History–social science curriculum currently in use in California
The K–8 state list is relatively compact, while local high-school records reveal a much larger course-level environment spanning geography, world history, U.S. history, government, economics, psychology, and Advanced Placement courses.
Evidence represented: 2017 California SBE adoption plus documented local high-school examples.
State-listed K–8 programs and locally documented high-school texts are different evidence types. Neither should be treated as proof of current implementation in every California district.
| Program or resource | Publisher / developer | Grade span, pathway, or local signal |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery Education Social Science Techbook | Discovery Education | 6–8 state adopted |
| E Pluribus Unum | First Choice Educational Publishing | Grade 8 state adopted |
| Impact: California Social Studies | McGraw Hill | K–8 state adopted |
| National Geographic World History | National Geographic Learning | 6–8 state adopted |
| California History-Social Science: myWorld Interactive | Pearson/Savvas | K–8 state adopted |
| California Studies Weekly—Social Studies | Studies Weekly | K–6 state adopted |
| Social Studies Alive! California Series | Teachers’ Curriculum Institute | K–5 state adopted |
| History Alive! California Series | Teachers’ Curriculum Institute | 6–8 state adopted |
| The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography | Pearson | High school/AP; locally documented |
| California Modern World History: Patterns of Interaction | McDougal Littell | High school; locally documented |
| The Americans | McDougal Littell | High school; locally documented |
| Magruder’s American Government | Pearson/Prentice Hall | High school; locally documented |
| America’s History | Bedford/St. Martin’s | High school/AP; locally documented |
| American Government: Continuity and Change | Pearson | High school; locally documented |
| Access American History / Access World History | Great Source Education Group | High school; locally adopted |
| Myers’ Psychology for the AP Course | Bedford, Freeman & Worth | High school/AP; locally adopted 2024 |
| American Government: Stories of a Nation for the AP Course | Bedford, Freeman & Worth | High school/AP; locally adopted June 2025 |
How to interpret this preliminary list
Products are discovery anchors, not endorsements. “State adopted or reviewed” means a product entered an official California pathway. “Locally documented” means a California district publicly identified the material as adopted or in use. Absence from this list means unknown—follow-up required, not non-use.