The American Republic Student Text is an excellent American History survey text for junior high. Though challenging, it will grab your students' attention with its unusual, colorful, inviting graphics. Colorful spreads throughout the book highlight American society and geography, history skills, and time lines.
The 4th edition is seven pages and two chapters shorter than the 3rd edition, but retains most of the content from before. Chapter ten is folded into the end of chapter nine, and chapters 27-28 merged into one chapter. A few other chapters are retitled, some formatting is adjusted and there are fewer pictures than before. The minimal new material focuses on events from the last six years: Obama's second Presidency, the development of ISIS, the normalization of homosexual marriage (though it doesn't reach the SCOTUS decision of 2015), the escalation of US debt and in ethnic conflicts, and the election of 2014.
The main difference in the textbook lies in the revision of section quiz and chapter review questions. In the quizzes, while there are a similar number of questions, they've become more thought provoking, with fewer questions that can be answered with only a word or two. The Chapter Review sections are completely revamped. Instead of two sections—"Review Questions" and "Critical Thinking"—there are now four: "Making Connections," "Developing History Skills," "Thinking Critically" and "Living as a Christian Citizen. These do have some carryover from before, but include more analysis and civics-preparedness material.
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