A database of 82 American high school biology textbooks, from Elements of Biology (1907) through Modern Biology (1969).
Each entry includes a brief observational note and a 0-5 ranking based on a qualitative assessment of the presentation of the topic of evolution. The table also includes title, copyright date, author(s) and category: P for phylogenetic, E for economic, U for unity of life, and N for normative. I will be writing more on this categorization scheme shortly.
For criteria and analysis, see The Topic of Evolution in Secondary Schools Revisited.
HIGH SCHOOL BIOLOGY TEXTBOOK DATABASE (EVOLUTION FOCUS)
| Title | Date | Author(s) | Pub | Type | Evolution 0-5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elements of Biology | 1907 | Hunter, George William | American Book Company, New York | Phylogenetic | 0 None beyond that implied by the phylogenetic structure. |
| First Course in Biology* | 1908 | Bailey, L. H.; Coleman, Walter M | Macmillan, New York | Phylogenetic | 1 Some content on evolution - which text equates with progress and complexity - integrated into sections on reptiles and bacteria, similar to Smallwood (except 1920). |
| Essentials of Biology | 1911 | Hunter, George William | American Book Company, New York | Phylogenetic | 2 Introduces evolution, including human evolution. Very Lamarckian. No Darwin. |
| Applied Biology* | 1911 | Bigelow, Maurice A; Bigelow, Anna N | Macmillan, New York | Unity of Life | 5 Though presented at the end of the text, provides a thorough and surprisingly modest explanation of the topic of evolution. |
| Elementary Biology: Plant, Animal, Human | 1912 | Peabody, James Edward; Hunt, Arthur Ellsworth | Macmillan, New York | Phylogenetic | 1 None beyond that implied by the phylogenetic structure. |
| A Civic Biology | 1914 | Hunter, George William | American Book Company, New York | Economic | 3 An amalgam of Lamarckian and Darwinian ideas, used the word evolution, but consigned Darwin to support "improvement" of plants, animals and humans (253). |
| Practical Biology* | 1916 | Smallwood, W. M; Reveley, Ida L; Bailey, Guy A | Allyn and Bacon, Boston | Phylogenetic | 2 Evolution indexed. Darwin bio (30) includes references to both Origins and Descent. |
| Civic Biology* | 1918 | Hodge, Clifton F. and Dawson, Jean | Ginn, Boston | Economic | 3 Offers reasonable description of evolution, but only as a set up to genetic and eugenic management. |
| Elementary Biology: An Introduction to the Science of Life | 1919 | Gruenberg, Benjamin C | Ginn, Boston | Unity of Life | 4 Clear in its presentation of theory. Cautionary in promotion of application. |
| Biology for High Schools | 1920 | Smallwood, W. M; Reveley, Ida L; Bailey, Guy A | Allyn and Bacon, Boston | Phylogenetic | 0 Evolution not indexed. Darwin bio not present in text (only Smallwood to omit). Weak presentation of human evolution. Confused presentation of natural selection. |
| Biology for Beginners | 1921 | Moon, Truman J | Holt, New York | Phylogenetic | 3 Indexed. Reasonable description. Note: strongly links organic and cultural evolution. |
| Civic and Economic Biology | 1922 | Atwood, Wm. H | P. Blakiston's, Philadelphia | Economic | 4 Complete by standards of the day, though highly progressionist, focused toward improvement. Labeled "The Doctrine of Evolution." Compare to era's best, Bigelow 1911. |
| Biology of Home and Community | 1923 | Trafton, Gilbert H | Macmillan, New York | Economic | 4 Excellent, extensive treatment of topic. Unusual for its day. Downplays natural selection somewhat in favor of mutations - typical. |
| The Biology of Man and Other Organisms | 1923 | Linville, Henry R | Harcourt, New York | Normative | 4 Evolution strongly presented, though its position at the end of zoology section telegraphs a progressionist rather than unity of life ideology. |
| New Essentials of Biology | 1923 | Hunter, George William | American Book Company, New York | Phylogenetic | 2 Identical to Hunter 1911. |
| Living Things, An Elementary Biology | 1924 | Clement, Arthur G | Iroquois Publishing Co, Syracuse, NY | Economic | 2 Natural selection, adaptation, Darwin credited for theory, evolution indexed, reference to Origins. |
| Biology and Human Welfare | 1924 | Peabody, James Edward; Hunt, Arthur Ellsworth | Macmillan, New York | Economic | 1 Darwin (along with Agassiz and Pasteur) introduced early as great biologists, but no mention of evolution. |
| New Biology | 1924 | Smallwood, W. M; Reveley, Ida L; Bailey, Guy A | Allyn and Bacon, Boston | Phylogenetic | 2 Indexed and woven into the text, carefully so as not to offend. Word 'evolution' used just once, and oddly. Darwin bio edited. |
| Living Things, An Elementary Biology | 1925 | Clement, Arthur G | Iroquois Publishing Co, Syracuse, NY | Economic | 1 Natural selection remains from 1924 (but as before, only as support for selective breeding. 'Evolution' removed from index. Darwin bio edited. |
| Biology and Human Life | 1925 | Gruenberg, Benjamin C | Ginn, Boston | Economic | 3 Accurate, anti-progressionist description of natural selection (536) with meaning of "fittest" strongly disclaimed. |
| New Civic Biology | 1926 | Hunter, George William | American Book Company, New York | Economic | 3 No different in effect or content than Hunter 1914, despite edits made to satisfy post-Scopes publishing concerns (e.g. 'evolution' became 'development'). |
| Biology for Beginners | 1926 | Moon, Truman J | Holt, New York | Phylogenetic | 3 Nearly identical to Moon 1921. |
| An Introduction to Biology | 1926 | Kinsey, Alfred C | Lippincott, Chicago | Unity of Life | 3 Defends the use of the word 'evolution' (196-97), but focuses on 'sports' and artificial selection. No theory. Evolution not indexed. |
| Modern Biology: Its Human Aspects | 1926 | Waggoner, Harry Dwight | D. C. Heath, Boston | Phylogenetic / Unity of Life hybrid | 1 Closes with a short paragraph on the "Law of Development" and the words "Organic Evolution," but makes no mention of the topic elsewhere in the text. |
| Biology | 1927 | Atwood, Wm. H | P. Blakiston's, Philadelphia | Economic | 2 A significant step back from 1922. Evolution not indexed. Word appears only in definitions. Theory presented within closing biography section. Wallace, not Darwin, pictured. No history, human evolution. |
| New General Biology | 1929 | Smallwood, W. M; Reveley, Ida L; Bailey, Guy A | Allyn and Bacon, Boston | Phylogenetic | 2 Indexed and woven into the text, carefully so as not to offend. 'Development' substituted for 'evolution' in text. 'Evolution' still in Darwin bio. Bio includes concluding paragraph from Origins (between 648-649). |
| Advanced Biology | 1929 | Wheat, Frank M.; Fitzpatrick, Elizabeth T | American Book Company, New York | Unity of Life | 5 Significant, detailed 20-page section. Though typical Lamarck-Darwin-deVries layout. |
| Problems in Biology | 1931 | Hunter, George William | American Book Company, New York | Economic | 3 More explicitly links general evolution ('development') and human evolution. No clear expression of theory. |
| Essentials of Biology | 1931 | Meier, W. H. D; Meier, Lois | Ginn, Boston | Phylogenetic | 0 No mention of evolution, even as bridging material. |
| Dynamic Biology | 1933 | Baker, Arthur O; Mills, Lewis H | Rand McNally, New York | Normative (weakly) | 3 Does not index word 'evolution." But closes with reasonable description of historical evolution and theory. Disclaims Darwin in favor of De Vries. Not unusual for the era. |
| Biology for Beginners | 1933 | Moon, Truman J; Mann, Paul B | Holt, New York | Phylogenetic | 4 Expands treatment relative to 1926, though substitutes "racial development" for evolution |
| New Introduction to Biology | 1933 | Kinsey, Alfred C | Lippincott, Chicago | Unity of Life | 3 'Evolution' introduced in index and treatment slightly expanded. Kinsey not current - labels natural selection "Darwinism" or "Survival of the Fittest" (431). |
| The Living World | 1933 | Mank, Helen Gardner | Benj. H. Sanborn & Co, Chicago | Unity of Life / Health | 1 Natural selection, but no Darwin. |
| New Biology | 1934 | Smallwood, W. M; Reveley, Ida L; Bailey, Guy A | Allyn and Bacon, Boston | Phylogenetic | 3 Strong presentation relative to earlier versions, integrated paleontology, heredity, and human ancestry. |
| Biology for Today | 1934 | Curtis, Francis D; Caldwell, Otis W; Sherman, Nina Henry | Ginn, Boston | Unity of Life | 2 Difficult to judge. No mention of Darwin. Word 'evolution' not used. But concept fully integrated into reproduction, genetics and "The Record of the Ages" (576-650). |
| Biology | 1935 | Fitzpatrick, Frederick L; Horton, Ralph E | Houghton Mifflin, Boston | Economic | 5 Strongest presentation of evolution in any American high school textbook until BSCS, complete and fully integrated, yet does not index or use the word! |
| Everyday Problems in Biology | 1936 | Pieper, Charles J; Beauchamp, Wilber L; Frank, Orlin D | Scott, Foresman and Company, Chicago | Unity of Life / Economic | 2 Not indexed. Implied in several sections. |
| Our World of Living Things | 1936 | Heiss, Elwood D; Osborn, Ellsworth S; Manzer, J. Gordon | Webster Publishing Company, St. Louis, MO | Unity of Life / Health | 4 Strong presentation of evolution (sans word), including human and cultural evolution. |
| New Biology | 1937 | Smallwood, W. M; Reveley, Ida L; Bailey, Guy A | Allyn and Bacon, Boston | Phylogenetic | 3 Strong presentation relative to earlier versions, integrated paleontology, heredity, and human ancestry. Though contant still scattered and confused. |
| Biology: a Revision of Biology for Beginners | 1938 | Moon, Truman J; Mann, Paul B | Holt, New York | Phylogenetic | 4 All but identical to Moon 1933. |
| Adventures with Living Things | 1938 | Kroeber, Elsbeth; Wolff, Walter H | D. C. Heath, Boston | Phylogenetic / Unity of Life hybrid | 5 Similar to Smith 1938. Thorough, unapologetic, integrated presentation. Indexed. |
| New Introduction to Biology | 1938 | Kinsey, Alfred C | Lippincott, Chicago | Unity of Life | 3 Identical to Kinsey 1933. |
| Exploring Biology | 1938 | Smith, Ella Thea | Harcourt, New York | Unity of Life | 5 About as strong a presentation of evolution as possible in the pre-synthesis era. |
| A Biology of Familiar Things | 1939 | Bush, George L; Dickie, Allan; Rukle, Ronald C | American Book Company, New York | Normative | 0 Evolution not mentioned. Not surprising for a text focused on helping students adjust to "the best of all possible worlds." |
| Living Things and You | 1940 | Downing, Elliot R; McAtee, Veva M | Lyons and Carnahan, Chicago | Normative | 4 Thoroughly integrates evolution, including human evolution, into narrative. |
| Biology and Human Affairs | 1941 | Ritchie, John W | World Book Company, Yonkers-On-Hudson | Normative | 3 Book organized against progressive evolutionary ideology. However, topic not indexed. Darwin not cited. Author betrays out-of-date affection for "big mutations," De Vries saltatory theory. |
| Biology: a Revision of Biology for Beginners | 1941 | Moon, Truman J; Mann, Paul B | Holt, New York | Phylogenetic | 4 All but identical to Moon 1933. |
| Science of Living Things | 1941 | Clinton, Weymouth G | Holt, New York | Unity of Life | 2 Though text opens with implied evolution, topic is used mainly as an introduction to the world as it is. Word not indexed. |
| Dynamic Biology Today | 1943 | Baker, Arthur O; Mills, Lewis H | Rand McNally, New York | Normative | 3 Retains identical description from Baker 1933. Continues to disclaim natural selection in favor of 'sports,' or mutation theory. |
| Everyday Biology | 1943 | Curtis, Francis D; Caldwell, Otis W; Sherman, Nina Henry | Ginn, Boston | Unity of Life | 2 Identical to Curtis 1934. |
| Exploring Biology | 1943 | Smith, Ella Thea | Harcourt, New York | Unity of Life | 4 Strong and thorough presentation of evolution closes text. Integrates history, theory and human evolution. |
| Biology and Man | 1944 | Gruenberg, Benjamin C; Bingham, N. Eldred | Ginn, Boston | Unity of Life | 5 Strong integrated presentation. |
| Biology for Better Living | 1946 | Bayles, Ernest E; Burnett, R. Will | Silver Burdett Company, New York | Normative | 4 Does not index 'evolution,' but covers the topic in two chapters totaling 26 pages. Very reasonable summation of pre-synthesis thinking (608). |
| Biology for You | 1946 | Vance, B. B; Miller, D. F | Lippincott, Chicago | Normative | 3 Evolution is present. Text explicitly links general and human evolution. But topic detailed in summary only (588). |
| Biology: a Revision of Biology for Beginners | 1946 | Moon, Truman J; Mann, Paul B | Holt, New York | Phylogenetic | 4 All but identical to Moon 1933. |
| Modern Biology | 1947 | Moon, Truman J; Mann, Paul B; Otto, James H | Holt, New York | Phylogenetic | 2 Decoupled discussion of theory of evolution from human evolution and cultural development. Theory used to reinforce argument for scientific management |
| Biology and Human Affairs | 1948 | Ritchie, John W | World Book Company, Yonkers-On-Hudson | Normative | 3 Integrated presentation, quite similar to Ritchie 1941. Topic not indexed. Darwin not cited. Natural selection and historical evolution described in detail. Out of date. |
| Elements of Biology | 1948 | Smallwood, W. M; Reveley, Ida L; Bailey, Guy A; Dodge, Ruth A | Allyn and Bacon, Boston | Phylogenetic | 3 Retains strong presentation relative to 20s/early 30s Smallwood - integrated paleontology, heredity, and human ancestry. Evolution content consolidated following botany, before vocations. |
| Exploring Biology | 1949 | Smith, Ella Thea | Harcourt, New York | Unity of Life | 5 Introduces "the synthetic theory" (498). First high school text to do so. |
| Adventures with Animals and Plants | 1950 | Kroeber, Elsbeth; Wolff, Walter H | D. C. Heath, Boston | Unity of Life | 4 All but identical to Kroeber and Wolff 1938. Somewhat less integrated due to text structure. No synthesis, despite date. |
| Modern Biology | 1951 | Moon, Truman J; Mann, Paul B; Otto, James H | Holt, New York | Phylogenetic | 2 Identical to Moon 1947. |
| Elements of Biology | 1952 | Smallwood, W. M; Reveley, Ida L; Bailey, Guy A; Dodge, Ruth A (lead author) | Allyn and Bacon, Boston | Phylogenetic | 2 Terribly out of date, very 'nineteenth century' presentation of evolution relative to competitive texts. |
| Basic Biology for High Schools | 1953 | Fenton, Carroll Lane; Kamby, Paul E | Macmillan, New York | Unity of Life | 4 Thorough treatment of topic of evolution. Topic commands significant integrated placement, indexed by word (though word, surprisingly only in index, referred to as 'change' in text). |
| Exploring Biology | 1954 | Smith, Ella Thea | Harcourt, New York | Unity of Life | 5 Continued strong presentation of evolution. "Synthetic theory" now called "The Modern Theory." Incorporation of modern mutation understanding in heredity and genetics sections. |
| Biology in Our Lives | 1955 | Hunter, George W; Hunter, F. R | American Book Company, New York | Normative | 3 Basic. Topic indexed, integrated with heredity and reproduction and presented mid-text. No synthetic/modern theory. |
| Biology in Daily Life | 1955 | Curtis, Francis D; Urban, John | Ginn, Boston | Unity of Life | 3 Though the word evolution is not used, text begins with "the Changing Populations of Living Things," introducing Darwin in the first paragraph. |
| Modern Biology | 1956 | Moon, Truman J; Mann, Paul B; Otto, James H | Holt, New York | Phylogenetic | 1 Closing chapter from Moon 1947/1951 remains. Discussion of human ancestry deleted. |
| Biology | 1957 | Kroeber, Elsbeth; Wolff, Walter H; Weaver, Richard L | D. C. Heath, Boston | Unity of Life | 4 Indexed and integrated. No modern synthesis. |
| Biology for You | 1958 | Vance, B. B; Miller, D. F | Lippincott, Chicago | Normative | 3 Evolution is present. Text explicitly links general and human evolution. But topic detailed in summary only (588). |
| Biology : The Living World | 1958 | Curtis, Francis D; Urban, John | Ginn, Boston | Unity of Life | 2 Main narrative opens with Darwin, and is identical to Curtis 1955 (1949, 1953). Downgraded here from 3 to 2 based on relation to much stronger presentations in contemporary Smith and Kroeber texts. |
| New Dynamic Biology | 1959 | Baker, Arthur O; Mills, Lewis H; Tanczos Jr., Julius | Rand McNally, New York | Normative | 2 Retains identical description from Baker 1933, 1943. Woefully out of date by 1959. Word "evolution" not indexed. |
| Exploring Biology | 1959 | Smith, Ella Thea | Harcourt, New York | Unity of Life | 4 Strong presentation of evolution, totally focused on synthesis, marred by publisher effort to compete with Modern Biology through edits. |
| Modern Biology | 1960 | Moon, Truman J; Otto, James H; Towle, Albert | Holt, New York | Phylogenetic | 2 Restores and slightly expands discussion of human ancestry. The word evolution still absent from text. |
| Your Biology | 1962 | Smith, Ella Thea; Lisonbee, Lorenzo | Harcourt, New York | Normative | 3 Linked sections on heredity, genetics, the fossil record and human evolution. Does not index evolution or mention Darwin or natural selection. |
| BSCS "Yellow Version" aka Biological Science: An Inquiry Into Life | 1963 | Moore, John A (Supervisor); Glass, Bentley (Co-supervisor, though not credited as such) | Harcourt, New York | Normative | 5 Excellent presentation of evolution, integrating synthetic theory. Marred by progressionist ideology and claims of link to cultural evolution. |
| Modern Biology | 1963 | Moon, Truman J; Otto, James H; Towle, Albert | Holt, New York | Phylogenetic | 2 Identical to Moon 1960. Finally indexes and uses word 'evolution.' |
| BSCS "Blue Version" aka Biological Science: Molecules to Man | 1963 | Deyrup, Ingrith; Welch, Claude (Supervisors) | Houghton Mifflin, Boston | Unity of Life | 5 Strong, but simplified presentation of evolution (relative, for example, to Smith 1959). General and not necessarily appropriate progressive thrust to narrative. |
| BSCS "Green Version" aka Biological Science: An Ecological Approach | 1963 | Bates, Marston; Kolb, Haven C (Supervisors) | Rand McNally, New York | Unity of Life | 5 40-page dedicated section in 700+ page text devoted to evolution. However, topic thoroughly integrated. Most 'modest' of all BSCS books. |
| Modern Biology | 1965 | Otto, James H; Towle, Albert | Holt, New York | Phylogenetic | 3 Greatly strengthened, though theory presented is out of date and heavily disclaimed relative to humans. |
| Biology | 1965 | Krober, Elsbeth; Wolff, Walter H; Weaver, Richard L | D. C. Heath, Boston | Unity of Life | 4 Indexed and integrated. No modern synthesis. Not updated from previous edition. |
| Exploring Biology | 1966 | Smith, Ella Thea; Lawrence, Thomas Gordon | Harcourt, New York | Unity of Life | 5 Excellent, modern, thorough presentation of evolution. Perhaps better than BSCS texts. |
| BSCS "Yellow Version" aka Biological Science: An Inquiry Into Life | 1968 | Moore, John A (Supervisor) | Harcourt, New York | Normative | 5 Excellent presentation of evolution, integrating synthetic theory. Marred by progressionist ideology and claims of link to cultural evolution. |
| Modern Biology | 1969 | Otto, James H; Towle, Albert | Holt, New York | Phylogenetic | 3 Identical to Otto 1965. |
Is your Clinton 1941 description correct, or should “All but identical to Moon 1933” be in the spot below describing Moon 1941?
Wonderful work, by the way!
Brian,
Good catch! Thanks. For some reason, the descriptions attached to all 3 of the 1941 textbooks were transposed. They are now corrected. Your comment makes me realize I need to update this list to include 2 or 3 books cataloged since.
Ron
2010-12-19: Database updated to include L. H. Bailey’s First Course in Biology (1908). A few minor typos fixed.
2012-3-5: Database updated to include Harry Dwight Waggoner’s Modern Biology: It’s Human Aspects (1926).
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