Christianbook.comDescription
The BJU Press Fundamentals of Literature Grade 9 Teacher’s Edition (3rd Edition) serves as the cornerstone for introducing high school students to rigorous literary analysis through a distinctly Christian worldview. This comprehensive two-volume teacher resource equips homeschooling parents with everything needed to guide their ninth-graders through the foundational elements of literature while building critical thinking skills that will serve them throughout their academic journey.
Building upon BJU Press’s reputation for academically excellent Christian curriculum, this teacher’s edition transforms literature study from passive reading into active engagement with timeless themes and enduring truths. The curriculum systematically introduces students to six essential literary elements: conflict, character, theme, point of view, structure, and tone. Each unit pairs these elements with meaningful themes including endurance, discernment, hope, influence, identity, and confronting mortality, creating natural opportunities for biblical worldview discussions that resonate with Christian homeschooling families.
The anthology features carefully selected works spanning multiple genres and time periods, including excerpts from American, British, and Russian literature. Students encounter classic works such as Homer’s The Odyssey, Augustine’s Confessions, O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi,” Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield, and Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. The curriculum also incorporates contemporary voices and diverse perspectives while maintaining its commitment to evaluating all literature through the lens of Scripture. This balanced approach helps students develop discernment skills essential for navigating today’s literary landscape.
What sets this teacher’s edition apart is its practical design for busy homeschooling parents. The two-volume format provides full-sized student text pages alongside detailed teaching notes, eliminating the need to flip between multiple resources. Each lesson includes background information, biblical worldview shaping discussions, engagement activities, instructional guidance, literary analysis helps, and enrichment activities. The margins feature highlighted analysis notes that help parents who may lack formal literary training feel confident teaching sophisticated concepts.
The curriculum includes comprehensive study materials for Edmond Rostand’s classic drama Cyrano de Bergerac, provided in English translation. This full-length work allows students to analyze character development, theme, and dramatic structure in depth while exploring timeless questions about honor, love, and self-perception that align beautifully with Christian values of inner character over outward appearance.
Assessment tools are thoughtfully integrated throughout, with unit reviews featuring multiple-choice, matching, short answer, true/false, and essay questions. The “Thinking Zone” highlights provide ongoing review and reinforcement of literary terms and concepts, ensuring students master vocabulary essential for advanced literary study. The curriculum also includes ESL support materials, making it accessible for diverse learning needs within the homeschool community.
Beyond traditional literary analysis, the curriculum emphasizes the development of moral reasoning and biblical discernment. Students learn to evaluate authors’ worldviews, identify underlying philosophical assumptions, and apply scriptural principles to literary interpretation. This approach prepares students not merely to analyze literature technically, but to engage thoughtfully with ideas that will challenge and shape their faith throughout life.
The teaching strategies accommodate various learning styles and include small group discussions, visual analysis opportunities, engaging video clips, and interactive before, during, and after-reading activities. This multi-modal approach ensures that visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners can all engage meaningfully with the material while developing sophisticated analytical skills.
For homeschooling families committed to college preparation, this curriculum provides the rigorous foundation students need for advanced placement courses and college-level literary study. The systematic approach to literary criticism, combined with extensive writing opportunities and vocabulary development, positions students for academic success while reinforcing the Christian principles that guide their educational journey.
Aop.com
The Homeschool Shopper –
The BJU Press Fundamentals of Literature Grade 9 Teacher’s Edition serves as the foundational literature course for high school students, offering a comprehensive introduction to literary analysis through a distinctly Christian worldview. This two-volume teacher’s edition provides systematic instruction in six core literary elements while scaffolding students through increasingly sophisticated analytical thinking.
What We Liked
Strong Literary Analysis Foundation: This curriculum excels at teaching students not just what to read, but how to think critically about literature. The systematic approach to conflict, character, theme, point of view, structure, and tone provides students with essential tools for lifelong literary appreciation and analysis.
Biblical Worldview Integration: Parents consistently praise how naturally the curriculum integrates scriptural principles with literary study. Rather than feeling forced, the biblical connections enhance students’ understanding of both literature and their faith, helping them evaluate authors’ perspectives against biblical truth.
Comprehensive Literary Selection: The anthology includes an impressive range of works spanning American, British, and world literature, from classic short stories like “The Most Dangerous Game” to excerpts from Treasure Island. The inclusion of Cyrano de Bergerac as a complete play study adds significant literary depth.
Excellent Discussion Questions: The curriculum provides thought-provoking questions that move beyond basic comprehension to genuine critical thinking. These questions help students identify different worldviews in literature while developing their analytical reasoning skills.
Teacher Support Materials: The two-volume teacher’s edition includes detailed lesson plans, literary analysis notes, discussion guides, and biblical worldview connections. The marginal notes and teaching strategies provide thorough support even for parents without strong literature backgrounds.
College Preparation: Parents whose students used this curriculum report excellent preparation for college-level literary analysis and writing. The academic rigor genuinely prepares students for advanced coursework.
Areas for Improvement
Significant Teacher Preparation Required: This curriculum demands substantial parent investment. Teachers need to read selections in advance, understand the literary analysis concepts, and prepare for meaningful discussions. Parents cannot simply hand this to their student and expect independent work.
Intensive Workload: Multiple reviewers note that the course can feel overwhelming, with extensive reading assignments, frequent essays, and detailed analysis requirements. Some families find they need to modify the workload to prevent student burnout.
Teacher’s Edition Dependency: The student text alone is insufficient for proper instruction. The teacher’s edition contains essential background information, analysis, and answers, making it necessary but adding to the cost. Families trying to use only the student materials often struggle.
Protestant Perspective Emphasis: While appreciated by many Christian families, the strongly Protestant approach to biblical analysis may not suit families from other faith traditions or those preferring more neutral literary study.
Limited Flexibility: The structured approach, while academically sound, offers little room for adaptation. Families preferring unit studies or more flexible scheduling may find the traditional textbook format restrictive.
Bottom Line
BJU Press Fundamentals of Literature Grade 9 Teacher’s Edition delivers exceptional literary education for families committed to serious academic study within a Christian framework. While it requires significant parent preparation and consistent effort, it produces outstanding results in developing critical thinking, analytical writing, and biblical discernment. The curriculum successfully bridges the gap between elementary reading and advanced literary study, making it an excellent foundation for high school literature courses.
Best suited for motivated families who value academic rigor, appreciate systematic literary analysis instruction, and want to integrate faith with learning. The teacher’s edition is essential for success, and parents should expect to invest substantial time in preparation and discussion.
Recommended for: Families using traditional textbook approaches, parents comfortable with literature instruction, students bound for college, families prioritizing biblical worldview development
Consider alternatives if: You prefer low-prep curricula, need highly flexible scheduling, want primarily independent study options, or prefer literature study without religious integration