A Comparative Study Of Illustrations Of Biology Textbooks In Chinese And American High Schools

Textbooks are the core and main medium of the teachers and students to carry out teaching activities. Illustrations are the second language of textbooks that they play a significant role in textbooks. As the new curriculum reform developing, the illustrations of textbooks are having greatly improved in such aspects as quantity, color, clarity and graphic cooperating. Comparing illustrations of Chinese biology textbooks with foreign can draw lessons and design experience from foreign textbook illustrations.This paper selects the biology textbooks of Molecular and Cellular published by People’s Education Press in 2007 and the unit 5 molecular and cellular of Biology · The Dynamics of Life published by The McGraw-Hill Companies in 2004 as the research objects. This research mainly adopts literature and comparative research. By literature research, I reviewed the illustrations of such aspects as classification, function, evaluation system, and constructed a model of points program. Three aspects of the research was conducted on the main by comparative research. Firstly, I compared the compilation basis between Ordinary high school biology curriculum standard (experiment) and The national science education standards in curriculum idea and content standards. Secondly, I Studied and contrasted the various kinds of illustrations, and then did the statistic analysis. Finally, according to the comparison model, the illustrations of the imports, the bodies, the experiments and exercises are compared.The research found similarities between the two textbooks and their respecti ve characteristics in illustrations. At the same time also found some defects in t he illustrations of Chinese textbook. The similarities included:(1) quantity and pr oportion of the graphic.(2) abundant illustrations category.(3) the illustrations are relevant with the text.(4) more innovation in graphic combination.(5)illustrations t end to be better educated.(6) illustrations Conform to the requirements of the "cu rriculum" and the "education standards". The characteristics of the Chinese textbo ok included:(1)permeate the humanities spirit.(2) Attaches great importance to th e concept map application.(3) puts much emphasis on the history of science and STS education. The characteristics of the American textbook included:(1) bright colors, large size and high resolution. (2) numbers of 3D stereogram. (3) more captions and being integrating. (4) problem driven and outstanding scientific inqu iry. (5) the pursuit of the unity of scientific and practical. The defects in illustrat ions of the Chinese textbook are:(1) color dim, small size, low resolution and p osition off the body. (2) little picture captions and the task is not clear or missi ng.(3) too many illustrations are used for validating.(4)less text integrating on gra phs.(5) illustrations in exercises exposing shortcomings.(6)less process diagrams of experiments and security diagrams here are missing.(7) the history of science c lass illustrations are distributied imbalance. At last according to the survey result s and combining with the demands of the new curriculum and the characteristics of biological sciences, I put forward the corresponding Suggestions to the textb ook compiling and useing illustrations by teachers.