The Core Knowledge Curriculum Series™ provides comprehensive, content-rich learning materials based on the Core Knowledge Sequence. Student readers, teacher guides, activity books, and other materials are available for Language Arts, History and Geography, and Science. Materials for Math are in development.
Free Downloadable Core Knowledge Curriculum
By making many of our Core Knowledge curriculum materials freely available, we work to put into practice the principle that every child in a democracy should have access to shared, enabling knowledge.
You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 or newer to view our materials, which is available as a free download on the Adobe website.
CKHG K–8 is a comprehensive program in world and American history and geography, integrating topics in civics, economics, and the arts. Core Knowledge History and Geography helps students build knowledge of American History, and of the diverse civilizations, cultures, and concepts specified in the Core Knowledge Sequence. The program includes the complete history and geography curriculum plus additional resources for teachers and students in Kindergarten through grade 8 and above (Ages 5–13+). For each grade level, there are a range of titles to cover during the school year, with each year building upon the knowledge learned in the previous year. As a result, students will build a strong foundation of knowledge. The history and geography curriculum materials aim to prepare students to actively participate in a democratic society.
The Core Knowledge Language Arts curriculum provides comprehensive materials to teach reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. The program is free to download and available for students in Preschool through Grade 8.
The Core Knowledge Science curriculum offers comprehensive materials to teach science concepts and develop science practices through student reading, science content acquisition, and hands-on activities. Based on the 2023 Core Knowledge Sequence, the curriculum helps students build knowledge in the life, physical, and earth/space sciences, human body, and computer science, as well as engineering design.
The Core Knowledge Science (CKSci) program includes a comprehensive elementary science curriculum for students in kindergarten through grade 5. Additionally, Core Knowledge Science (CKSci) has a full 6–8 curriculum based on the OpenSciEd program enhanced with Core Knowledge reading and activities stressing science literacy.
The entire K–5 curriculum, which emphasizes the Core Knowledge approach, provides students with a firm basis in the factual knowledge of the sciences, the human body, computer science, and engineering. Additionally, this program has been informed by many positive aspects of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
The Core Knowledge Mathematics curriculum offers comprehensive materials to support conceptual understanding and procedural fluency for student success in math. Units for the middle grades 6–8 are being developed now.
The Core Knowledge Foundation sees the arts not as a peripheral part of the curriculum but as an essential part of the knowledge all children should learn in the early grades.
Early instruction in the arts should be noncompetitive and provide many opportunities to sing, dance, listen to music, play act, read and write poetry, draw, paint, and make objects. Equally important, children should be exposed to fine paintings, great music, and other inspiring examples of art. As children progress in their knowledge and competencies, they can begin to learn more about the methods and terminology of the different arts, and become familiar with an ever wider range of great artists and acknowledged masterworks.
Through attaining a basic knowledge of the arts, children are not only better prepared to understand and appreciate works of art, but also to communicate their ideas, feelings, and judgments to others. A good understanding of the arts grows out of at least three modes of knowledge: creative (i.e., directly making artworks), historical, and analytical. Early study of the arts should embrace all three modes with special emphasis on creativity and active participation.
It’s our goal to make Core Knowledge curriculum materials accessible to as many students as possible. The Core Knowledge Foundation is pleased to offer a range of Core Knowledge History & Geography (CKHG) titles in Spanish for free download.
Bayou Bridges is a K–8 social studies curriculum developed in partnership with the Louisiana Department of Education. This comprehensive curriculum integrates history, geography, civics, and economics in alignment with the student expectations of the 2022 Louisiana Student Standards for Social Studies. These materials advance Louisiana Literacy by building explicit content knowledge and disciplinary literacy. All units emphasize primary sources and have been reviewed by subject matter experts, typically university professors.
Recommended Titles to Enhance Core Knowledge Implementation
We offer this grade-by-grade list of books sold by other publishers for schools that may be interested in adding these titles to their school or classroom libraries. All books have been reviewed by Core Knowledge staff.
More in the Store
Visit the Core Knowledge Store to explore other content-rich materials, including the popular What Your ___ Grader Needs to Know series. Looking for print editions of items in the Core Knowledge Curriculum Series? As they become available, you’ll find those in the Store as well.
Are you ready to join the Core Knowledge Community?
It uses tools like Facebook Groups and Pinterest Boards to give teachers a place to share their ideas and resources, ask questions, learn from each other, and connect with other schools teaching Core Knowledge.