Textbook perspective

This week we have examined interpretation in textbooks and made a first foray into 'reading' or interpreting primary sources. Texts do not clearly state their goal or perspective but as we discovered in class the perspective or interpretation can be found in the selection of material and its arrangement in the text. What was striking to you about this exercise? What did you learn? Should textbooks come with a warning about 'hidden perspective'? Do we need to teach students how to 'read' these texts? To me this exercise is like reading or listening to the news - I don't typically question the truthfulness of the news but am aware that perspective and interpretation is often evident - in the choice and presentation of stories, the selection of material and in the emphasis. 


        I always had a notion that text books were not telling us everything that happened. I looked at it as the lack of room to fit the whole history would be a lot. I did not realize that it was more a slanted perspective. I also did not realize that there were some had a much different perspective of the same events. This activity in class opened my eyes to the change in perspective. I feel that this has taught me that I need to read the textbooks more carefully and look to see what other perspectives there are about the same events.
       I do not know if textbooks should come with a warning about the hidden perspective since I feel it is the teacher's job to try and find books that do not have a really hard perspective and if possible more primary sources or even more secondary sources instead of third hand sources. I do feel that we should try to inform students that all textbooks have a slant to them. I feel that we do have to teach students how to understand if not a little on how to read.
       I think that Yana had a great idea about doing an exercise like we did in class with high school students. I think that like Yana said it is most important in High school not so much to elementary students since they do not really use textbooks as much as high school students. I think this was very interesting to read other people's ideas on the textbook issue as well as thinking back to when we were students in high school and the difference in perspective.