Heritage Studies for Christian Schools /About Our States

Bob Jones University Press

In general, the BJUP Heritage Studies books are very colorful and attractive. Content past the second grade level book is presented in an interesting fashion. Using idea

Books 1 and 2, 1996 editions [first and second grades]

Kit - $44, tests - $8, answer key - $4.50

These are beautifully-illustrated books, now in their second edition. However, I cannot recommend the first grade book. Even though the vocabulary has not been reduced to three- and four-letter words, sentence length, construction, and content suffered in the effort to write for young children.

In comparison, the second grade book significantly stretches sentence length and coverage of each topic. Still, as is true of most texts written for this level, each topic rates only from two to four paragraphs. Aside from a few digressions into local communities, farming, and brief sketches of a few European monarchs, the text focuses on topics related to early American history. Activity suggestions are included in the text.

The second grade Home Teacher’s Edition offers useful teaching instruction. A Student Notebook (94 pages) provides worksheets for questions, maps, charts, puzzles, games, and other teaching tools. All three components are packaged as a Home School Kit that saves money over buying the items individually. Tests and answer keys are available for both levels, but I would not recommend using them at these levels.

Book 3 [third grade] second edition

Kit - $47, tests - $10, answer key - $6

This 1997 edition of BJUP’s third grade text is intended to cover U.S. history from the founding of our government up through the Civil War and westward movement. However, it takes a scattershot approach to history, mixing in a few lengthy sections on single topics (e.g., 15 pages on the French Revolution), folk tales (as you would find in a reader), biographical sketches, map/geography lessons, and social studies topics such as transportation, time zones, and cultural approaches to music making. A “Resource Treasury” at the back of the book features pictures and data on presidents, maps, a glossary, and other resource information. Heritage Studies for Christian Schools 4 continues to follow the historical timeline through modern American history. A companion Timeline is available for this text, but the classroom-size illustrations are probably too large for most home schools. (A smaller Time Line Snapshots version, created for home schoolers, is included in the home school kits beginning with fourth grade level.) The Home Teacher’s Edition is useful but not essential. Questions, maps, charts, puzzles, and games provide lesson reinforcement in the Student Notebook. All three of these components (text, student notebook, and teacher’s edition) plus test and answer key are packaged as a kit which is less expensive than buying the items individually.

Book 4 [fourth grade] second edition

home school kit - $81.50, student text - $20.50, student worktext - $9.50, teacher’s edition - $23, tests - $10, answer key - $6

This 1997 edition follows United States history from the Constitution through the Industrial Revolution. It is intended to be a continuation of American history studies following Heritage Studies 3. Instead of providing thorough historical coverage, it functions more as a social studies text. Lengthy sections on immigration, Protestant pastors and missionaries, inventions, the Industrial Revolution, and other topics highlight the struggles our country faced as it grew. Each state receives a very brief overview in one chapter. Interestingly, the text introduces the concept of supply and demand and contrasts capitalism and socialism.

I had trouble figuring out the logic for inclusion of some topics within this book. For example, a chapter titled “Struggles Far Away” covers only two topics: The Boer War, and The Boxer Rebellion. Each of these topics, more typically covered in a world history study, receives about seven pages of attention. I strongly object to the last chapter’s explanation of our country as a democracy rather than a Constitutional Republic. The text implies that we make laws under majority rule rather than under the limits of our Constitution. Later comments about the Constitution do not adequately make the limiting connection. Maps and reference resources are found at the back of the book.

The student worktext offers worksheets for student activities. The worktext is colorful and activities are interesting. Some activities are suggested in the text, and sometimes these make reference to the worktext, so it's really an essential component. Also, presentation information and instruction on use of worktext pages is in the teacher’s edition. The home school kit includes all listed items including tests and answer key.

Book 5 [fifth grade] second edition

home school kit - $81.50, student text - $20.50, student worktext - $12, teacher’s edition - $23, teacher’s edition for worktext - $14.50 tests - $10, answer key - $6

This 1998 text focuses on modern American history, although it inevitably includes world history as it discusses the wars of this century. As with other texts in this series, it includes geography and cultural studies, even though these topics are not well integrated with the history.

The first two chapters are on boundaries/geography and transportation. Then history begins abruptly with a discussion of WWI. You then encounter 5 pages on world cultures, 7 on world geography, and a whirlwind tour of U.S. geographical regions before coming back to the Roaring 20s. Following this is an entire chapter devoted to economics that discusses basic, but essential, concepts to which children in elementary grades are rarely exposed. The text then returns to modern history up to the Clinton Administration, interrupting with a chapter on American Homes and Customs. A “Resource Treasury” at the back of the book features flags of the nations, information on presidents and states, maps, and a glossary.

The student worktext is frequently referred to for activities in the textbook. The teacher’s edition provides instructional information plus correlation of the worktext with the text. The home school kit includes all listed items including tests and answer key.

Book 6 [sixth grade] second edition

home school kit - $71, student text - $23, student worktext - $12.50, teacher’s edition - $23, tests - $10, test answer key - $6

This sixth grade text is the first in BJUP’s second edition series to address ancient world history, which is surprising since one would expect some coverage of ancient history by a Christian publisher before this point. This text opens with biblical history, Abraham, and Mesopotamia, then studies ancient times in Egypt, Israel, India, and China. Next, it moves up to the Classical Greek period and the time of the Roman Empire. Following chapters cover ancient African and Mayan history, then the golden age of the orient during part of the dark and middle age periods of Europe. The Byzantine Empire receives special attention, especially in regard to the crusades and relations between the Byantine and Roman Catholic churches (from a Protestant perspective). The book ends with brief discussion of the Middle Ages.

Some activity suggestions are in the textbook. They sometimes refer to the student worktext which is also used for map work and other exercises. The teacher’s edition provides instructional background and presentation information. Tests and answer key as well as the above components are included in the Home School Kit.

About Our States

student book - $11.50, teacher’s resource guide - $12.50

BJUP offers this resource for a four-week unit that covers all of the fifty states. The Teacher’s Resource Guide includes suggested schedule and teaching instructions plus blackline masters for maps and games and a student-constructed booklet on their own state. The colorful, 30-page student book presents a very brief view of each state, highlighting state flags, capitals, flowers, birds, trees, and nicknames.