New Reviews: McGraw-Hill Education Texas Social Studies

McGraw-Hill Education’s Texas Social Studies Series is a set of comprehensive social studies courses for middle school and high school students.  The series includes courses for each middle school grade, core high school instruction (i.e., world geography, world history, and U.S. history), and high school electives (e.g., sociology, psychology, economics).  This blog post addresses core middle school and high school courses only. Learning List has reviewed this series relative to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).

These courses include print and digital resources and support instruction in blended learning environments. Content is structured using Understanding by Design® (UBD) model, which frames instruction in terms of “Enduring Understandings” and “Essential Questions.”  Each course includes features to help students step into the place and/or time of study using period timelines, an interactive maps, illustrations and photographs, and quotes from primary sources. Lessons include videos, interactive games (e.g., The Voting Rights Matching Game), slide shows, and visual elements, such as photographs, charts, and graphs.  Students have access online libraries of “Skills Builder” and “Test Prep” resources. Skills Builder resources address geography, research, writing, and presentation skills and include links to college and career readiness development materials. The Test Prep library provides rubrics and resources to improve test-taking skills.

Teacher resources include planning guides, comprehensive lesson plans, and support for implementing the UBD model, including clear statements of learning objectives, expected student outcomes, and connections to the TEKS. Teacher editions provide interactive whiteboard lessons, guidance for differentiating instruction and assessing student learning, and suggestions for videos, slide shows, and related readings to support content. Teachers have access to McGraw-Hill’s “Networks Resource Library,” which includes professional development videos, correlations to the TEKS and ELPS, and links to external resources. The Library also includes tools to support student learning, including Foldables® graphic organizers, a handbook for geography skills, additional primary source documents, and resources to develop 21st Century Skills (e.g., financial literacy).

About McGraw-Hill Education: McGraw-Hill Education partners around the world with students, educators, administrators and other professionals to deliver engaging, adaptive and personalized solutions that improve performance and results.  They combine proven, research-based content with the best emerging digital technologies to guide assessment, teaching and learning.  McGraw-Hill Education employs more than 6,000 people in 44 countries and publishes in more than 60 languages.