Textbook Philosophy

Science and math education are in crisis nationwide. College freshmen increasingly need remedial classes before they can begin their college coursework. Educators usually take it for granted that students will not retain what they’ve learned more than a couple of weeks. Standardized tests govern the curriculum. And for years, the United States has lagged behind other modern nations in science and math.

There are many areas that need to be addressed to bring excellence back to science and math. Textbook design is one of them.

So what's wrong with textbooks today?

Heavy, Cumbersome Volumes

Several unfortunate trends in textbook design today are common to  publishers. The first is sheer size. As student achievement has dropped over the past two generations, educators have responded by calling for textbooks to cover more and more material, as if cramming more material into books would solve the problem of students not learning what was there to begin with. It is a rare student indeed who can master the content of a typical secondary science textbook these days. Students carry around these back-breaking books, racing through the content, and the Cram‑Pass‑Forget cycle continues.

 

Media Hype

It is common today for textbooks to clamor for the students’ attention with cluttered pages that imitate popular media. Commercial media are designed to distract and entertain, instead of encouraging people to read and engage. Many textbooks are flawed because of their attempt to shout to students using similar tactics. The result is books that are full of distractions, and that generally do not encourage students to concentrate on reading the text.

Image

Poor Graphics

Similarly, many textbooks pander to youthful tastes with silly graphics, images of kids on skateboards, and childish attempts to seem cool through style, fonts, and design. The irony here is that most students are aware of these pathetic efforts to get their attention, and they end up mocking their books and despising the educational system that does not consider them worthy of more mature curriculum material.

Some texts simply lack aesthetic sensitivity, apparent from their gaudy and overblown design. In other cases the ugliness is due to the use of primitive clipart or inelegant graphical features.

Image

Dumbing Down

It is becoming increasingly common for the prose content to be written in English well below the appropriate grade level. Also, many texts bypass ideal opportunities to enhance and integrate content with the appropriate mathematics and historical study of the subject. Even more troubling is the case where chapter exercises do not call for analytical thinking or the kind of effort that effects real assimilation. Exercises that involve only simple matching, fill in the blank, or ‘busy-work’ worksheets end up teaching students to jump through hoops to get a daily grade rather than facilitating learning. To compound the problem, students may come to expect that this low level of effort is normal and be pleased with their skill at completing exercises that are hardly suitable for elementary school.

Image

Other Considerations for Christian Educators

Secular Textbooks

From the standpoint of a private, Christian school, textbooks from secular and religious publishers each have their unique deficiencies. The obvious deficiency of secular books is that they are secular. Faith-neutral textbooks may be necessary for public schools in a nonsectarian democracy, but they represent a huge missed opportunity for Christian educators, and the burden is on the Christian teachers to supplement. We never tire of talking about the ways the findings of science demonstrate God’s glory, and we wish for all students to learn about God’s world in an environment that affirms His work in creation. A well-designed textbook can be an important component in creating such an environment.

Christian Textbooks

Science textbooks from Christian publishers tend to suffer from several common deficiencies. First, despite publishers’ efforts to produce sound curriculum, the scientific material itself is frequently poorly presented or even erroneous. Second, the way scientific material is related to Christian faith is frequently cheesy or ham-fisted. It may sound harsh to say, but including lots of Bible verses or devotional material is not an effective way to bring a Kingdom perspective into science. Denigrating non-Christian or even non-Evangelical scientists does not foster mature Christian discipleship. And images of families looking up to the sky together makes the Christian faith journey look like a trip to a theme park. There are much more intelligent ways of realizing biblical faithfulness in the context of science textbooks.

Young-Earth Debate

Science textbooks from Christian publishers tend to suffer from several common deficiencies. First, despite publishers’ efforts to produce sound curriculum, the scientific material itself is frequently poorly presented or even erroneous. Second, the way scientific material is related to Christian faith is frequently cheesy or ham-fisted. It may sound harsh to say, but including lots of Bible verses or devotional material is not an effective way to bring a Kingdom perspective into science. Denigrating non-Christian or even non-Evangelical scientists does not foster mature Christian discipleship. And images of families looking up to the sky together makes the Christian faith journey look like a trip to a theme park. There are much more intelligent ways of realizing biblical faithfulness in the context of science textbooks.

Centripetal Press

The New Alternative

So what do CP textbooks do to address these problems?

Mastery

Targeted Content
The subject matter has been culled to the central and important material for each course. For our grade-level texts and our accelerated/honors texts, the content has been carefully selected so that students can actually master the entire body of content in a normal academic year. The result is deeper learning of less material, but ultimately a superior science education.
Cumulative Learning

Quizzes and exercises are all cumulative back to the beginning of the year. Students are on notice that they will be accountable for concepts and skills from each chapter in forthcoming quizzes and exercises. To facilitate study, therefore, we provide study aids (the Weekly Review Guide) in the lower grade books to guide students in reviewing and reencountering key concepts that will continue to appear on quizzes.

Both the sentence questions and computations regularly relate to concepts presented in earlier chapters. Quizzes and exercises are cumulative.

Clear Objectives
  • Subject matter has been intentionally limited to the central and important material for each course. For both grade-level texts and accelerated or honors-level texts, the content has been carefully selected so that students can actually master the entire body of content in a normal academic year. The result is deeper learning of less material, but ultimately a superior science education.
  • Specific learning objectives are presented at the beginning of each chapter so students know what they need to learn. Learning objectives are explicitly quantifiable (state, calculate, explain, compare, distinguish, define, describe, etc.)
  • Basic skills (e.g., unit conversions, scientific notation) are embedded in exercises throughout the book so that students use the skills repeatedly, and thus master them.
  • Answer keys to all computations are in the text so that students have immediate feedback about their success at solving problems.
  • Each chapter includes numerous conceptual questions that students answer in complete sentences. By articulating the ways scientific principles apply to various cases, students’ level of comprehension is deepened through practice at selecting proper terms and constructing coherent explanations. Review of answers to these exercises in class helps draw out weaknesses in student understanding.
  • Clear, proven problem solving strategies are presented and incorporated into all example problems.
  • Both application questions and computations regularly relate to concepts presented in earlier chapters.

Specific learning objectives are presented at the beginning of each chapter so students know what they need to learn. These objectives are quantifiable (state, calculate, explain, compare, distinguish, define, describe, etc.) so students know exactly what they need to learn.

Skill Mastery
Basic skills of science such as unit conversions and scientific notation are embedded in exercises throughout the book. The frequent and repeated use of these skills brings students to master them.
Self-contained
We provide complete answer keys to computation questions in the text so that students have immediate feedback about their success at solving problems.
Comprehensive
In addition to computations, chapters contain conceptual or verbal questions that students answer in complete, technically accurate sentences. By articulating the ways scientific principles apply to various cases, students’ level of comprehension is deepened. In forming their answers, students practice at selecting proper terms and constructing coherent explanations.
Strategic Thinking
Clear, proven problem solving strategies are presented and incorporated into all example problems.

Integration

History

Key historical content appears in the text (rather than being limited to sidebars), and specific historical objectives are listed in the learning objectives for particular chapters.

Mathematics
Age-appropriate mathematical components appear as often as possible, given text content.
Language
Each chapter includes numerous conceptual questions that students answer in complete sentences. These regular exercises in verbal expression allow students to develop skills in grammar, syntax, vocabulary, clarity, coherence, logical development and economy of expression.
Philosophy
Scientific epistemology (the nature of scientific knowledge) is expounded in every text, giving students a grounding in the distinction between provisional nature of scientific theories and facts, and truths we are more familiar with from direct observation. Scientific facts, theories, and hypotheses are further discussed in the context of their roles in the experimental process.
Other Fields
Connections to the humanities, works of art, architecture, technology, and literature are intentionally made to demonstrate the inter-relatedness of all knowledge.

Wonder

We believe that appreciation of—and care for—the natural world begins with a sense of wonder at the exquisite complexity and balance we see everywhere in nature. Students too easily grow up today spending most of their time indoors instead of exploring the nature in outdoor activities. One or two generations ago, it was common for students to spend much of their leisure time outdoors biking, playing in the woods, exploring creeks, camping, hiking, fishing, and the like. Today, we must proactively help our students develop a love for the natural world. As this love is cultivated, students will be more interested in studying nature in their science classes, and they will be more inclined to develop healthy attitudes toward caring for and preserving the earth and its millions of species of living creatures.

Centripetal Press texts strive to instill in students a sense of wonder and fascination with the natural world. This is not difficult, since nature is loaded with beautiful and amazing creatures, formations, and processes. It is our hope that as students pick up on our enthusiasm for the amazing world around us they will be stimulated to learn more about it, and that this knowledge will enhance their enjoyment of the natural world and lead to an increased desire to help care for the earth.

  • Subject matter has been intentionally limited to the central and important material for each course. For both grade-level texts and accelerated or honors-level texts, the content has been carefully selected so that students can actually master the entire body of content in a normal academic year. The result is deeper learning of less material, but ultimately a superior science education.
  • Specific learning objectives are presented at the beginning of each chapter so students know what they need to learn. Learning objectives are explicitly quantifiable (state, calculate, explain, compare, distinguish, define, describe, etc.)
  • Basic skills (e.g., unit conversions, scientific notation) are embedded in exercises throughout the book so that students use the skills repeatedly, and thus master them.
  • Answer keys to all computations are in the text so that students have immediate feedback about their success at solving problems.
  • Each chapter includes numerous conceptual questions that students answer in complete sentences. By articulating the ways scientific principles apply to various cases, students’ level of comprehension is deepened through practice at selecting proper terms and constructing coherent explanations. Review of answers to these exercises in class helps draw out weaknesses in student understanding.
  • Clear, proven problem solving strategies are presented and incorporated into all example problems.
  • Both application questions and computations regularly relate to concepts presented in earlier chapters.

Physics First

  • Subject matter has been intentionally limited to the central and important material for each course. For both grade-level texts and accelerated or honors-level texts, the content has been carefully selected so that students can actually master the entire body of content in a normal academic year. The result is deeper learning of less material, but ultimately a superior science education.
  • Specific learning objectives are presented at the beginning of each chapter so students know what they need to learn. Learning objectives are explicitly quantifiable (state, calculate, explain, compare, distinguish, define, describe, etc.)
  • Basic skills (e.g., unit conversions, scientific notation) are embedded in exercises throughout the book so that students use the skills repeatedly, and thus master them.
  • Answer keys to all computations are in the text so that students have immediate feedback about their success at solving problems.
  • Each chapter includes numerous conceptual questions that students answer in complete sentences. By articulating the ways scientific principles apply to various cases, students’ level of comprehension is deepened through practice at selecting proper terms and constructing coherent explanations. Review of answers to these exercises in class helps draw out weaknesses in student understanding.
  • Clear, proven problem solving strategies are presented and incorporated into all example problems.
  • Both application questions and computations regularly relate to concepts presented in earlier chapters.

Although Centripetal Press  courses can be taken in any sequence, we recommend the "physics first" sequence for high school science. This idea entails putting a physics-based course at the beginning of high school, in 9th grade. This should be a strong physics course, but only utilizing math skills that students are learning concurrently in their Algebra I class. 

In a physics-based course, 9th graders learn fundamental concepts and skills that form a foundation from other sciences: the atomic model, motion, energy, waves, electromagnetism, heat transfer, and more. They also master basic skills such as unit conversions, significant digits, scientific notation, and metric prefixes. Getting these concepts firmly in their minds at the beginning of high school equips them to address subsequent courses. Whether they take chemistry or biology next is less important. But Physics-First students will take with them the mathematical and conceptual tools into subsequent science courses.

All students need an algebra-based physics course. But not everyone needs the demanding phyiscs that draws on calculus or pre-calculus mathematical skills, vectors and trigonometry. Those more drawn to the humanities or non-technical fields will get an introduction to physics in 9th grade. And those considering a STEM-based college program or career can take an advances physics elective in 12th grade if they wish.

You can read more about the "Physics First" sequence for science at this link.

General Features

The tone, style and graphics in each text are age appropriate, lucid and engaging, and are designed to draw students upward toward the adult world of scientific inquiry and study. Though we enjoy humor, we avoid the deliberate use of silliness as a tool for appealing to students.

Texts are compact and easy to carry around. Page trim size for all texts is 6.5 inches x 9.5 inches. Actual chapter content comprises approximately 300-500 pages.

Page design, fonts, color palettes and graphics are elegant and tasteful.
At this time, our texts are in softcover. As our company grows in coming months and years, we will begin to offer hardbacks with smyth-sewn bindings and heavy-duty cover boards, resulting in high printing quality and durable covers and bindings. Our softcover books use digital printing technology and our hardbacks use a superior four-color offset printing method on matte paper.