中美自然地理学教材之比较

A Comparison of Chinese and American Textbooks of Physical Geography

为提高教学质量,以教材对比为切入点,对中美畅销的自然地理学教材进行了设计思路、结构体系和内容的对比分析,结果表明:(1)我国教材以人地关系、环境与可持续发展为指导思想,按自然地理环境组成要素的相对独立性和综合性组织章节,框架结构为“总—分—总”模式,而美国教材以自然地理学五个主要分支组织章节,结构体系为“总—分”模式;(2)中美教材各章均围绕导言、地球、地壳、气候、水文、地貌、生物、土壤和应用九大模块展开,但各模块的编排顺序及其比重存在较大差异,内容编排模式、组成、表述方式、课后习题也有明显区别;(3)我国教材各模块内容较为均衡,而美国教材偏重气候和地貌模块;(4)我国教材内容以文字描述为主,图表起辅助作用,案例多具中国地域特色,而美国教材注重用图,善于用形象逼真的图片说明地理现象或原理,案例广泛取材于全球各地。

In order to improve the quality of teaching,the textbook comparison is the starting point,and the design ideas,structure system and content of the best-selling physical geography textbooks in China and the United States are compared and analyzed.The findings showed that Chinese textbooks are guided by thought of man-land relationship,environment and sustainable development.According to the relative independence and comprehensive organization chapters of the elements of natural geographical environment,the framework structure is the "total-point-total" model,while the American textbooks are based on physical geography,containing five main branches of the organization chapter,the structural system is the "total-point" mode;Although module's system of these textbooks is similar,including introduction,earth,crust,climate,and etc.There are obvious differences between China and the U.S in the arrangement order,guideline ideology,composition,expression styles,and after-school exercises of textbook's contents.In addition,the content of each module of Chinese textbooks is more balanced,while that of American textbooks pays more attention to climate and geomorphology modules.Furthermore,the contents of textbooks in China are mainly based on description-oriented styles for geographical definitions and concepts,and the graphics plays an auxiliary role,whereas the American textbooks is concentrated on the application of pictures,which can give a more vivid description of geographical phenomena or principles.Finally,the typical cases in the Chinese textbooks are confined to China's territory,while that of the U.S textbooks widely selects from all over the world.