The Core Knowledge Sequence–2022 Edition

Last spring we announced the start of a thorough review and revision process to update and enhance the Core Knowledge Sequence. A year later, we are proud to share that we will soon release a draft for public review and comment. Our current review process has engaged subject-matter experts and educator focus groups, and involved a careful review of national standards and current trends in cognitive science. 

A draft of the 2022 Core Knowledge Sequence, K–8, will be posted on the Core Knowledge Foundation website by mid-July, 2021 for public comment. It is our hope that administrators, teachers, and parents will review this draft and offer feedback. See below for specific details.

Please note that the Core Knowledge Foundation will not be printing or offering this Sequence for sale until 2022, so that we are able to incorporate any appropriate changes that may be suggested by our constituents.

What to Expect

The newly revised Sequence will:

• Increase elaboration of skills in Language Arts and Math.
• Present revised science content guidelines to reflect the Next Generation Science Standard’s (NGSS) emphasis on scientific practice. You can preview a sample here.
• Incorporate contemporary works in literature, art, and music.
• Offer a renewed commitment to represent the diverse peoples and cultures, of the past and present, who enriched our society, including appendices that provide recommended trade books by grade level and social justice standards.
• Align with CKHG and CKSci units (e.g., middle school history and geography topics will align with the CKHG middle school materials).

Anticipated Timeline

• Late Summer 2021: Anticipated timeframe that the new Sequence draft will be posted online; collection of public comment will open.
• November 30, 2021: Public comment will close.
• Spring 2022: The updated Sequence will be made available for purchase and download on the Core Knowledge Foundation website.

What Does this Mean for the 2010 Sequence?

• Hardcopies of this publication are in limited supply. Once sold out, it will not be reprinted.
• The 2010 Sequence will remain online for free download until this newly released Sequence is finalized.

Want to be notified when the revised Sequence is ready for public comment?

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Volume 1
A History of the United States: Precolonial to the 1800s

Volume 2
Modern Times–Late 1800s to the 2000s

Engaging, Challenging, and Thought-Provoking New Features!

The Student Volumes provide traditional narrative text and high-quality images. Interspersed with the text and images are three new features:

• Think Twice boxes pose questions for students to answer, either in writing or in oral discussion. These questions prompt a deeper analysis of the text.
• Find Out the Facts boxes prompt students to conduct research on a specified topic.
• Writers’ Corner boxes present students with writing tasks, such as essays, reports, and creative compositions.

The Teacher Guide, contains the already established elements, such as the Daily Check For Understanding and Additional Activities. In addition there are also new features.

• The Learning Lab provides additional time for students to complete the new Student Volume features, before the chapter is wrapped up.
• A Talk it Over opportunity encourages discussion or debate, either in the Guided Reading Support, or in the Additional Activities.
• When Primary Source documents are used within a lesson, the importance of such resources is highlighted.
• Finally, select American History chapters offer opportunities for Civic Action and involvement.  This part of the CKHG series feature, “The Pathway to Citizenship,” focuses on the foundational knowledge students need in order to become literate citizens.

These materials are designed for a full year use in Middle School. The complete U.S. History text can be used in either 7th or 8th grade for schools following the Core Knowledge Sequence.

[button]Volume 1 Table of Contents[/button]
[button]Volume 2 Table of Contents[/button]

Meet the Authors

Dr. Andrea Oliver

Dr. Oliver was awarded a Doctorate in History, with a concentration on 20^th Century Intellectual and African American History, at Florida State. Dr. Oliver is an award-winning educator, with over twenty-five years of experience.  For five years, Dr. Oliver was the Coordinator of Teacher Education at Tallahassee Community College. Dr. Oliver was recognized as one of sixty community college professors nationwide with the Excellence in Teaching Award at the National Institute for Organizational and Staff Development (NISOD). Dr. Oliver is currently working on a book about the first Black valedictorians and salutatorians of formerly segregated Southern schools.

Dr. John Recchiuti

Dr. Recchiuti studied at Wesleyan University and at Warwick University, U.K., before earning a Doctorate in History at Columbia University. He has taught at the University of Michigan, Columbia University, and New York University. He is the Saffell Endowed Chair in Humanities at the University of Mount Union, and a member of the National Council for Education. His 2007 book, Civic Engagement, was nominated for the Bancroft and Parkman prizes.

The Core Knowledge Foundation is pleased to announce that we have turned our attention to the development of instructional materials in grades 6-8 for teachers, parents, and students . We are adding these materials to our wide array of comprehensive and downloadable materials for Kindergarten through Grade 5 in language arts, history and geography, and science.

Here is an overview of this multi-year initiative.

Core Knowledge Mathematics

Core Knowledge Mathematics™ is the newest subject-area to be added to the Core Knowledge Curriculum Series™, with our immediate focus on the middle grades in 6–8. Based upon the highly-rated Illustrative Math and Open Up Resources OER curriculum, CKMath offers students the opportunity to develop conceptual understanding and procedural fluency while they work with an adult to apply math in the real world. Comprehensive Teacher Guides support educators in orchestrating productive mathematical discussions and ensuring mathematical success for all students. Available now: Grade 6 Unit 1 Area and Surface Area. Coming Soon: Grade 7 Unit 1 Scale Drawings and Grade 8 Unit 1 Rigid Transformation and Congruence. Additional units in grades 6–8 will be posted as they are completed.

Core Knowledge History and Geography

A total of fifty-two Core Knowledge History and Geography™ units for Kindergarten – Grade 6 are available now for free download. We are currently working on writing both Student Texts and Teacher Guides for a Survey of American History, that is intended for use in either Grade 7 or 8, depending on when American History is taught in each state’s standards. These materials, written by subject matter experts, will cover:

• The First Americans
• European Exploration and Colonization
• The US Constitution
• The New Republic and The War of 1812
• Westward Expansion Before the Civil War
• The Civil War and Reconstruction
• Westward Expansion After the Civil War
• Native Americans: Cultures and Conflicts
• Immigration, Industrialization, and Urbanization
• Social Movements and Reform
• World War I
• The Twenties and the Great Depression
• World War II
• Postwar America and the Cold War, Vietnam, and the Age of Civil Rights
• The United States at Home and on the World Stage
• The Challenges Ahead and Powerful Voices

Core Knowledge Language Arts

Over 100 Core Knowledge Language Arts™ units for Preschool – Grade 5 are available now for free download. We are currently working on the development of eight CKLA Grade 6 units comprised of Student Texts and Teacher Guides which will include a balance of classic and contemporary literature:

• Flying Lessons and Other Stories (Ellen Oh, Editor)
• Calling All Minds: How to Think Like An Inventor (Temple Grandin)
• The Iliad, Odyssey, and Other Greek Stories (Core Classics)
• The History of Ancient Greece and Rome (Core Classics)
• Julius Caesar (Core Classics)
• Ninety Miles to Havana (Enrique Flores Galbis)
• A More Perfect Union (Core Classics)
• Realms of Gold (Core Knowledge Poetry)

The Teacher Guides will be aligned to the Common Core States Standards and will address teaching reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills.

Core Knowledge Science

Twenty-nine Core Knowledge Science™ units for Kindergarten – Grade 5 are available now for free download. We are currently working on the development of a Grade 6-8 Core Knowledge Science Sequence, analogous to the K-5 Core Knowledge Science Sequence. Once the Grade 6-8 Science Sequence has been completed, we will begin the creation of eight CKSci Grade 6 units comprised of Student Texts and Teacher Guides.

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Keep on eye on the Core Knowledge Blog in the weeks to come for more detailed descriptions of the Core Knowledge Middle School materials!

Years have passed since the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were first introduced, prompting educators and policy makers throughout the country to more closely examine and revise academic standards to ensure that, at the end of their K-12 education, all students leave school prepared to be fully contributing citizens to our democratic society. As a result, there has finally been long overdue attention to the importance of knowledge-rich curricula and instruction.

But something is still missing. One has only to look at the lack of civil discourse evident everywhere these days between individuals and groups, where shouting matches and physical confrontation become increasingly commonplace. What may be missing in school instruction is the failure to teach social skills.

To that end, the Core Knowledge Foundation has just made a set of Preschool Social Skills Posters available for free download. These posters identify important social skills that can be taught in a step-by-step manner. Educators and homeschoolers who want to introduce these social skills to young children in an engaging manner may also be interested in purchasing The Stop and Think Songbook CD.

Teaching social skills must, of course, extend beyond preschool. The steps described in the free downloadable Social Skills Posters are based on the more comprehensive Stop and Think Social Skills Program for Preschool – Grade 8. We encourage you to examine these additional resources, including a guide for parents, available for purchase from our partner, Project Achieve.