Recommended Primary
Item | 3 - Extensive | 2 - Adequate | 1 - Inadequate | 0 - None | ||
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Alignment | The content of this resource aligns with appropriate grade-level core standards and is current, well-researched and referenced from reliable sources. | The content of this resource aligns with most grade-level core standards but will need supplementary materials to ensure coverage of all the objectives for this course. | The content of this resource aligns with a few grade-level core standards for a portion of the course. | The content of this resource does not align with standards and objectives for this course. | ||
The text fully supports the Utah core standards. It includes far more than is addressed in our standards, particularly in the ancient world, but it is easy to find those topics and concepts that are in the Utah standards. However, the last standard, focusing on human rights worldwide, is only minimally addressed. The breadth of examples to use for broad standards, such as the role of religion throughout recorded time is empowering for teachers. The Student Handbooks were even more valuable in that regard. Beyond the content, these resources overtly support the development of social studies skills, which are an important part of the other Utah state social studies standards, and which should be included in the new standards currently under revision. Again, the student handbook on skills was exceptional in this regard. | ||||||
Scaffolding | Scaffolding supports for these materials are complex and challenging, engage learners from various skill levels, assist all students in enhancing conceptual understanding, and offer opportunities for students to share evidence and research. | Scaffolding supports for these materials engage learners from various skill levels and assist students in enhancing conceptual understanding. | Scaffolding supports for these materials engage learners from various skill levels. | Scaffolding supports for these materials do not engage learners. | ||
Content is presented in appropriate bite-sized chunks, with a variety of tools to support the learning, including vocabulary, formative assessment of content understanding, and skills reinforcement. The supporting images are amazing! Students are drawn to the details included in the text because of the quality and size of the photos. | ||||||
Navigation | Students can navigate the material independently. Instructions are clear and understandable. | The material contains instructions that are understandable and easy to navigate. Students may need educator support to navigate material. | The material may be used with direct educator support but lacks clear instructions. | The instructions in this material are unclear, and navigation is difficult. | ||
Student navigation was fairly easy, with a table of contents, forward and back buttons, and access to supplemental resources through a different navigation at the top of the page. The teacher navigation was similar, with a way to navigate between different editions of the text and the supplemental resources. |
Item | 3 - Extensive | 2 - Adequate | 1 - Inadequate | 0 - None | ||
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Physical Characteristics | The design of the material is ADA-compliant and can be utilized by all students. In physical terms, this material is durable, interactive, and provides high-quality audio-visual and tactile experiences for all users. The material contains modern, up-to-date, and relatable visuals, including diverse groups of people. | In physical terms, this material is durable, interactive, and provides high-quality audio-visual and tactile experiences for all users. | In physical terms, this material is fragile in construction, and provides limited tactile experiences for students. | In physical terms, this material is designed to be disposable and temporary. | ||
Being online, the materials seemed physically robust and engaging, with high quality video resources. | ||||||
Technical Standards | The material goes above and beyond meeting all the technical standards, ensures student data privacy is safeguarded, and can be easily installed or accessed without technical assistance. Licensing information is clearly stated in the description. | The material meets all the requirements of federal and state laws, along with the accepted technical standards (ISTE Standards and VPAT Compliance). Additional technical specifications and limitations, including hardware requirements, bandwidth demands, student data privacy, and software/ web access restrictions, are adequately noted in the description. The design of the material allows for error-free installation or access without purchasing additional components. | The material is limited by specifications requiring additional materials, technical assistance, hardware, software, or infrastructure. Student data privacy could be at risk. Resources within the material end after a trial period. | Student data privacy is at risk. | ||
Requires Flash!!!??? I got a Flash warning when I first opened the text, so I am not sure how much of the resources are affected by that. It may simply have been the review site that needed Flash, rather than the text itself. | ||||||
Adaptability | The material is currently relevant and adaptable for teacher and student use in individualized or group instructional settings across multiple content areas. The material can be customized for the needs of diverse learners. | The material is currently adaptable for a teacher or student to use in a limited instructional setting across a few content areas. The material can be utilized by diverse learners (not customizable). | The material has some features adaptable for students in at least one content area. The material has limited options to address the needs of diverse learners. | The material is not adaptable or easily incorporated into various educational settings or with various diverse learners. | ||
Because this text is digital, it seems fairly easy to assign individual sections or parts of the supplementary resources. It would not be as effective in print format. |
Item | 3 - Extensive | 2 - Adequate | 1 - Inadequate | 0 - None | ||
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Instructional Support | The material provides multiple examples and strong support to educators of ways to deliver instruction. These may include: -Scaffolding Lesson Plans, Personalized/Differentiated Instruction, Experiential Learning, Concept Mapping, Questioning Techniques, or Family Involvement. Furthermore, this material has content that can be problem/project-based, with incorporated skills and concepts that are integrated with all disciplines equally to support student sense-making. (Transdisciplinary/ Interdisciplinary Content Integration) | The material provides some examples to educators of ways to deliver instruction. It contains a few of the following: Scaffolding Lesson Plans, Personalized/Differentiated Instruction, Experiential Learning, Concept Mapping, Questioning Techniques, or Family Involvement. | The material contains limited instructional support on using the material with diverse groups of students, various skill levels, and student needs. | The material does not provide instructional support or examples for the educator. | ||
Suggestions for teachers on presenting the content are included, and easily accessible, but do not overwhelm the teachers’ edition. | ||||||
Supplemental Resources | The material provides a wide variety of supplemental resources that are evidence-based and are linked to real-world circumstances and current events. | The material references numerous available supplemental resources. | The material references some available supplemental resources. | The material does not refer to any supplemental resources. | ||
The set of student resources includes the text in Spanish, a fieldbook which functions much like an online journal that the students completes as they work through the course, and a nice set of maps. The five handbooks, which focus on skills, primary source documents, and three focus topics, are exceptional. | ||||||
Assessments | The material contains a variety of formative and summative assessments aligned with Utah Core Standards, Personalized Competency-Based Learning, and Universal Design for Learning. It provides appropriate intervention strategies that lead to observable performance and real-world experiences for students. The assessments are ADA-compliant. | The material contains summative assessments aligned with Utah Core Standards with few interventions and is ADA-compliant. | The material contains a limited number of assessments without intervention strategies but is ADA-compliant. | The material does not provide assessment materials. | ||
There are a lot of formative assessment options included throughout the student text, as well as ideas for the teacher. The chapter reviews are extensive, with a good range of assessment item types that address multiple depths of knowledge. |
Item | 3 - Extensive | 2 - Adequate | 1 - Inadequate | 0 - None | ||
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Bias Free | This material is free from bias and is in compliance with all relevant federal and state laws, rules, and regulations, as listed in the next “2-Adequate” section for this item. Furthermore, this material focuses on shared identity and includes the unique characteristics & cultural differences of students in Utah. (53E-4-204.1) This material supports civic and character education. (53G-10-204) | This material is neutral and is in compliance with the laws, rules, and regulations below: -It can be used by all students regardless of sex, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or membership in any other protected class, such as ethnicity, or disability, as described in (R277-328). -This material supports educators to be in compliance with (53G-10-202.4), where they may not use their positions to endorse, promote, or disparage a particular religious, denominational, sectarian, agnostic, or atheistic belief or viewpoint. -The material is free from discrimination and does not support stereotyping of character traits, including hard work ethic. (53G-10-206) -It is free from advertising, e-commerce, or political interest and is in compliance with the law and community standards. | This material may be interpreted as biased. Or promoting advertising, e-commerce, or political interest. Or maybe considered to regard or treat some groups unfairly. | This material does not comply with federal and state laws, rules, and regulations. This material is biased and favors a point of view that may be distracting to the educational experience of students. | ||
The text seemed very culturally sensitive. There were a few times where opposing viewpoints were presented, but the text didn’t seem to take sides. | ||||||
Cultural Awareness | This item has not been graded. | |||||
Inclusive Components | This item has not been graded. | |||||
Shared Values and Character Traits | This item has not been graded. | |||||
250 East 500 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84111-3204
Phone: 801.538.7807