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Virginia

Our custom-made kindergarten through sixth-grade series is designed from the ground up to align with the latest Virginia state social studies standards. Created in collaboration with local experts and authors, our curriculum provides an inclusive, accurate, and engaging narrative that allows students to see themselves in the history of their state and the nation.

Recognizing the varied time constraints educators face, we offer unparalleled flexibility in teaching the standards. Our programs utilize cutting-edge strategies and pedagogical best practices to ensure profound comprehension and retention of both content and skills.

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Kindergarten
 

Exploring My Place in the World

Exploring My Place in the World takes kindergartners through concepts like freedom, rules, place, time, and choice.

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Grade 1
 

Exploring My Communities

Exploring My Communities asks first-grade students to examine leadership and problem solving, decision making, human and environment interaction, and personal finance.

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Grade 2
 

Exploring Near and Far

Exploring Near and Far allows second-grade students to analyze government and the common good, the movement of people and ideas, and context within history.

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Grade 3

Exploring Time and Place, Virginia Edition

Exploring Time and Place guides students through social studies areas of focus highlighted in the state standards. Features are targeted to provide students with opportunities to develop social studies skills such as historical thinking, geographical analysis, economic decision making, and responsible citizenship through engagement with primary and secondary sources. Incorporated is a supplemental literature library of historical fictions to support interconnected pedagogical strategies and the fluid combination of history and ELA instructional time in the classroom. 

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Grade 4

The Virginia Adventure

The Virginia Adventure covers the history of Virginia from the earliest people to the challenges facing Virginians today. Each chapter begins with a “Big Question,” includes primary source analysis, and ends with a social studies skill activity. The Student Edition is filled with thought-provoking images, timelines, maps, graphs, and charts. Content about the state’s government, geography, and economy are woven into the state’s history, making this a comprehensive exploration of the history of Virginia. 

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Grade 5

Shaping a Nation: A History of the United States from 1450 to 1865, Virginia Edition

Shaping a Nation tells the stories of the many people and events which have shaped the land we call the United States from the earliest humans to the end of the Civil War. Each chapter is designed to engage students in critical thinking and analysis, using primary sources and evidence to connect history to themselves in a thoughtful and provoking way. 

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Grade 6

Building a Promise: A History of the United States from 1865 to Present, Virginia Edition

Building a Promise picks up where its predecessor leaves off, guiding students through the stories of our nation from reconstruction to present day. Students will use historical thinking skills and source analysis to explore continuity and change, drawing connections to the world around them and looking ahead to the future.

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Beyond Borders: World History to 1500 CE

Offers readers a captivating journey around the world, transporting them from the beginnings of humanity and ancient civilizations all the way to the exciting Age of Exploration.

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Beyond Borders: World History 1500 CE to Present

Takes readers on a fascinating journey through the entire spectrum of human history, spanning the Age of Exploration to the Space Age. With its abundance of color maps, charts, photos, and illustrations, this essential resource encourages students to explore world history from various viewpoints and a diverse range of sources.


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Inquiry Arc, Timelines, and Visual Literacy

Each chapter provides an inquiry-based approach that focuses student learning through a “Big” or “Essential” question. The question is drawn from state-specific standards or standards from the C3 Framework for Social Studies and is supported by Key Ideas, Learning Goals, and Key Terms in each chapter. Activities throughout the text and curriculum are scaffolded and designed to build upon each other and to gain skills, as well as content knowledge. Each chapter opening spread also includes a timeline relevant to the content to be covered and a primary or secondary source image with an accompanying caption to engage students.

Engaging Textbook Design

Every page of the text is designed to engage readers, featuring a variety of maps, images, graphs, charts, primary, and secondary sources that are grade-level appropriate. Many of the features found in the text provide opportunities to examine multiple perspectives for analysis and evaluation throughout, including the ability to express, clarify, justify, interpret, and represent their ideas and to respond to peer and teacher feedback orally and/or in written form. Students frequently engage meaningfully with complex texts and are able to see themselves in the content. Captions included with the visual features in the text include open-ended questions for students to consider, discuss, and debate. Maps, graphics, and sources throughout each chapter support an inquiry arc.

Formative Assessments

After each lesson, students can check their understanding of the content and concepts they have studied. The assessment includes basic recall questions as well as critical thinking questions that are scaffolded to the Chapter Assessments. These checks for understanding allow for students to display a range of depth of knowledge and also include a self-assessment for students to reflect on their own learning and performance.

Social Studies Skills Activities

These activities emphasize the skills historians use to understand and interpret history. Students employ historical-thinking skills to build understanding as well as make connections with historical concepts. They also have the opportunity to use skills like analysis, compare and contrast, contextualization, cause and effect, periodization, forming fact-based opinions, research, defending a position, and accurate chronicling historical events.

Academic and Domain-Specific Vocabulary

The Key Terms within each lesson strengthen understanding of the grade-level content and vocabulary, often include activities to increase comprehension and retention, and feature many terms that can be used by students in other contexts.

Primary Source Analysis

Each chapter includes at least one primary source activity. Questions are scaffolded, allowing students to build confidence and skill as they explore, examine, evaluate, and interpret primary and secondary sources to understand historical concepts and make connections to the world around them.

Explore GSE's Unparalleled Social Studies Resources And Premier Professional Development Services

Voices

Diversity Studies

Black American history, Ethnic studies, and hot topics. Accurate, authentic, and engaging, these resources will give educators the tools they need to guide their students to think critically, analyze multiple narratives and perspectives, and delve into the events and contributions of historically marginalized communities.

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GSEonline

GSEonline

All-in-one platform offering seamless access to Gibbs Smith Education eBooks and advanced study features. Our digital platform offers access to your programs including student and teacher-facing materials.

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Professional Development

Professional Development

GSE’s Pathways to Excellence professional development program is designed to empower educators with the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to build and sustain strong school cultures and communities that foster academic achievement, character development, and community stewardship.

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