DIOCESE OF
Name of Publisher: Prentice Hall
Subject Area: Language Arts
Title of Textbook or Series: Literature Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes
Grade Levels: 6-8 Copyright: 2000 Edition:
RATING KEY:
4-Superior 3-Good 2-Fair
1-Poor 0-Feature Not Present
NA- Not Applicable
OVERVIEW: Literature
Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes is a literature series that includes a
student edition, teacher’s edition, teaching resources, Assessment Success Kit,
writing and language transparencies, selection support workbook, grammar
practice workbook, literature library, humanities pack, interdisciplinary
units, Looking at Literature videotape/videodisc, Listening to Literature
audiocassettes, Formal Assessment /Computer Test Bank CD-ROM, Literature CD-ROM
library, Interactive Student Tutorial CD-ROM, ResourcePro
CD-ROM with literature database, Writer’s Solution (Writing Lab CD-ROM,
Language Lab CD-ROM, Writers at Work videotape, videodisc, and an interactive
reader.
CONTENT
A. ALIGNMENT WITH
CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS RATING:
2.8
Content must align with the diocesan
standards.
Comments: The content meets the diocesan standards.
B. LEVEL OF
TREATMENT RATING: 2.5
The level of complexity or difficulty of content must be appropriate
for the standards, grade level, and student abilities.
Comments: The selections are age and ability appropriate .
C. EXPERTISE FOR CONTENT DEVELOPMENT RATING: 4
Expertise
in the content area and in education of the intended students must be reflected
in the authors, reviewers, and sources.
Comments:
The authors appear to be well known and critically acclaimed.
D. ACCURACY OF CONTENT RATING: 4
Content must be accurate in historical
context and contemporary facts and concepts.
Comments: The content appears to be accurate.
E. CURRENTNESS OF CONTENT RATING: 3.5
Content must be up-to-date for the academic discipline and the context
in which the content is presented.
Comments: Information appears to be up-to-date.
F. AUTHENTICITY
OF CONTENT RATING:
3.4
Content should include problem-centered
connections to life in a context that is meaningful to the students.
Comments: There are connections to the students’
lives and cross-curricular strategies and connections.
G. MULTICULTURAL REPRESENTATION RATING: 4
Portrayal
of gender, ethnicity, age, work situations, and social groups must include multicultural fairness and advocacy.
Comments: The selections and authors appear to
reflect a variety of ethnic, racial, and social groups.
H. HUMANITY AND COMPASSION RATING: 4
Portrayal of the appropriate care and treatment of people and animals
must include compassion, sympathy, and consideration of their needs.
Comments: The selections appear to present a
compassionate and sensitive approach to people and animals.
TOTAL
CONTENT RATING: 3.5
PRESENTATION
A. COMPREHENSIVENESS
OF STUDENT AND TEACHER RESOURCES RATING: 2.8
Resources must be complete enough to address the targeted learning
outcomes without requiring the teacher to prepare additional teaching materials
for the course.
STUDENT
RESOURCES Individual
Rating: 2.5
Comments: The materials are easy to use.
TEACHER
RESOURCES Individual
Rating: 3.0
Comments: There are numerous resources especially
in the area of technology.
B. ALIGNMENT
OF INSTRUCTIONAL COMPONENTS RATING:
3.2
All components of the instructional package must align with each
other, as well as with the curriculum.
Comments:
C. ORGANIZATION OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS RATING:
3
The structure and format of the materials must have enough order and
clarity to allow students and teachers to access content and explicitly
identify ideas and sequences.
Comments: The book has a consistent and logical
format and is easy to follow.
D. READABILITY
OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS RATING: 3.5 Narrative and visuals
should engage students in reading or listening.
Comments: Language style appears to be appropriate
and the visuals are attractive and stimulating.
E. PACING
OF CONTENT RATING: 1.5
The amount of content presented at one time or the pace at which it is
presented must be of a size or rate that allows students to perceive and
understand it
Comments: There is too much material to cover in
one year.
F. EASE OF
USE OF MATERIALS RATING: 3
Both print and other media formats of instructional materials must be
easy to use and replace and be durable enough for multiple uses over time.
Comments:
The materials appear practical. There is a lot of technology available.
LEARNING
A. MOTIVATIONAL
STRATEGIES RATING: 2.8
Instructional materials must include
features to maintain learner motivation.
Comments: The book has an attractive format.
B. TEACHING
A FEW “BIG IDEAS” RATING: 1
Instructional materials should thoroughly
teach a few important ideas, concepts, or themes.
Comments: There are too many concepts.
C. EXPLICIT
INSTRUCTION RATING:
2.4
Instructional materials must contain clear
statements of information and outcomes.
Comments: There are good writing prompts and
instructions for writing.
D. GUIDANCE
AND SUPPORT RATING: 2.4
Instructional materials must include guidance and support to help
students safely and successfully become more independent learners and thinkers.
Comments:
There is support to meet different developmental levels and various learning styles.
E. ACTIVE
PARTICIPATION RATING: 3
Instructional materials must engage the physical and mental activity
of students during the learning process.
Comments: There are some opportunities for student
interaction.
F. TARGETED
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES RATING: 4
Instructional
materials should include the strategies known to be successful for teaching the learning outcomes targeted in
the curriculum requirements.
Comments: The teaching strategies included conform
to the diocesan strategies.
G. TARGETED
ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES RATING: 3.7
Instructional materials should include assessment strategies known to
be successful in determining how well students have achieved the learning
outcomes targeted in the curriculum requirements.
Comments: There are many assessment strategies
provided especially alternative assessment strategies.
TOTAL LEARNING RATING: 2.8
OVERALL
RATING: 3
STRENGTHS: The Prentice Hall Literature Timeless
Voices, Timeless Themes is a very comprehensive literature program with a very strong technology
component. The literature is varied and includes many genres and contemporary
as well as classic authors. The first
five units cover various themes. Units 6-10 cover literary forms. There is a
lot of material. This program also has an interactive reader which is a
consumable book containing some of the selections in the hard cover text.
Students can write in the interactive reader.
CONCERNS: There is too much material to cover in a year’s time. There is not as
much information about and materials for meeting individual needs as provided
by other series. The series needs more
application of grammar and writing and more extensive writing models. There
could be more opportunities for analyzing and revising drafts. The writing
component seems to be the weakest part of this program. Although there are a
lot of activities, there doesn’t appear to be a lot of instruction.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: The Prentice Hall Literature Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes tries to do it all and have it all. The technology offered is phenomenal and comprehensive, and the book has a seemingly endless supply of literature and activities. Because there are so many components and so much material, however, this series can seem overwhelming and impossible to cover.