Textbooks hold an overwhelming amount of power. They are the foundation for curriculum and often dictate the direction a class is going to go. Want a more varied perspective of history? Perhaps you'll use one of Howard Zinn's texts in the classroom instead of a more traditional history text. (We'd recommend not doing so in Indiana.) The ability to color students' understanding of the world is the strength of a good textbook.
But not everyone agrees on what that color should look like — or, more specifically, the tone of a curriculum. This disconnect can lead to debate and discontent, breeding a fair share of controversy in the process. So what are some of America's controversial textbooks?
1. Texas oil and gas advocates challenge environmental science textbook
Controversy: In fall 2013, the Texas State Board of Education's approval of a new Houghton Mifflin Harcourt environmental science textbook did not come without issues. Two days before the book was voted on, oil and gas specialist Becky Berger tried to convince the board that adopting the book would be a bad idea. While the book was eventually approved, the scuffle highlighted an obvious gap in the scientific needs of students and the desires of the oil and gas industry. As the nonpartisan watchdog Texas Freedom Network told the Huffington Post, “The entire episode showed just how easy it is for special interests, at the last minute, to hijack the textbook adoption process in Texas."
2. Creationists bemoan biology book (again, in Texas)
Controversy: The issue of teaching evolution was also front and center as the Texas State Board of Education initiated a preliminary approval of a new Pearson Biology textbook last fall. As the board was about to vote, as many as 20 concerns about the book were brought to the attention of the group. According to the Huffington Post, some of the concerns included "how long it took Earth to cool and objection to lessons about natural selection because 'selection operates as a selective but not a creative force.'" Once again, the idea of hijacking a textbook adoption process was brought up. Thomas Ratliff, a Republican and vice chairman of the Board of Education, told the Huffington Post, "this book is being held hostage to make political changes." For Ratliff, the biggest evidence of this was the fact that book was already being used — with no problem — by many schools nationally. In the end, the book was eventually approved.
3. Florida district raises concern over "World History" book's alleged Muslim bias
Controversy: Last summer, Florida's Brevard County School Board convened to figure out what to do about Prentice Hall's "World History" after the textbook ruffled some parents' feathers. According to the angry parents, the book was slanted toward Islam, favoring the religion over Judaism or Christianity. "It's remarkably offensive to me," Rep. Ritch Workman told WESH 2. "This book very much sugar-coats the rise of Islam to be this wonderful new world order while teaching Christianity as dogmatic." In the end, the board decided the book was biased and decided that rather than discard it completely, it would commission a supplemental guide to provide more context for Judaism and Christianity in world history.
4. History texts associated with Tea Party decried in Arizona as "propaganda"
Controversy: A group in Washington is currently riled up over the fact that an Arizona charter school is using two books by Cleon Skousen in its curriculum. Pegged an anti-Communist, Skousen and his writing have been associated with the Tea Party movement, and have also raised concerns among those who want a clear delineation between church and state.
"These books push 'Christian nation' propaganda and other religious teachings on impressionable, young students," Alex Luchenitser of Americans United for Separation of Church and State told the Arizona Republic. Some issues that the group had with the books include the fact that, in "The 5,000 Year Leap", the Declaration of Independence and Revolutionary War are described as inspirations from God. Activists find issue with Skousen's second book, "The Making of America", because they believe he presents a racist perspective of the Civil War, contending that northern abolitionists provoked southern racism and that black people benefited from slavery.
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