Modern American History Standards Alignment (C3 Framework & California)

Our Modern American History course is designed for approximately grades 5–8 and provides a full-year overview of U.S. history from about 1870–1968. Across eight units—covering the Second Industrial Revolution, immigration, World War I, women’s suffrage, the Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War & proxy wars, and the Civil Rights Movement—students engage with rich living books, primary sources, guided videos, hands-on projects, and unit quizzes.

While the course is intentionally flexible for homeschool families and charter schools nationwide, it was built with middle-grade social studies expectations in mind and aligns closely with the C3 (College, Career & Civic Life) Framework and the California History–Social Science Standards for upper elementary and middle school.

C3 Framework Alignment (Grades 6–8)

Please note: The C3 (College, Career & Civic Life) Framework is designed in grade bands (K–2, 3–5, 6–8, 9–12), so individual states decide which specific indicators fit best in each grade. Although many families choose to use Modern American History with students in grades 5–8, the disciplinary skills and content most closely align to the 6–8 grade band in the C3 Framework.

The list and chart we use for this course are based on the most common and developmentally appropriate assignments of C3 indicators for Grades 6–8, drawn from national implementation patterns. Modern American History is designed so that students work with all of the key C3 Framework expectations for middle school U.S. history in a meaningful, age-appropriate way.

What C3 Areas Does This Course Cover?

Across the eight units (from the 2nd Industrial Revolution through the Civil Rights Movement), students practice:

  • Inquiry Skills – Asking compelling and supporting questions, gathering evidence from primary and secondary sources, and communicating conclusions through projects, timelines, written responses, and discussions (C3 Dimensions 1 & 4).
  • History – Analyzing causes and effects of major events; tracing continuity and change over time; examining multiple perspectives (workers, immigrants, women, African Americans, political leaders, and everyday families); and identifying turning points from Reconstruction through the Civil Rights era (D2.His indicators for grades 6–8).
  • Geography – Using maps and spatial tools to understand migration, urbanization, regional change, and global conflict—such as immigration flows, World War I and II fronts, and Cold War “hot spots” (D2.Geo indicators for grades 6–8).
  • Civics – Exploring rights and responsibilities, democratic ideals, voting rights, civic protest, and how citizens and movements (for example, women’s suffrage leaders and civil rights activists) work to bring about change (D2.Civ indicators for grades 6–8).
  • Economics – Connecting economic ideas to historical events, including industrial growth, the Great Depression, the New Deal, war-time production, and postwar prosperity (D2.Eco indicators for grades 6–8).

To see exactly which C3 indicators are addressed in each unit, you can view or download our detailed chart:

C3 Framework Alignment PDF for Modern American History:

Download the C3 Framework Alignment For Modern American History Here (With Grade Levels)

California History–Social Science Standards Alignment (Grades 5–8)

Although Modern American History is written as a nationally flexible U.S. history course, it aligns especially well with the California Grade 8 U.S. History focus on industrialization, reform, global conflict, and the emergence of the United States as a modern nation. It also serves as a powerful “what happened next?” companion to California’s Grade 5 U.S. history standards and provides rich content support for many Grade 6–7 programs that integrate modern civics, geography, and global connections.

To see exactly which California History–Social Science standards are covered by unit, you can view or download our detailed chart:

California Standards Alignment PDF for Modern American History:

Download the California Standards Alignment for Modern American History Here (With Grade Levels)

Grade 5 Alignment (California)

In California, fifth grade focuses on U.S. history from early Native cultures through the Civil War and Reconstruction. We recommend that 5th-grade students complete an Early American History course first, because Modern American History is designed as the next step in the story. It:

  • Revisits key themes from Grade 5—freedom, democracy, citizenship, and conflict—and shows how they continue to shape the nation after 1870.
  • Extends students’ understanding of the Constitution and amendments by exploring how rights expanded over time (for example, women’s suffrage and the Civil Rights Movement).
  • Provides a clear bridge from Grade 5 content into the industrial age, immigration waves, and America’s growing role in the world.

Many families and schools use this course in grade 5 as an advanced or “second-year” U.S. history study, building on earlier foundations while still honoring upper-elementary reading levels through picture books, carefully selected chapter books, and scaffolded activities.

Grade 6–7 Alignment (California & Other States)

While California’s Grade 6 and 7 standards focus more heavily on ancient civilizations and world history, many programs also incorporate modern geography, civics, and global connections. Because Modern American History includes:

  • Immigration to America and changing communities in the early 1900s,
  • World Wars I and II and the United States’ role on the global stage,
  • The Cold War, proxy wars, and the Space Race,
  • Economic change from industrial growth through the Great Depression and postwar prosperity,

it can be used in grades 6–7 as a rich U.S. history strand alongside world history or as a high-interest elective that reinforces map skills, timelines, government concepts, and cause-and-effect thinking.

Grade 8 Alignment (California)

California Grade 8 U.S. history standards trace the development of the nation from the early Republic through the early 20th century, with an emphasis on industrialization, reform, America’s role in the world, and expanding civil rights. Modern American History directly supports and extends these themes by focusing on:

  • The Second Industrial Revolution – New technologies, big business, labor, urbanization, and changing daily life in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
  • Immigration & Urban Life – Push–pull factors, Ellis Island, cultural change, and the experiences of new Americans in growing cities.
  • World War I & the Interwar Years – Causes of the war, life on the home front, U.S. involvement, and the political and social changes that followed.
  • Women’s Suffrage – Key leaders, movements, and the passage of the 19th Amendment, reinforcing civic participation and constitutional change.
  • The Great Depression & New Deal – Economic crisis, everyday life, government response, and long-term impacts on federal policy.
  • World War II – Global conflict, the home front, the Holocaust, Japanese American incarceration, and the war’s impact on civil rights and international leadership.
  • The Cold War & Proxy Wars – Competing political and economic systems, containment, the Space Race, and conflicts like Korea and Vietnam.:contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
  • Civil Rights Movement – Major figures, key court cases and legislation, and the ongoing struggle for equality and justice.

Together, these units give students a strong, literature-rich pathway through the core expectations of California Grade 8 U.S. History, while also preparing them for high school courses by building background knowledge, academic vocabulary, and confidence with primary and secondary sources.

If you have questions about how this course—or any Stories in History course—aligns with your specific state standards or charter requirements, please reach out. We’re happy to help you map it out for your family or school.