U.S. History Teacher's Guide¶
Welcome to the teacher's guide for U.S. History: An interactive intelligent textbook on United States History for high school students — from colonial origins through the modern era, aligned to state standards and College Board frameworks. This guide explains every feature of the textbook, how to use it in your classroom, and how to customize it for your students. No prior technical knowledge is assumed — every technical term is defined before it is used.
Liberty's Welcome — A Note to Educators
Welcome, educators! I'm Liberty, and I'm here to help your students investigate the evidence, think critically, and build the skills that make history come alive. This guide is your roadmap to everything this textbook offers — let's dig in together.
About This Interactive Intelligent Textbook¶
What is an Intelligent Textbook?¶
An intelligent textbook is a digital textbook that goes beyond static text and images. It includes interactive simulations, self-grading quizzes, a searchable glossary, a structured map of how concepts relate to each other, and a pedagogical mascot who guides students through each chapter. The goal is to give students a richer, more engaging learning experience than a traditional printed textbook.
The Five Levels of Intelligent Textbooks¶
Not all digital textbooks are created equal. We categorize intelligent textbooks into five levels based on how interactive and adaptive they are:
| Level | Name | Description | Example Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Static Digital | A PDF or basic web version of a print textbook | Text and images only, no interactivity |
| Level 2 | Interactive | Adds interactive elements like simulations, quizzes, and searchable glossaries | MicroSims, self-check quizzes, concept search |
| Level 3 | Adaptive | Adjusts content based on student performance | Personalized learning paths, difficulty adjustment |
| Level 4 | AI-Assisted | Includes an AI tutor that can answer student questions | Chatbot integration, automated feedback |
| Level 5 | Fully Adaptive AI | Continuously learns from student interactions and optimizes the experience | Real-time content generation, predictive analytics |
This textbook is a Level 2.9 Intelligent Textbook. That places it very close to Level 3 — it includes all standard Level 2 features (MicroSims, quizzes, glossary, FAQ, structured references) plus a learning graph that makes concept dependencies visible and browsable, which is the foundation of adaptive learning paths.
What Makes This Textbook Different¶
- Interactive MicroSims — over 37 simulations let students manipulate historical models directly in their browser with no software installation required
- Four-skills emphasis — every chapter builds critical thinking, systems thinking, cognitive bias awareness, and misinformation detection
- "History is evidence" framing — a rigorous, inquiry-driven tone that treats history as an active investigation, not a list of facts to memorize
- Learning graph — a visual map showing how all 450 concepts connect and build on each other
- Liberty the Bald Eagle — a friendly mascot character (called a "pedagogical agent") who guides students through each chapter with tips, encouragement, and key insights
- AP-aligned — covers all nine chronological periods and seven themes from the College Board framework, with a disclaimer that this textbook is independent of the College Board
- Completely free and open source — licensed under Creative Commons for non-commercial use
Using the Chapters¶
Chapter Structure¶
The textbook contains 21 chapters organized in a deliberate sequence. Each chapter builds on concepts from previous chapters, so students should generally work through them in order:
| Chapters | Topic Area |
|---|---|
| 1 | Historical thinking skills and methods |
| 2–3 | Pre-Columbian Americas and Colonial America (c. 1491–1754) |
| 4–6 | Revolution, Founding, and the Early Republic (1754–1815) |
| 7–9 | Expansion, Civil War, and Reconstruction (1800–1877) |
| 10–12 | Industrialization through the Progressive Era (1865–1920) |
| 13–14 | Imperialism, World War I, and the Interwar Period (1890–1941) |
| 15–16 | World War II and the Early Cold War (1939–1960) |
| 17–18 | Civil Rights, Vietnam, and Watergate (1954–1975) |
| 19–20 | Reagan Era through Contemporary America (1975–2010) |
| 21 | Age of AI: Technology, Power, and National Security (2010–Present) |
What Each Chapter Contains¶
Every chapter follows a consistent structure:
- YAML front matter — Metadata at the top of each chapter file (title, description, reading level, version). Students don't see this; it is used by search engines and the website builder.
- Summary — A brief overview of what the chapter covers and what students will learn.
- Concepts covered — A numbered list of the specific concepts addressed in the chapter, drawn from the learning graph.
- Prerequisites — Links to prior chapters that should be completed first.
- Welcome from Liberty — A mascot admonition that introduces the chapter topic in Liberty's friendly, evidence-focused voice.
- Main content — The core instructional material, written at a grades 9–12 reading level. Includes tables, real-world examples, primary source excerpts, and embedded MicroSims.
- Mascot admonitions — Throughout the chapter, Liberty appears 5–6 times to highlight key insights (thinking), offer practical tips (tip), provide encouragement on harder concepts (encouraging), and warn about common mistakes and misconceptions (warning).
- Key takeaways — A numbered summary of the most important concepts, preceded by a celebration from Liberty.
- Critical thinking challenge — Expandable sections that train students to spot misinformation and evaluate competing historical narratives.
- Practice questions — Open-ended questions for discussion or written responses.
Suggested Classroom Use¶
- Before class: Assign the chapter as reading homework. The MicroSims keep students engaged during independent reading.
- During class: Use the MicroSims on a projector for whole-class demonstrations. Ask students to predict what will happen when you adjust a variable, then test their predictions.
- After class: Assign the practice questions and critical thinking challenges. Use the quiz page for a quick formative assessment.
- Pacing: Each chapter is designed for approximately 2–3 class periods (90–135 minutes of instruction). Chapters with more MicroSims or complex systems thinking content (especially chapters 8, 15, and 21) may take longer.
Liberty's Tip: Start with the Four Skills
Before diving into content, introduce students to the four skills this textbook reinforces: critical thinking, systems thinking, cognitive bias awareness, and misinformation detection. Chapter 1 provides a structured introduction to all four. Students who understand why they are developing these skills engage more deeply with the rest of the course.
Using the MicroSims¶
What is a MicroSim?¶
A MicroSim (short for "micro-simulation") is a small, interactive simulation that runs directly in a web browser. Students don't need to install any software — MicroSims work on any device with a modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge).
Each MicroSim lets students manipulate one or more variables (using sliders, buttons, timelines, or maps) and immediately see how the model responds. This "learn by doing" approach helps students build intuition for abstract historical concepts — such as how economic inequality feedback loops contributed to the Great Depression, or how the geographic concentration of semiconductor manufacturing creates geopolitical risk.
How MicroSims Are Embedded¶
MicroSims appear within chapter text as rectangular interactive areas. They are embedded using iframes — a web technology that displays one web page inside another. You don't need to understand how iframes work; the MicroSims load automatically when students view the chapter page.
Types of MicroSims in This Textbook¶
The textbook includes 37 MicroSims built with different visualization technologies:
| Technology | What It's Good For | Example MicroSims |
|---|---|---|
| p5.js | Interactive animations with sliders and buttons | Misinformation Detector, Cognitive Bias Identifier, Primary Source Analyzer |
| Chart.js | Bar charts, line charts, pie charts | Gilded Age Inequality, Polarization Index, Party Realignment |
| vis-timeline | Interactive scrollable timelines | Civil Rights Timeline, European Exploration Timeline, WWII Timeline |
| vis-network | Network diagrams showing connections | Learning Graph Viewer, Reform Movement Network, Columbian Exchange Web |
| Leaflet | Interactive maps | Pre-Columbian Americas Map, Revolutionary War Battles, Transportation Revolution Map |
Tips for Using MicroSims in Class¶
- Project on a screen — MicroSims are designed to be visible on a projector. Have students call out predictions before you move a slider or advance a timeline.
- Let students explore independently — After a demonstration, give students 5–10 minutes to experiment on their own devices.
- Use the "Reset" button — Most MicroSims have a reset button or starting position. Encourage students to reset and try different scenarios.
- Connect to the text — Each MicroSim is placed near the concept it illustrates. After exploring the sim, have students re-read the surrounding paragraph.
- Offline access — MicroSims require an internet connection unless you have built the site locally (see "Customizing Your Own Textbook" below).
Liberty's Tip: Embed MicroSims Anywhere!
You can add any MicroSim to any web page — a Google Site, a WordPress blog, an LMS like Canvas or Schoology, or even a plain HTML file. Just paste a single line of HTML:
<iframe src="https://dmccreary.github.io/us-history/sims/YOUR-MICROSIM-NAME/main.html"
width="100%" height="450px"
scrolling="no">
</iframe>
Replace YOUR-MICROSIM-NAME with the folder name of any MicroSim from the MicroSims list. That's it — one line of code and your students have an interactive simulation on any page you control.
MicroSim Specifications¶
Within each chapter, you'll find a collapsible details section below each MicroSim labeled with its name. Click to expand and see the full specification including:
- Bloom's Taxonomy level — What cognitive level the MicroSim targets (Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, Create)
- Learning objective — What students should be able to do after using the MicroSim
- Interactive controls — What sliders, buttons, and inputs are available
- Default parameters — The starting values when the MicroSim loads
These specifications are useful for lesson planning and for understanding the pedagogical intent behind each simulation.
Using the Glossary¶
What is the Glossary?¶
The glossary is an alphabetical list of all 450 key terms used in the textbook, each with a precise, concise definition. It serves as a quick-reference dictionary for students encountering unfamiliar vocabulary.
How to Access the Glossary¶
- Click "Glossary" in the left navigation sidebar from any page
- Use the browser's built-in search (Ctrl+F on Windows/Linux, Cmd+F on Mac) to find a specific term on the glossary page
- Use the site-wide search bar at the top of any page to search for a term across the entire textbook
Tips for Using the Glossary in Class¶
- Vocabulary preview — Before starting a new chapter, have students look up the key terms in the glossary to build familiarity.
- Definition matching — Create a warm-up activity where students match glossary definitions to terms from the current chapter.
- Student-generated definitions — After reading a chapter, have students write their own definitions, then compare with the glossary.
- Glossary quizzes — Use glossary terms for quick formative assessments (flash cards, quiz games, etc.).
Using the FAQ¶
What is the FAQ?¶
The FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) is a curated list of common questions students ask about U.S. History, organized by topic. Each question includes a clear, concise answer written at the same reading level as the chapters.
How the FAQ is Organized¶
The FAQ covers questions across all 21 chapters. Questions are grouped by topic area to make browsing easy.
Tips for Using the FAQ in Class¶
- Discussion starters — Pick 2–3 FAQ questions at the start of class and have students discuss before revealing the answer.
- Homework support — Point students to the FAQ when they have questions outside of class hours.
- Extension reading — The FAQ often covers angles not addressed in the main chapter text, making it good supplementary material.
- Test review — Students can use the FAQ as a study guide before assessments.
Using the Quizzes¶
What Are the Quizzes?¶
Each chapter has an accompanying quiz page with multiple-choice questions designed for self-assessment. Quizzes test understanding of the concepts covered in that chapter and are aligned to specific items from the learning graph.
How Quizzes Work¶
- Quizzes are accessed by clicking the "Quiz" link under each chapter in the left navigation
- Each quiz contains multiple-choice questions at varying Bloom's Taxonomy levels
- Questions are presented as expandable sections — students can click to reveal the answer and explanation after attempting the question
- Quizzes are not graded automatically — they are designed as formative self-check tools, not summative assessments
Tips for Using Quizzes in Class¶
- Exit tickets — Have students complete the quiz at the end of a class period as a quick check for understanding.
- Pre-reading check — Assign the quiz before the chapter to see what students already know (diagnostic assessment).
- Post-reading review — Use the quiz after reading to identify concepts that need re-teaching.
- Collaborative quiz — Have students work in pairs to discuss each question before revealing the answer.
- Custom assessments — Use the quiz questions as a bank to create your own tests. The questions are openly licensed (see "Understanding the License" below).
Bloom's Taxonomy Levels¶
Each quiz question is tagged with a Bloom's Taxonomy level. Bloom's Taxonomy is a framework that classifies thinking skills from simple to complex:
| Level | Name | What It Means | Example Verb |
|---|---|---|---|
| L1 | Remember | Recall facts and definitions | Define, list, name |
| L2 | Understand | Explain concepts in your own words | Explain, describe, compare |
| L3 | Apply | Use concepts to solve problems | Calculate, demonstrate, solve |
| L4 | Analyze | Break down and examine relationships | Differentiate, organize, compare |
| L5 | Evaluate | Make judgments based on criteria | Assess, argue, justify |
| L6 | Create | Produce original work or solutions | Design, construct, propose |
A well-balanced assessment includes questions across multiple levels. The quizzes in this textbook primarily target levels L1–L4, with critical thinking challenges in the chapters targeting L5–L6.
Using the References¶
What Are the References?¶
Each chapter has an accompanying references page with a curated list of approximately 10 high-quality sources that students can use for further reading. References prioritize Wikipedia articles for accessibility and reliability, supplemented by authoritative books and research papers.
How References Are Organized¶
Each reference includes:
- Title — The name of the source
- URL — A clickable link to the source
- Relevance — A brief description of why this source is useful and how it connects to the chapter content
A Note About Link Rot¶
Link rot is when a web link (URL) stops working because the page has been moved, renamed, or deleted. While we prioritize Wikipedia (which has very stable URLs), some links may become outdated over time.
If you or your students encounter a broken link:
- Try searching for the article title on the source website
- Use the Wayback Machine to find archived versions of the page
- Report the broken link using GitHub Issues (see "Feedback" below)
Feedback¶
Reporting Issues and Suggestions¶
This textbook is an open-source project hosted on GitHub, a website where software and content projects are developed collaboratively. You don't need to understand programming to report a problem or suggest an improvement.
What is a GitHub Issue?¶
A GitHub Issue is like a support ticket — it's a way to report a bug, suggest an improvement, or ask a question. Each issue gets a unique number and can be discussed by the project team and community.
How to Submit Feedback¶
- Go to the textbook's GitHub repository: dmccreary/us-history
- Click the "Issues" tab at the top of the page
- Click the green "New issue" button
- Give your issue a clear title (e.g., "Broken link in Chapter 5 references" or "Suggestion: Add MicroSim for the Trail of Tears")
- In the description, provide as much detail as possible:
- Which page or chapter has the problem
- What you expected to see vs. what you actually see
- Your browser and device (if relevant)
- Click "Submit new issue"
You will need a free GitHub account to submit issues. If you prefer not to create an account, you can use the contact page.
Types of Feedback Welcome¶
- Typos and errors — factual mistakes, spelling errors, broken formatting
- Broken links — URLs that no longer work
- MicroSim bugs — simulations that don't load or behave unexpectedly
- Content suggestions — topics that should be covered, examples that could be improved
- Accessibility issues — content that is difficult to read or navigate for students with disabilities
Understanding the License¶
What is a Creative Commons License?¶
A license is a legal document that explains what others are allowed to do with a piece of work. A Creative Commons (CC) license is a standardized, easy-to-understand license used for educational and creative content. It tells you exactly what permissions you have without needing a lawyer.
This Textbook's License¶
This textbook uses the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license. Here's what each part means:
| Code | Full Name | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| CC | Creative Commons | A standard open license |
| BY | Attribution | You must give credit to the original author |
| NC | Non-Commercial | You cannot use the material to make money |
| SA | Share-Alike | If you modify the material, you must share it under the same license |
| 4.0 | Version 4.0 | The version of the license (the current standard) |
What You CAN Do¶
- Copy the entire textbook or individual chapters for your students
- Share the textbook link with other teachers, students, or parents
- Print chapters for classroom use
- Modify the content — add your own examples, remove sections, change the order
- Translate the content into other languages
- Create derivative works — build your own version of the textbook based on this one
What You CANNOT Do¶
- Sell the textbook or charge students for access
- Remove attribution — you must credit the original author (Dan McCreary)
- Use a different license — if you modify and share, it must remain CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
- Claim it as your own work — the attribution requirement means you must acknowledge the original source
For the full legal text, see the Creative Commons License page.
Customizing Your Own Textbook¶
One of the most powerful features of this textbook is that you can create your own customized version. This section explains how, step by step.
Key Technical Terms¶
Before we begin, here are the terms you'll need to understand:
- Repository (repo) — A folder on GitHub that contains all the files for a project. Think of it as the project's home directory.
- Git — A version control tool that tracks changes to files. It lets you see what changed, when, and by whom.
- Clone — Making a complete copy of a repository on your own computer.
- Fork — Making a complete copy of a repository on your own GitHub account (stays on GitHub, not your computer).
- MkDocs — The software that converts the textbook's markdown files into a website. You don't need to learn MkDocs deeply — just enough to make basic changes.
- Markdown — A simple text formatting language.
**bold**makes bold,# Headingmakes a heading, and-makes a bullet point. - mkdocs.yml — The main configuration file for the textbook website. It controls the site title, navigation structure, colors, and which features are enabled.
Step 1: Create a GitHub Account¶
If you don't already have one, go to github.com and create a free account.
Step 2: Fork or Clone the Repository¶
Option A: Fork (easier, stays on GitHub)
- Go to dmccreary/us-history
- Click the "Fork" button in the upper-right corner
- This creates a copy in your own GitHub account that you can edit freely
Option B: Clone (more control, works on your computer)
- Install Git on your computer (git-scm.com)
- Open a terminal (Command Prompt on Windows, Terminal on Mac)
- Run this command:
This downloads the entire textbook to your computer.
Step 3: Make Changes¶
All content files are in the docs/ folder. They are written in Markdown (.md files) — plain text files with simple formatting. You can edit them with any text editor.
Changing the Title and Description¶
Open mkdocs.yml and edit these lines:
site_name: "Your Custom Textbook Title"
site_description: "Your description here"
site_author: "Your Name"
Changing the Colors¶
In mkdocs.yml, find the palette section:
theme:
palette:
- scheme: default
primary: indigo # Change to: blue, red, purple, teal, etc.
accent: orange # Change the accent color
MkDocs Material supports these primary colors: red, pink, purple, deep purple, indigo, blue, light blue, cyan, teal, green, light green, lime, yellow, amber, orange, deep orange, brown, grey, blue grey.
Changing the Logo¶
Replace the file docs/img/mascot/neutral.png with your own logo image (PNG format, approximately 128×128 pixels).
Step 4: Preview Your Changes Locally¶
- Install Python (version 3.8 or newer) from python.org
- Install MkDocs and the Material theme:
- Navigate to the project folder and start the preview server:
- Open your browser to
http://127.0.0.1:8000/us-history/to see your customized version
The preview server watches for file changes. When you edit and save a Markdown file, the page automatically refreshes in your browser.
Step 5: Publish Your Version¶
To publish your customized textbook as a free website using GitHub Pages:
This command builds the website and publishes it to https://YOUR-USERNAME.github.io/us-history/. The process takes about 1–2 minutes.
Analytics and Tracking¶
What is Web Analytics?¶
Web analytics is the process of measuring how visitors use a website — which pages they visit, how long they stay, and where they come from. For an educational textbook, analytics can help you understand which chapters students read most, which MicroSims they interact with, and where they might be struggling.
Google Analytics¶
This textbook includes Google Analytics — a free service from Google that tracks website visits. The current analytics property is already configured, but if you create your own fork, you'll want to set up your own.
Setting Up Your Own Google Analytics¶
- Go to analytics.google.com and sign in with a Google account
- Create a new property (Google's term for a tracked website)
- Google will give you a Measurement ID — a code that looks like
G-XXXXXXXXXX - In your
mkdocs.yml, update this section:
- Rebuild and deploy your site. Analytics data will start appearing within 24–48 hours.
What You Can Learn from Analytics¶
- Which chapters are most/least visited — helps identify where students may be skipping content
- Average time on page — longer times may indicate engagement or confusion
- Device breakdown — what percentage of students use phones vs. computers
- Search terms — what students search for on your site
xAPI Monitoring (Advanced)¶
xAPI (Experience API, also called "Tin Can API") is an advanced standard for tracking detailed learning activities — not just page views, but specific interactions like "student moved a slider" or "student answered quiz question 3 correctly."
What is an LRS?¶
An LRS (Learning Record Store) is a database that stores xAPI learning records. It is a specialized analytics system designed specifically for education.
Important: Regulatory Considerations¶
Before collecting student-specific learning data, be aware of these regulations:
- FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) — U.S. federal law that protects student education records. If you collect data that can identify individual students, you must comply with FERPA.
- COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) — U.S. federal law that applies to children under 13. If any of your students are under 13, additional restrictions apply.
- State laws — Many U.S. states have additional student privacy laws.
- GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) — European Union law that applies if any of your students are in the EU.
Recommendation: The Google Analytics setup described above is anonymous by default — it tracks aggregate page views, not individual students. This is the safest approach for a high school classroom. If you want individual student tracking via xAPI, consult your school district's data privacy officer before proceeding.
The Learning Graph¶
What is a Learning Graph?¶
A learning graph is a visual map showing how concepts in the textbook depend on each other. It is structured as a DAG (Directed Acyclic Graph) — a diagram where arrows show which concepts must be understood before others.
For example, understanding the causes of the Civil War requires mastering concepts like sectionalism, slavery's expansion, and the Compromise of 1850 first. The learning graph makes these dependency chains visible.
How Teachers Can Use the Learning Graph¶
- Prerequisite checking — Before teaching a concept, verify that students have covered its prerequisites
- Remediation — If a student struggles with a concept, trace back to its prerequisites to find the gap
- Curriculum mapping — Compare the learning graph to your existing syllabus to identify coverage gaps or areas of overlap
- Enrichment — Advanced students can explore concepts ahead of the current chapter by following the graph forward
The interactive Learning Graph Viewer is available in the "Learning Graph" section of the left navigation.
Liberty Thinks: The Power of Concept Dependencies
The learning graph reveals something that traditional textbooks hide: history is not a list of isolated events — it is a web of causes, consequences, and recurring patterns. When a student struggles with a concept, the learning graph often shows exactly which prerequisite idea was never fully understood. That's not a failure — it's a diagnostic.
Liberty the Bald Eagle: Your Pedagogical Agent¶
What is a Pedagogical Agent?¶
A pedagogical agent is a character that appears throughout a textbook to guide students. Research shows that pedagogical agents improve student engagement and perception of learning — a phenomenon called the persona effect.
About Liberty¶
Liberty is a bald eagle — the national symbol of the United States and the perfect mascot for a U.S. History course. Liberty wears small round amber scholar's glasses to signal that this character stands for rigorous, evidence-based inquiry into the American story, not blind patriotism. The name "Liberty" — a core American ideal — is gender-neutral so that all students feel represented by the character.
Liberty's catchphrase is: "Let's investigate the evidence!"
How Liberty Appears¶
Liberty appears as colored callout boxes (called admonitions) throughout each chapter. There are seven types:
| Type | Color | Purpose | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welcome | Green | Introduces the chapter | Every chapter opening |
| Thinking | Orange | Highlights key insights | 2–3 per chapter |
| Tip | Green | Shares practical advice | As needed |
| Warning | Red | Alerts to common mistakes or misconceptions | As needed |
| Encouraging | Blue | Supports students on harder concepts | Where students may struggle |
| Celebration | Purple | Celebrates progress | Every chapter ending |
| Neutral | Gray | General notes | As needed |
Liberty appears no more than 5–6 times per chapter to avoid overuse. Mascot admonitions are never placed back-to-back.
Liberty's Four Roles¶
Liberty always connects to at least one of the four skills at the heart of this course:
- Critical Thinking — Liberty asks students to examine evidence, distinguish correlation from causation, and identify unstated assumptions.
- Systems Thinking — Liberty prompts students to draw causal loops, spot feedback, and trace unintended consequences.
- Cognitive Bias Awareness — Liberty names biases (confirmation bias, hindsight bias, in-group favoritism) as they appear in historical actors and historians.
- Misinformation Detection — Liberty models lateral reading, source triangulation, and fact-checking using real historical examples.
Tips for Teachers¶
- Read Liberty's tips aloud — they are written in a conversational tone that works well when spoken
- Use as discussion prompts — Liberty's "thinking" admonitions highlight the most important insights in each chapter
- Encourage struggling students — Point students to Liberty's "encouraging" admonitions when they are frustrated with a concept
- Celebrate chapter completions — Liberty's celebration admonition at the end of each chapter is a natural moment to acknowledge student progress
AP Alignment¶
Disclaimer
This textbook is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the College Board in any way. "AP" and "Advanced Placement" are registered trademarks of the College Board. The alignment information below is provided solely to help teachers understand how this textbook maps to widely taught frameworks.
This textbook covers all nine chronological periods (1491–present) and emphasizes the same historical thinking skills as the AP U.S. History framework: causation, continuity and change over time, comparison, and contextualization. The seven AP thematic lenses are introduced in Chapter 1 and referenced throughout:
| Theme | Description |
|---|---|
| American and National Identity | What it means to be American across different eras |
| Work, Exchange, and Technology | Economic systems, labor, and technological change |
| Geography and the Environment | How physical geography shaped historical development |
| Migration and Settlement | How demographic change reshaped American society |
| Politics and Power | How political institutions and power structures evolved |
| America in the World | U.S. relationships with other nations |
| America and Culture | Cultural movements, arts, religion, and social change |
This Teacher's Guide was generated in 2026 for the U.S. History Intelligent Textbook. For the latest version, visit https://dmccreary.github.io/us-history/.