History Needs New Heroes
McGraw-Hill Education

McGraw-Hill Education

Overview

Founded in 1888, McGraw-Hill Education strives to unlock the potential of each learner and accelerate learning. Headquartered in New York, New York, McGraw-Hill acknowledges that the want and passion to learn is different for every person.

United States: History & Geography (2018) emphasizes learning through primary sources and critical thinking.  Concepts are explored through Big Ideas and Essential Questions. Throughout 12 chapters and 274 pages, there are 1858 mentions that cover 298 people.

People by Name

The top twenty mentioned people in United States: History & Geography includes 13 United States presidents (including the current president who has only been in office for 2 years). Hillary Clinton is the only woman on the list, present for her role in government since the 1990s.  Only two international leaders appear on the list, both hailing from the Soviet Union. The “inclusiveness,” or lack thereof, of this top twenty includes only three people of color.

People by Gender

86% of people mentioned from 1945 to the present are male, while only a small 14% are female. What message does this send to boys in a social studies classroom?

People by Race

Only 0.4% of people mentioned in McGraw-Hill’s publication are Native American. Similarly, only 3% are Latin American and 19% are African American.  An overwhelming 76% of people mentioned are white. What narratives could be included to make this chasm smaller?

People by Role

The top five roles of people mentioned in this textbook are government officials, activists, entertainers, entrepreneurs, and criminals.  Of these top five, almost half work for the government of their respective countries. The number of people mentioned in positions of power is more than the other top four roles combined, which only makes up about 35%.

A Closer Look

View the Data

Download the Data

css.php