Social studies is an information-laden subject, with much of the required information in textbooks. Although text-books are only one medium for learning social studies content, it is the dominant resource in most classrooms. Years ago, Goodlad (1984) found that textbook reading assignments were one of the most common instructional approaches used by teachers. In a more recent study, researchers found that between 67 and 90 percent of classroom instruction is structured around the textbook. This article describes how students can have a working relationship with text books. It is important for students to understand the parts of the text book and how it is organized.