A Comparative Study On Illustrations In Science Textbooks Of China And American

Science education is one of the vital sections of construction of innovation-oriented country and basic education for China.Illustrations play irreplaceable proportions of textbooks which are the mainly teaching tools and resources in the teaching practice of science education in primary schools.This paper analyzed the theories and development on illustrations of textbook in China and foreign.The illustrations of life science parts of two sets of primary school science textbooks,one of which published by Educational Science Publishing House in China and the other of which published by Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Education in USA,were studied and compared from four aspects of general situation,location,function,and contents.Following conclusions were drawn:(1)Both of two sets textbooks attach great importance on illustrations.(2)The illustrations of Macmillan version textbook are larger,better self-evident with both names and captions,and full of a large number of real figures and photos of different kinds of plants,animals and human bodies,paying more attention to the safety education.(3)The Chinese version emphasized concept illustrations and observation-record sheets and cartoon pictures,but lacked safety-warning ones.Get suggestions as below:(1)The illustrations of textbook should be high-quality with both captions and names,and safety education illustrations and original photographs should be enriched.(2)Teachers should create or improve illustrations and use them to make the introduction of new lessons and present knowledge according to economic and educational conditions of their districts,schools,and classes.(3)Students and their parents should pay attention to the use of explanatory and organizational illustrations to promote the understanding and memory of knowledge points,and with the guide of illustrations strengthen parent-child practical inquiry and enhance parent-child affection.