Text Book Critique
By Rachael Orbach and Ilanit Zakowski
Material analyzed:
Mind Matters by Eric Cohen
Teacher’s Guide w/CD
Student’s Coursebook
Student’s workbook
-published in Israel, 2006, through Misrad Hachinuch
This book is for the Intermediate Level-Stage 3- Grade 9, but it’s currently
being used in an advanced Grade 8 class.
being used in an advanced Grade 8 class.
The Student Course book comes with a CD Rom, which is Windows 98, not only XP,
so basically anyone can use it. The book is all inclusive: it consists of reading comprehension
and grammar activities. Each chapter is divided up into the different domains. The course book
contains many different topics, such as geography and history, but we felt it’s a little too history
biased, and doesn’t contain other topics that would interest children more. The book is racially
sensitive: there are pictures with people of different ethnic backgrounds, and black and white
people together. However, there are no religious people, but the book is gender even. The book
teaches useful words and expressions, such as “down to earth”. All the instructions are in English-
there’s no Hebrew or Arabic whatsoever. It is also very colorful.
so basically anyone can use it. The book is all inclusive: it consists of reading comprehension
and grammar activities. Each chapter is divided up into the different domains. The course book
contains many different topics, such as geography and history, but we felt it’s a little too history
biased, and doesn’t contain other topics that would interest children more. The book is racially
sensitive: there are pictures with people of different ethnic backgrounds, and black and white
people together. However, there are no religious people, but the book is gender even. The book
teaches useful words and expressions, such as “down to earth”. All the instructions are in English-
there’s no Hebrew or Arabic whatsoever. It is also very colorful.
A criticism we had was that there’s an Answer Key in the back of the book, which also gives
answers to quizzes. This is not a smart idea, because by this age students are clever enough
to refer to the back and look up the answers.
answers to quizzes. This is not a smart idea, because by this age students are clever enough
to refer to the back and look up the answers.
The Students Workbook doesn’t cover as much material as in the textbook. Both have grammar
and reading, but there is much more grammar here. For example, this book has many activities
on adverbs, whereas the course book doesn’t contain nearly as much. It seems to be a little gender
bias- there are more pictures of boys than girls. This book can be written in, so it’s also cheaper,
but obviously can’t be sold back.
and reading, but there is much more grammar here. For example, this book has many activities
on adverbs, whereas the course book doesn’t contain nearly as much. It seems to be a little gender
bias- there are more pictures of boys than girls. This book can be written in, so it’s also cheaper,
but obviously can’t be sold back.
The Teacher’s book gives a lot of guidance: how to teach a reading lesson, and it lists websites
to refer the teacher to. It lists the Domains and Benchmarks, and gives Rubric charts. It goes
according to the student’s course book, not the workbook. There’s both Arabic and Hebrew
translations to help the teacher. A few criticisms we had were that there are no pictures to show
the teacher what the page looks like in the student’s book. Also, the teacher’s CD is not labeled
accurately to explain how it matches up with the student’s book, so the teacher would have to
waste time listening to the whole thing to find what s/he is looking for. There’s also a separate
answer key to the workbook, which is very small and thin and can get lost.
https://www.ecb.co.il/cat-junhigh-cb-mind-matters/to refer the teacher to. It lists the Domains and Benchmarks, and gives Rubric charts. It goes
according to the student’s course book, not the workbook. There’s both Arabic and Hebrew
translations to help the teacher. A few criticisms we had were that there are no pictures to show
the teacher what the page looks like in the student’s book. Also, the teacher’s CD is not labeled
accurately to explain how it matches up with the student’s book, so the teacher would have to
waste time listening to the whole thing to find what s/he is looking for. There’s also a separate
answer key to the workbook, which is very small and thin and can get lost.
Our overall impression about this set is that it’s a nice book, colorful, enticing to look at and it
covers a wide range of topics, which keeps the students interested, and of course teaches them
more.
I have a copy of this book if you want to buy it used. rachael5760@yahoo.com if you need it.
covers a wide range of topics, which keeps the students interested, and of course teaches them
more.
I have a copy of this book if you want to buy it used. rachael5760@yahoo.com if you need it.
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