that it is a hard subject to make
fun and write about. I did find this book called Extreme Laboratories. This book is very
interesting because it discusses some of the coolest science laboratories around. They tour an
ocean research vessel as well as the International Space Station. I find this book very interesting
because it shows how many different kinds of research go into the field of science. There are so
many ways to apply the knowledge from the classroom to interesting fields in science. A lot of
what people think science is is calculations and testing but students never get to truly understand
how interesting and interactive being a scientist can really be. This book shows so many creative
things that scientists do. It can definitely draw students in to the material.

References
Crushciform (2014). Full speed ahead!: How fast things go. New York, NY: Abrams,
Harry N., Inc.
Green D., & Basher S. (2008). Physics: Why matter matters. London, ENG: Kingfisher.
Kulm, Gerald; Roseman, JoEllen; Treistman, Michelle. (2013, November 13). A
benchmarks-based approach to textbook evaluation.
http://www.project2061.org/publications/textbook/articles/approach.htm
Miller R. (2008). Rockets. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publications Co.
Nitta, H., & Takatsu K. (2009). The manga guide to physics. San Francisco, CA: No
Starch Press.
Squire A. (2014). Extreme laboratories. United States: C. Press/F. Watts Trade.