In our comparative analysis of Social Studies test books we looked at two fifth grade textbooks:  United States and Its Neighbors and America's Story: Volume One.  Both textbooks were impressive.  The chapters of both books were very well organized.  They were presented using topical and chronological order.  The units and table of contents were set up in chronological order and the individual chapters were divided topically.  Generally they were up to date.  United States and Its Neighbors was copyrighted in 1993, so it did not have some of the more current event issues that America's Story contained.
 Each book contained end of lesson and end of chapter tests.  Students can easily reiterate the information they learned by answering a variety of questions, located at the end of the chapters, which involve higher and lower order thinking skills.
      The material in each book was appropriate to the fifth grade.  The information was well organized and interesting.  We were also impressed with the visual aides provided in each book.  Each book contained charts, maps, graphs, and photographs to help enhance learning.  These visual aides did not deter the reader from learning, but instead provided the reader with tangible information.  These visual aides related well with the text and fit nicely with its respective paragraph and chapter.
     We both enjoyed our textbooks.  The authors were conveying their messages very clearly and effectively to their readers.  A strength found in both books was the authors would use a new word in the text, and then follow it with the definition of the word.  An example from United States and Its Neighbors is, "The cannonballs crashing down on Fort Sumter were the first shots of the Civil War.  A civil war is an armed fight between groups of people within the same country (435)."  There is also an example from America's Story, "Some temples are built on top of pyramids.  A pyramid is a building with three or more sides shaped like triangles (52)."  Defining words this way is great for students' comprehension while reading.  Using different methods of defining words breaks the monotony most textbooks contain.
     We liked the way the sentences were structured.  They were easy to read and comprehend, and were on an appropriate reading level.  The sentences were developed so a fifth grader could read them with ease.  Along with this, we felt, the vocabulary density was acceptable.  Neither book contained more than eight questionable words in a 1000 word sample.  We felt confident that this would not prohibit what the students were trying to learn.
     We feel that both of these books are well written.  They flow easily and are interesting.  Fifth grade could easily utilize these materials.  We also feel that students would not only benefit from the valuable information provided in these textbooks, but that they would enjoy reading it.
 

                                                                      Works Cited

Banks, James A., et al.  United States and Its Neighbors.  New York: Macmillian/McGraw - Hill School Publishing Co., 1993.

Boehm, Richard G., et al.  America's Story: Volume One.  Orlando: Hercourt Brace and Co., 1997.