This document discusses the features of a good social science textbook. It begins by defining a textbook as a specially written book containing selective and systematic knowledge about the curriculum. It then lists the purposes of textbooks as helping teachers and pupils, giving minimum essential knowledge, enabling self-teaching, and providing logical materials. Criteria for a good social science textbook include being child-centered, clearly arranged, up-to-date, and containing references for further study. The document also notes some cautions and functions of using textbooks, and lists advantages like planning courses as well as disadvantages like sometimes being dull.

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ONLINE ASSIGNMENT
SUBMITTED TO
MISS UMA JYOTHI
SOCIAL SCIENCE TEACHER
SUBMITTED BY
VINEETHA MOL R.
OPTIONAL: SOCIAL SCIENCE

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TOPIC
FEATURES OF GOOD SOCIAL SCIENCE
TEXT BOOK

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INDEX
SL.
NO.
CONTENT
PAGE
NO.
1 INTRODUCTION 4
2 TEXT BOOK 4
3 PURPOSE OF TEXT BOOKS 5
4 CRITERIA FOR A GOOD SOCIAL SCIENCE
TEXTBOOK
6
5 CAUTIONS IN THE USE OF TEXT BOOKS 7
6 FUNCTIONS OF SOCIAL SCIENCE TEXT
BOOK
8
7 ADVANTAGES OF TEXT BOOK 8
8 DISADVANTAGES 8
9 CONCLUSION 9
10 REFERENCE 9

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INTRODUCTION
By instructional materials we mean the tools of teaching and learning in and
out of the class room. Any discussion on instructional material will generally start
with the text books. A text book is a specially written book which contains selective
and systematic knowledge regarding the curriculum material prescribed. Every care is
taken to maintain coherence and sequence in the presentation of information and
learning activities. It is made simple to the degree that suits the intended learner. It
would indicate various teaching learning devices and a rich dose of pedagogy with all
its implications that is why a text book is said to be “the teacher in print”. A text book
differs from an ordinary book mainly on the basis that it is basically student friendly
and also reflects the anticipated instructional goals, teaching learning techniques etc.
TEXT BOOK
The text book constitutes an inseparable part of any system of education. In a
developing country like ours where even the minimum essential requirements of class
room are hardly provided, the necessity of quality text book is evident.
As far as social science is concerned, the text book is an aid which is
considered in dispensable in all methods adopted for its Institution for the study of the
subject the role played by textbook is second only to that of the teacher. It acts as the
learners’ chief aid and support. Generally speaking, textbook play a more important
role in high school instruction than in the elementary grades.

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PURPOSE OF TEXT BOOKS
The following are the major purposes served by text books:
1) To help the teachers:- It provides useful guidelines for day to day teaching,
suggestions for and serve as a reference book for the teachers time companion.
2) To help the pupil:-For pupil, textbooks are must accessible guide, reference
books and all time companion.
3) To give minimum essential knowledge at one place: A textbook can be constant
standby of social studies teacher, as it gives the minimum knowledge at one
place.
4) To help in self teaching: The efficacy of the textbook lies in making self
teaching a possible proposition through printed materials.
5) To provide logical and comprehensive materials: A good text book provides
material in a logical systematic and comprehensive form.
6) To provide both confirmation and sustenance: Text books can confirm
knowledge obtained elsewhere.
7) To ensure intellectual rapprochement of learners: It can co-ordinate the
activities and bring about the intellectual rapprochement of pupils.

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CRITERIA FOR A GOOD SOCIAL SCIENCE TEXTBOOK
To be an effective aid, it must contain all the qualities of an instructional
material. A good social science text book must satisfy the following criteria:
1) Textbook should help in achieving the purpose of learning social science
2) It should be child-centered.
3) It should contain fluent narration.
4) Textbook should have a clear and self explanatory arrangement.
5) It should open up various avenues of thought and study.
6) The language of the text book should be suitable for the “reading age” of the
pupils.
7) It should be well-illustrated.
8) It should be simple, interesting and attractive enough to take the form of a self
study material.
9) It should be free from indoctrination.
10) It should provide proper and adequate exercises and suggestions for activities
at the end of each chapter.
11) It must be up-to- date.

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12) It should help in developing international understanding
13) It should contain references for further study and references for collateral
reading.
14) It should also cater to the needs of backward people
15) It should promote group effort.
16) It should contain a subject index at the end.
CAUTIONS IN THE USE OF TEXT BOOKS
Some cautions are to be taken while using the text books.
1) Text books to be subsidiary and supplementary, not primary and fundamental.
2) Reading a unit of the text book in the class is not desirable
3) The teacher should not be a mere uncritical mouth piece for what is contained in
the text-book.
4) Do not expect pupils to know how to get the most out of texts with-out help.
5) Do not use text book as a means of avoiding hard work.
FUNCTIONS OF SOCIAL SCIENCE TEXT BOOK
The social science text book serves the following functions:

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1) In the primary classes, it can be relied up on the essential information, so
organized as to show order and continuity and so presented as to be lucid,
interesting and attractive.
2) In the secondary classes, it should contain well-arranged comprehensive
knowledge required to enable them prepare for their successful adult life. The
text book should expand its scope and size to meet the changing conception of
what is considered educationally sound and desirable.
ADVANTAGES OF TEXT BOOK
1) Text book can be grate planning of courses, units and lessons.
2) They provide an organization or structure for the course.
3) They provide selection of content that can be used as a basis for selecting
course content and determining emphasis.
4) They provide a certain number of activities and suggestions for training
strategies and tactics.
DISADVANTAGES
 They are usually dull.
 They tend to discourage real reading and studying.

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 They are liable to be superficial, because authors try to include something
about everything and so say too little about too much.
 They do not provide for differences in pupil ability or interest.
CONCLUSION
A properly evaluated, a wisely selected and correctly prescribed text book is an
asset- both for the students and teachers. Text book serve as the core of instruction in
many social studies programme and they are used in several different ways. Some
teachers use the adopted text books as the basis of instruction, employee teaching
procedures similar to those used in the reading programme. Other teachers use a basic
text book as a general guide but supplement various chapters of the text with other
reading materials and Audio visual aids. This approach, a step beyond the sole
reliance on a single text book gives children opportunities to use materials on
different readability levels and to gather data from various sources. All instructional
media including text books are resources of information that must be geared to the
capability of the students and the nature of topics under study.
REFERENCE
1. “Social studies in the class room – Trends and Methods”-P.K Sudheesh
kumar and P.P Noushad, Scorpio Publishers and distributors, Kerala,Inidia.
2. “The teaching of Social Studies”- H.S. Sidhu, Tandon Publications, Ludhiana.