US History Curriculum Collection: Democracy & Freedom

Centering on the themes of Democracy & Freedom, Facing History's new US History curriculum collection is designed to help students think critically about what it means to live in the United States as a free and full human being and draw meaningful connections between our country's complex history and their own lived experiences. The materials in the collection are intentionally curated to help empower students to become active citizens and deepen their understanding of their rights and responsibilities in their communities and our nation.

The identity of a nation like the United States is shaped by the ways people have worked individually and together to create a more free and fair democracy. This new collection builds on existing Facing History resources and has the arc of the academic year in mind, but no matter where in your course you begin to integrate these materials, taking time to create a classroom community that is open, inclusive, and prepared to tackle difficult conversations is a key element to our approach to teaching US History.

Once you've laid the foundation for deep and collaborative learning, you can utilize our carefully curated collection to explore a variety of historical periods and perspectives including the founding era, Reconstruction Era, the period of Asian exclusion and mass immigration at the turn of the twentieth century, and the Civil Rights movement.

Also included in the collection is a Choosing to Participate unit designed to help educators and students craft a dynamic capstone project at the culmination of their US History Course. This unit fosters the civic capacity of students by asking them to examine the civic actions of people in the past and present and imagine what freedoms they would like to see in their communities.

Continue exploring our US history resources and consider incorporating them into your curriculum to help inform and inspire students as they prepare to make their mark on the world.