Announcing the Publication of K-2 CKHG Instructional Materials

Announcing the Publication of K-2 CKHG Instructional Materials

Spread the news! Twenty-four NEW American and World History Grade K−2 Student Books and Teacher Guides in the Core Knowledge History and Geography™ (CKHG™) series are now available for free download.

For those who prefer our beautifully illustrated print editions, order now before price increases go into effect in Spring, 2020.

What’s unique about CKHG for students in Grades K−2? The Student Books are authentic texts, intended to be read aloud by a teacher or parent while young students follow along in their own book, looking at the richly drawn illustrations, engaging photographs, and colorful maps. Read aloud texts are central to teaching history in these early grades because young students are more able to grasp complex ideas when they hear content read aloud than
when they read to themselves.

An engaging feature of the K-2 CKHG materials is the downloadable My Passport, a souvenir passport that students compile throughout the year to remind them of the historic places they have “visited,” and featuring beautiful Passport Images used by students as passport stamps. Students are invited to become “Time Travelers” in different units. For example, in Grade 2 when students study a world history unit about ancient Greece the following instructions are given to the teacher:

Tell students that you are going to pretend that you have a special machine so that you can all travel back in time to visit ancient Greece. Ask students to close their eyes and make sure that they are “buckled in,” so that they can travel back in time. Count backward, saying, “3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . Back to ancient Greece!” and then ask students to open their eyes.

The Teacher Guides offer step-by-step guidance in reading the stories aloud and in discussing their content. They also offer additional wide-ranging activities for teachers and parents to choose — such as, virtual tours of historic sites, history games, craft projects, short video and music clips, as well as activity pages.

Kindergartners are introduced to the seven continents and geography skills, the lives of early Native Americans,  early explorers and settlers in America, and to the Mount Rushmore presidents.

Grade 1 students will learn about topics ranging from Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt to the culture of Mexico and the exploration of the American West.

Grade 2 students will hear stories about ancient India, China, and Greece, as well as topics ranging from the making of the U.S. Constitution, the Civil War, and American civil rights leaders.

What else is included in this K−2 history and geography curriculum? Teachers will find recommended lists of additional age-appropriate, engrossing trade books they can turn to for further instruction, as well as activity page masters and assessments. Early civics instruction is also embedded in the curriculum, so that by the time students enter Grade 3, they have a foundation for concepts taught explicitly in the upper elementary grades.

Take a peek at what we have to offer: Teacher Guides and Student Books are available free download and purchase. The My Passport resources are only available for download.

Check out the CKHG units available NOW for free download: