Oswego SD308 puts new social studies textbooks on public display; board approval expected next month

OSWEGO – Oswego School District 308 is planning to introduce three new social studies textbooks for high school students starting with the 2023-24 academic year.

The texts are designed to support classroom instruction for required high school courses in geography, civics and history.

Dan Arntzen, executive director of high school instruction and K-12 assessments, told Oswego School Board members Feb. 27 that the civics and history textbooks now used by students were published in 2004 and are in need of replacement.

One of the new textbooks, Contemporary Human Geography, will be used for a new one-semester freshman course on the subject, replacing a modern world history class.

The other books, United States History and United States Government & Civics, will become the new resources for those two courses, year-long classes which students may take in their sophomore, junior or senior years.

Arntzen said the civics textbook was selected in part because information on state government is “embedded” in every chapter of the book.

The new textbooks are written to attract students to the material through their own natural curiosity.

“The focus on inquiry is designed to bring the students to the content,” Arntzen said.

Board members clearly want students to learn about their civic responsibility to vote.

“The more those students are engaged the more they will vote,” said board member Jared Ploger, who teaches social studies in another school district.

“It’s important to teach why local elections matter,” board member Jennifer Johnson added. “I am shocked at the low turnout in our community.”

The three textbooks are now on display at the District 308 administrative center for viewing by the public. The board is expected to vote on adopting the texts in April.

Delivery of the books would then be expected in May, Arntzen said, in time for teachers to familiarize themselves with the material ahead of next school year’s start.

The cost for all three books and six years of licensing for digital versions will be about $350,000, Arntzen said, which is about $25,000 less than had been budgeted for the purchase.