Textbook Controversy

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the controversy over history and social science textbooks that plague the United States. It discusses the issues that contribute to the controversy, such as religious or political concerns of teachers, politicians, religious organizations and parents. The paper suggests that in order to be educational, textbooks need to present the truth about history, whether the truth is pleasant or not.

From the Paper:

"Ignoring a problem has never effected change, and covering up the history of racism in this country is not going to provide any kind of reconciliation of the past, nor is it going to allow future generations to learn from the mistakes in our history. Just because an element of history is distasteful does not mean it should be removed. However, what should be presented to students is the idea that things have changed, and should change from these periods of time that we study. The past can be used as clear examples of why things should not be this way. Tom Sawyer should be taught for its historical and literary significance, though the language should not be ignored. The best solution would be to target issues instead of removing them or ignoring them. If Tom Sawyer is to be taught then a requirement for part of the lesson plan for discussion or composition on the piece should be about the racial slurs. Student should learn that this was not a problem at the time of its writing and that it is highly indicative of the social atmosphere of the time and place in which Twain was writing. However, they should be encouraged to understand that this is no longer acceptable, and that our social climate has changed for the better over the years. Not only does this allow a genuine revue of the material, but it potentially leads into cross-curricular discussions, which are proven to be highly beneficial as well."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Cheney, Lynne V. 1994. The end of history. Wall Street Journal. 20 October 1994 .Evans, R. W., & Pang, V. O. (1995). National Standards for United States History: the Storm of Controversy Continues. Social Studies, 86(6), 270-274.
• Faulconer, T., & Freeman, A. C. (2005). Teachers, Classroom Controversy and the Media. Social Education, 69(6), 323+.
• Garvey, J. (1995, December 15). The Earth Is Flat: My Textbook Says So. Commonweal, 122, 7+.
• Heritage Foundation (2006). http://www.heritage.org/.
• Limbaugh, R. 1994. Text from the Rush Limbaugh television show, October 28, 1994 .

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