Welcome California Educators
Exploring Social Studies: California Edition
Discover an innovative, integrated approach to social studies instruction featuring high-interest student texts, creative lesson plans, inquiry-based analysis of primary sources, and an emphasis on interactive student engagement.
As an added benefit, it’s perfect for your ELA block, with the flexibility to fit into whole-class and small-group instruction as well as a Balanced Literacy approach.
100% Aligned to California Standards
- California History-Social Science Framework
- Reading: Informational Text
- Writing Standards
- ELD Standards
Overview
Encourage students to become active learners to promote civic thinking.
- Build literacy and social studies knowledge with high-interest nonfiction books featuring dynamic primary sources that meet the four disciplines of social studies.
- Make every elementary educator a social studies expertwith easy-to-use, creativelesson plansthatmeet state standards for both ELA and social studies.
- Promote inquiry-based learning with discussion questions, document-based assessments, and primary source analysis activities.
- Available in both English and Spanish, differentiation tips are embedded within each lesson for English learners.
- Use in multiple instructional settings, including whole- andsmall-group instruction during social studies or within a Balanced Literacy approach.
- Engage students through integrated technology with audio files of each book that model fluent reading, as well asinteractiveeBooks and additional digital resources.
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Exploring Social Studies: California Grade K
Captivate young students with colorful texts and engaging lessons, hands-on primary sources and scripts that introduce history and social studies topics, and rich resources designed for early learners
For The Student
- High-interest student texts with exciting visuals and key content
- Student Guided Practice Book with Project-Based Learning activities
- Primary sources and photographs to spark meaningful analysis of key concepts
- Student materials are available in English and Spanish
For The Teacher
- Standards-based lessons for whole- or small-group instruction
- Assessments to document student growth
- Embedded professional development and best practices
- Copy of Student Collection
Exploring Social Studies: California Grade 1
Motivate students to explore a wide range of history and social studies themes with leveled readers, research-based lesson plans, and a variety of primary sources and digital resources that extend learning.
For The Student
- High-interest student texts with exciting visuals and key content
- Student Guided Practice Book with Project-Based Learning activities
- Primary sources and photographs to spark meaningful analysis of key concepts
- Student materials are available in English and Spanish
For The Teacher
- Standards-based lessons for whole- or small-group instruction
- Assessments to document student growth
- Embedded professional development and best practices
- Copy of Student Collection
Exploring Social Studies: California Grade 2
Encourage critical thinking with rich informational texts, scripts, and other resources that cover four strands of social studies: history, geography, economics, and government/civics.
For The Student
- High-interest student texts with exciting visuals and key content
- Student Guided Practice Book with Project-Based Learning activities
- Primary sources and photographs to spark meaningful analysis of key concepts
- Student materials are available in English and Spanish
For The Teacher
- Standards-based lessons for whole- or small-group instruction
- Assessments to document student growth
- Embedded professional development and best practices
- Copy of Student Collection
Exploring Social Studies: California Grade 3
History and social studies themes and topics come to life with captivating images and texts that explore the United States government, famous people in history, community service, our natural resources, and more.
For The Student
- High-interest student texts with exciting visuals and key content
- Student Guided Practice Book with Project-Based Learning activities
- Primary sources and photographs to spark meaningful analysis of key concepts
- Student materials are available in English and Spanish
For The Teacher
- Standards-based lessons for whole- or small-group instruction
- Assessments to document student growth
- Embedded professional development and best practices
- Copy of Student Collection
Exploring Social Studies: California Grade 4
Standards-based resources tap into students' natural curiosity about California's fascinating history and geography, covering important grade-level topics and building content-area literacy.
For The Student
- High-interest student texts with exciting visuals and key content
- Student Guided Practice Book with Project-Based Learning activities
- Primary sources and photographs to spark meaningful analysis of key concepts
- Student materials are available in English and Spanish
For The Teacher
- Standards-based lessons for whole- or small-group instruction
- Assessments to document student growth
- Embedded professional development and best practices
- Copy of Student Collection
Exploring Social Studies: California Grade 5
Early explorers, American Indians, and the reasons for a revolution are among the diverse social studies topics that students will explore in depth with nonfiction texts and engaging print and digital resources.
For The Student
- High-interest student texts with exciting visuals and key content
- Student Guided Practice Book with Project-Based Learning activities
- Primary sources and photographs to spark meaningful analysis of key concepts
- Student materials are available in English and Spanish
For The Teacher
- Standards-based lessons for whole- or small-group instruction
- Assessments to document student growth
- Embedded professional development and best practices
- Copy of Student Collection
Leveled Readers
The Boy Who Cried Wolf and Other Aesop Fables
Life at Home
We Go to School
Meet Lady Liberty
Giving Thanks
Rules at Home
Rules at School
Map It!
Amazing Americans: George Washington
Amazing Americans: Pocahontas
Grand Old Flag
Workers at My School
Workers in My City
Workers Who Take Care of Me
National Holidays
Exploring Calendars
Our Neighborhood
American Heroes
Leveled Readers
The Star-Spangled Banner: Song and Flag of Independence
Happy Fourth of July!
What Makes a Town?
Be Fair!
Getting Around Town
Coming to America
Immigration Stories
America Then and Now
Maps and Globes
Where People Live
Who Makes the Rules?
Respect the Rules!
Be a Good Leader!
I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag
The Declaration of Independence: Fourteen Hundred Word…
What Makes a Family?
Saving and Spending
Goods and Services Around Town
Leveled Readers
Moving Forward
Camping Constitution
Louis Pasteur and the Fight Against Germs
George Washington Carver: Planting Ideas
Jackie Robinson
You and the U.S. Government
You and the Law
Mapping Our Nation
Money and Trade in Our Nation
Money and Trade in Our World
Women Who Changed the World
Diplomacy Makes a Difference
Farmers Then and Now
Fishers Then and Now
Government Leaders Then and Now
Families Through Time
A Family's Story
Amazing Americans: Abraham Lincoln
Leveled Readers
The Inventor: Benjamin Franklin
Declaring Our Independence
Frederick Douglass
Martin Luther King Jr.
Harriet Tubman: Leading Slaves to Freedom
Hand to Heart: Improving Communities
Our Nation's Capital: Washington, DC
The U.S. Constitution and You
Our Government: The Three Branches
We the People: Civic Values in America
Doing Your Part: Serving Your Community
America's Man-Made Landmarks
America's Natural Landmarks
Capital Resources and the Economy
Our Natural Resources
Geographic Features
California Indians
Understanding Economics
Leveled Readers
The Constitution of the United States: The Foundation …
The Great Depression: A Migrant Mother's Story
California's Indian Nations
Exploration of California
California's Spanish Missions
Junípero Serra: A Spanish Missionary
Mexican Rule of California
Trails to California
The Gold Rush
Biddy Mason: Becoming a Leader
California: Becoming a State
Crossing a Continent
Crossing Oceans: Immigrating to California
California: Towns to Cities
California in the 20th Century
California's Complex Water System
Education in California
Californians Who Made a Difference
Governing the Golden State
Geography of California
Leveled Readers
Work or Starve: Captain John Smith and the Jamestown C…
Lewis and Clark
American Indians of the West: Battling the Elements
American Indians of the Plains: Surviving the Great Ex…
American Indians of the East: Woodland People
Early Explorers
Racing to Colonize the New World
The New England Colonies: A Place for Puritans
The Middle Colonies: Breadbasket of the New World
The Southern Colonies: First and Last of 13
Reasons for a Revolution
The American Revolution: Fighting for Freedom
Forming a New Government
We the People: Founding Documents
The Great Leap Westward
19th Century Innovations: Paving the Way
Settling and Unsettling the West
American Indians in the 1800s: Right and Resistance
Phillis Wheatley
Early Congresses
Discover more
Books/Collections
Program Guide
Alignments
Product Research
Legislation
Adoption Toolkit
Exploring Social Studies Program Guide
See how the Exploring Social Studies program works in your classroom.
Exploring Social Studies Standards Alignment & Curriculum Map
See how we are 100% aligned to California history and social science standards.
Exploring Social Studies Benchmark Alignment
View our alignment to the Benchmark ©Advance ©2018 English Language Arts program.
Exploring Social Studies Wonders Alignment
View our alignment to the Wonders©2017 English Language Arts program.
Exploring Social Studies Journeys Alignment
View our alignment to the Journeys© English Language Arts program
Exploring Social Studies Product Research
Explore our research base for Exploring Social Studies: California Edition.
Exploring Social Studies California Legislation
See how we comply with California education laws.
Exploring Social Studies Adoption Toolkit
See how we meet California social studies curriculum requirements.