Curriculum Maps for Common Core that tie to Social Studies

I feel like I haven't blogged in forever. I went to Orlando last Wednesday through Sunday to spend some time with my brother, dad, and my grandparents. It was a great trip even though it was short. I got to do relaxing and reading (which are two things I never seem to have enough time for).  On the way back, I got bumped to First Class so a family could sit together. Poor me...  It was fun! I had never sat in First Class before. I will miss the meal, the hot towels, and the glass of wine next time I have to sit in Coach.

The other day I came across a new resource for Curriculum Maps that tie to Common Core.  I had already purchased Common Core Curriculum Maps for Language Arts on Amazon this summer as a resource. I first read about this book last summer and had not gotten around to purchasing it.

The book has six different units for each grade level, which many of them are theme based and tie in to Social Studies. I plan on using some of the ideas for 4th and 5th Grade to plan out some of my read alouds, shared reads, and assigned nonfiction reading this year.  There are actually also some great suggestions of poems.

One area that is always a struggle to find great texts is Social Studies.  Actually, the problem is not finding texts but choosing the right ones. Since many of my students are gifted, it is important for my curriculum plans to include a lot of independent learning. If students work more independently and through more of an inquiry approach, the teacher becomes less of the central vehicle for the students to obtain new knowledge.  This is where the right text becomes important.  Students still need a vehicle to learn the content.  A high interest text can make all the difference. Commoncore.org is a website with curriculum maps that tie to the Common Core Standards.  (This website is different from the site where you can find copies of the standards.) 

CommonCore.org is a nonprofit organization that has worked to create curriculum maps that tie to the Common Core Standards. You can purchase a yearly subscription to access the maps.  They have maps for Language Arts.  (I did not purchase this subscription since I had already purchased the other book above). The part I was excited about is that they have Curriculum Maps for Social Studies.  It was $20 for a one year subscription.  They have curriculum maps for both World History and US History.  Each type of History has 18 topics that have maps.  For each topic, there are suggested anchor texts with other text suggestions.  They include text dependent questions, assessment ideas, and links to other resources like Primary Sources and websites.  I am excited to add these resources to my other curriculum.  I have been wanting to find more History nonfiction texts and historical fiction to incorporate into Language Arts.  I tend to spend a lot of time researching texts and going to the library.  I am hoping this will cut down on my time researching texts, so I can spend more time creating projects and activities to go with the texts and also finding engaging primary sources.  Do you have any great resources for curriculum maps for Social Studies or lists of great History nonfiction texts?