Five current social studies methods textbooks were examined to determine how writing and literature are presented to prospective teachers. The results of the examination show that only one of the methods textbooks offered a positive and informative explanation of how literature can be used to learn the social studies. Three of the textbooks were viewed as recognizing the importance of writing, although only two offered sufficient information and examples of how it might actually be used for learning. The conventional approach to teaching social studies offered by current methods textbooks perpetuates a textbook oriented teaching that does not serve the purposes of social studies in these changing times. (DB)