Pearson Learning / Core Knowledge Textbooks
The Pearson Learning / Core Knowledge history and geography textbooks for grades K–6 put the story back in history. They communicate rich content in an understandable, engaging style that young students enjoy. Edited by Core Knowledge founder E. D. Hirsch, Jr. and based on the curriculum guidelines in the Core Knowledge Sequence, these books represent the only history and geography program reviewed, approved, and endorsed by the Core Knowledge Foundation.
"Engaging… packed with content… Anyone looking for resources that can be used to teach history and geography in grades K–6 should take a look at [this] fine new series"
—The Education Gadfly/The Fordham Foundation
In the year they appeared, 2002, the books were selected by the prestigious New York Book Show as one of the best educational series of the year for the elementary grades. They have also attracted praise from many education reform groups:
The series includes 73 units for grades K–6. The paragraphs below describe which units are available for each grade level, which ones can be purchased individually, and how the books are intended to be used.
Please note that these books cannot be purchased from the Core Knowledge Foundation. To order, get price information, or request samples, contact your local Pearson Learning sales representative or call 1-800-321-3106. Additional information can also be found on the Pearson Learning website. You can order these materials online at Pearson's Order and Shipment Information Service.
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A big book and teacher guide for grade K |
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"Exemplary curricular resources"
— The American Academy for Liberal Education
There are four units available for kindergarten (see list below). Each of these units consists of two parts: a teacher guide and a big book for students. The teacher guide contains read-alouds for the teacher to read to the class, as well as objectives, discussion topics, suggested activities, cross-curricular connections, black-line masters, and assessment questions. The big book contains large, full-color pictures for students to look at before, during, or after the read-alouds, along with short, simple captions.
Please note that the big books are not intended to be used alone; they are meant to be used in tandem with the read-alouds in the teacher guides. If a teacher chooses to use only the big books, much of the Core Knowledge content will not be conveyed.
"A beautifully written and illustrated, in-depth, and content-rich set of books that will transform learning in the early grades."
—Center for Education Reform
Four units are available for grade K: Continents and Maps; Native Americans; Exploring and Settling America; and The Mount Rushmore Presidents. ISBNs for the teacher guides and matching big books are listed in the chart below. Teacher guides and big books can be purchased individually or in packages. Contact Pearson for prices, purchase options, and details.
Grades 1 & 2
There are 8 units for first grade and 11 units for second grade (for lists of titles for each grade, see below). Each of the units for these grades consists of two parts: a teacher guide and a small student book. The teacher guide contains a set of read-alouds for the teacher to read to the class, as well as objectives, discussion topics, suggested activities, cross-curricular connections, black-line masters, and assessment questions. The student books are small pamphlets, easy for young children to handle. They include full-color pictures for students to look at before, during, or after the read-alouds, as well as simple captions for budding readers.
"A great series of social studies textbooks"
—IllinoisLoop.org
As with the kindergarten materials, the student books for these grades are not intended to be used in isolation; they are meant to be used in tandem with the read-alouds in the teacher guides, and these read-alouds contain the bulk of the content. Ideally, a teacher would purchase one teacher's guide for each unit and one little book for each student in the classroom. However, if funds are tight, teachers might consider ordering fewer student books and asking two or three students to share one book.
For grade 1 (also known as level 1), there are 8 units available: Mesopotamia; Ancient Egypt; Three World Religions; Mexico Today; Early Civilizations of the Americas; Early Explorers and Settlers; From Colonies to Independence; and Exploring the West. ISBNs for the teacher guides and student books are listed in the chart below. The teacher guides can be purchased individually or as a set; the student books can be purchased individually, in six-packs, or in sets. Contact Pearson for prices, purchase options, and details.
For grade 2 (also known as level 2), there are 11 units available: Ancient India; Ancient China; Japan Today; Ancient Greece; Making the Constitution; The War of 1812; Americans Move West; The Civil War; Immigration and Citizenship; Civil Rights Leaders; and Geography of the Americas. ISBNs for the teacher guides and student books are listed in the chart below. The teacher guides for these units can be purchased individually or as a set; the student books can be purchased individually, in six-packs, or in sets. Contact Pearson for prices, purchase options, and details.
A student book and teacher guide for grade 2
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| A student book for grade 4 |
Grades 3–6
In grades K-2 students learn mainly by listening to teachers reading aloud. Although students may read captions in their student books, most of the reading is done by the teacher. Beginning in grade 3, students are asked to begin reading about history and geography on their own: the main text now appears not in the read-alouds in the teacher guide, but in the student book.
The student texts for grades 3-6 are full-size books, in which historical and geographical topics are introduced in easy language, with glosses for difficult words and rich, full-color illustrations. The teacher guides contain objectives, discussion topics, suggested activities, cross-curricular connections, suggestions for further reading, black-line masters, and unit assessments.
For grade 3 (also known as level 3), there are 7 units: Canada Today; World Rivers; Ancient Rome*; The Vikings; The Earliest Americans; Exploration of North America; and Life in the Thirteen Colonies. The unit on Ancient Rome, marked with an asterisk, can be purchased individually. The other units are currently only available as part of the bound textbook for grade 3. This is a blue volume with three diamonds on the front cover and spine to indicate grade 3/level 3. ISBNs for teacher guides and student books are listed in the chart below. Classroom packages are also available; contact Pearson for prices, purchase options, and details.
For grade 4 (also known as level 4), there are 10 units: Using Maps; World Mountains; Europe in the Middle Ages*; The Spread of Islam; African Kingdoms; Dynasties of China; The American Revolution*; The United States Constitution*; Early Presidents: Washington through Jackson; and American Reformers. The units marked with an asterisk can be purchased individually. The other units are currently only available as part of the bound textbook for grade 4, shown to the left. The four diamonds on the cover indicate grade 4/level 4. ISBNs for student editions and teacher guides are listed in the chart below. Classroom packages are also available; contact Pearson for prices, purchase options, and details.
For grade 5 (also known as level 5), there are 13 units: World Lakes; The Maya, Aztec, and Inca Civilizations; The Renaissance*; The Reformation; England: Golden Age to Glorious Revolution; The Age of Exploration*; Early Russia; Feudal Japan; Westward Expansion Before the Civil War*; The Civil War*; Westward Expansion After the Civil War*; Native Americans: Cultures and Conflicts*; and Geography of the United States*. The units marked with an asterisk can be purchased individually. The other units are currently only available as part of the bound textbook for grade 5, shown to the left. The five diamonds on the cover indicate grade 5/level 5. ISBNs for teacher guides and student books are listed in the chart below. Classroom packages are also available; contact Pearson for prices, purchase options, and details.
For grade 6 (also known as level 6), there are 10 units: World Deserts; Judaism and Christianity; Ancient Greece and Rome; The Enlightenment; The French Revolution and Romanticism; Industrialism, Capitalism, and Socialism; Independence for Latin America*; Immigration*; Industrialization and Urbanization in America*; and Reform in Industrial America. The units marked with an asterisk can be purchased individually. The other units are currently only available as part of the bound textbook for grade 6, shown to the left. The six diamonds on the cover indicate grade 6/level 6. ISBNs for teacher guides and student books are listed in the chart below. Classroom packages are also available; contact Pearson for prices, purchase options, and details.
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Sample pages from 4th grade unit on the American Revolution |
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Student Books
All of the student books for grades K-2 can be purchased individually. For grades 3-6 some units can be purchased individually and others are only available in the bound textbook for the grade. The list below gives ISBN numbers for single copies of student books; many of these books are also available in six packs and as parts of classroom packages. Contact Pearson for prices and additional details.
| ISBN | Grade/Level | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 0-7690-5000-X | K | Continents and Maps (big book) |
| 0-7690-5001-8 | K | Native Americans (big book) |
| 0-7690-5002-6 | K | Exploring and Settling America (big book) |
| 0-7690-5003-4 | K | Mount Rushmore Presidents (big book) |
| 0-7690-2970-4 | K | 1 copy of each of the 4 big books for Grade K |
| 0-7690-5004-2 | 1 | Mesopotamia |
| 0-7690-5005-0 | 1 | Ancient Egypt |
| 0-7690-5006-9 | 1 | Three World Religions |
| 0-7690-5007-7 | 1 | Mexico Today |
| 0-7690-5008-5 | 1 | Early Civilizations of the Americas |
| 0-7690-5009-3 | 1 | Early Explorers and Settlers |
| 0-7690-5010-7 | 1 | From Colonies to Independence |
| 0-7690-5011-5 | 1 | Exploring the West |
| 0-7690-2961-2 | 1 | 1 copy of each of the 8 student books for Grade 1 |
| 0-7690-5013-1 | 2 | Ancient China |
| 0-7690-5014-X | 2 | Ancient India |
| 0-7690-5015-8 | 2 | Japan Today |
| 0-7690-5016-6 | 2 | Ancient Greece |
| 0-7690-5017-4 | 2 | Making the Constitution |
| 0-7690-5018-2 | 2 | The War of 1812 |
| 0-7690-5019-0 | 2 | Americans Move West |
| 0-7690-5020-4 | 2 | The Civil War |
| 0-7690-5021-2 | 2 | Immigration and Citizenship |
| 0-7690-5022-0 | 2 | Civil Rights Leaders |
| 0-7690-5023-9 | 2 | Geography of the Americas |
| 0-7690-2962-0 | 2 | 1 copy of each of the 11 student books for Grade 2 |
| 0-7690-5098-0 | 3 | Ancient Rome |
| 0-7690-5024-7 | 3 | History and Geography, Level 3 (contains all 7 units for Grade 3) |
| 0-7690-5100-6 | 4 | Europe in the Middle Ages |
| 0-7690-5101-4 | 4 | The American Revolution |
| 0-7690-5102-2 | 4 | The United States Constitution |
| 0-7690-5025-5 | 4 | History and Geography, Level 4 (contains all 10 units for Grade 4) |
| 0-7690-5104-9 | 5 | The Renaissance |
| 0-7690-5103-0 | 5 | The Age of Exploration |
| 0-7690-5105-7 | 5 | Westward Expansion Before the Civil War |
| 0-7690-5106-5 | 5 | The Civil War |
| 0-7690-5107-3 | 5 | Westward Expansion After the Civil War |
| 0-7690-5108-1 | 5 | Native Americans: Cultures and Conflicts |
| 0-7690-5026-3 | 5 | History and Geography, Level 5 (contains all 13 units for Grade 5) |
| 0-7690-5109-X | 5 | Geography of the United States |
| 0-7690-5112-X | 6 | Independence for Latin America |
| 0-7690-5110-3 | 6 | Immigration |
| 0-7690-5111-1 | 6 | Industrialization and Urbanization in America |
| 0-7690-5027-1 | 6 | History and Geography Level 6 (contains all 10 units for Grade 6) |
Teacher Guides
Teacher Guides are also available as part of various classroom packages. Contact Pearson for details.
| ISBN | Grade/Level | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 0-7690-5032-8 | K | Continents and Maps—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-5033-6 | K | Native Americans—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-5034-4 | K | Exploring and Settling America—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-5035-2 | K | Mount Rushmore Presidents—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7670-2938-8 | K | Set of all 4 Teacher Guides for Grade K, plus binder |
| 0-7690-5036-0 | 1 | Mesopotamia—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-5037-9 | 1 | Ancient Egypt—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-5038-7 | 1 | Three World Religions—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-5039-5 | 1 | Mexico Today—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-5040-9 | 1 | Early Civilizations of the Americas—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-5041-7 | 1 | Early Explorers and Settlers—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-5042-5 | 1 | From Colonies to Independence—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-5043-3 | 1 | Exploring the West—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-2939-6 | 1 | Set of all 8 Teacher Guides for Grade 1, plus binder |
| 0-7690-5044-1 | 2 | Ancient China—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-5045-X | 2 | Ancient India—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-5046-8 | 2 | Japan Today—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-5047-6 | 2 | Ancient Greece—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-5048-4 | 2 | Making the Constitution—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-5049-2 | 2 | The War of 1812—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-5050-6 | 2 | Americans Move West—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-5051-4 | 2 | The Civil War Grade 2—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-5052-2 | 2 | Immigration and Citizenship—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-5053-0 | 2 | Civil Rights Leaders—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-5054-9 | 2 | Geography of the Americas—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-2940-X | 2 | Set of all 11 Teacher Guides for Grade 2, plus binder |
| 0-7690-5057-3 | 3 | Ancient Rome—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-2970-1 | 3 | Set of all 7 Teacher Guides for Grade 3, plus binder |
| 0-7690-5068-9 | 4 | The American Revolution—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-5069-7 | 4 | The United States Constitution—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-5064-6 | 4 | Europe in the Middle Ages—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-2971-X | 4 | Set of all 10 Teacher Guides for Grade 4, plus binder |
| 0-7690-5074-3 | 5 | The Renaissance—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-5077-8 | 5 | The Age of Exploration—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-5080-8 | 5 | Westward Expansion Before the Civil War— Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-5081-6 | 5 | The Civil War—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-5082-4 | 5 | Westward Expansion After the Civil War —Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-5083-2 | 5 | Native Americans: Cultures and Conflicts —Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-5084-0 | 5 | Geography of the United States—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-2972-8 | 5 | Set of all 13 Teacher Guides for Grade 5, plus binder |
| 0-7690-5090-5 | 6 | Independence for Latin America—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-5091-3 | 6 | Immigration—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-5092-1 | 6 | Industrialization and Urbanization in America—Teacher Guide |
| 0-7690-2973-6 | 6 | Set of all 10 Teacher Guides for Grade 6, plus binder |
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Last updated: Thu, May 22 2008
