Free Resources for Educators — Grades 6–8
These resources are designed to be used alongside the textbook chapters. All are free, open-source, and printable.
A clean, printable Cornell Notes sheet with cue column, notes section, and summary area. Works with any chapter. Includes a guide for students who haven't used Cornell Notes before.
Open Template →Interactive digital flash cards for every vocabulary term in every chapter. Click to flip, navigate with arrows, shuffle, and track your progress. Over 120 terms across 15 chapters.
Study Vocabulary →Five printable templates: Cause & Effect, Compare & Contrast, Timeline, Main Idea & Details, and KWL Chart. Select, print, and use with any chapter.
View Organizers →Self-checking quizzes with multiple choice and short answer questions for all 15 chapters. Instant feedback helps students identify areas to review.
Take a Quiz →Visual timeline of 60+ key events from pre-contact through Reconstruction. Filter by category or chapter. Color-coded by type: political, social, economic, military, and cultural.
Explore Timeline →Modern news stories and current events tied to historical concepts in each chapter. Helps students see why history matters today. Updated periodically.
View Connections →Ready-to-project slide presentations for all 15 chapters with key ideas, vocabulary, discussion prompts, and review. Fullscreen mode for classroom projection.
View Slideshows →Scope and sequence for covering all 15 chapters with three flexible schedules: full year (36 weeks), semester (18 weeks), and trimester (12 weeks).
View Pacing Guide →Chapter-by-chapter alignment to Common Core ELA/Literacy standards (RH.6-8 and WHST.6-8) with a quick-reference matrix and teaching suggestions.
View Standards →Targeted strategies for English Language Learners, students with IEPs, advanced learners, and struggling readers. Includes chapter-specific notes for sensitive content.
View Guide →Every chapter already includes teaching-ready features designed to engage students and promote critical thinking:
Start each chapter by introducing the Big Questions. Revisit them at the end to assess understanding and track growth.
Turn "Stop and Think" questions into think-pair-share activities. Students discuss with a partner before sharing with the class.
Use chapter activities to reveal what students understand and what they're still wrestling with. Low-stakes, high-insight.
Leverage primary source boxes for document-based question practice or as writing prompts. Build analytical skills early.
Extend "Whose Voices Were Left Out?" by asking students to research additional perspectives or create entries for their communities.
Use vocabulary boxes for pre-reading activities. Have students predict meanings, then check as they read. Review with flash cards.
American Yawp MS is designed to support the following frameworks. A detailed alignment guide is in development:
American Yawp MS is designed to be flexible. You can:
Because this project is open-source, you're free to customize it for your students' needs. Add your own activities, rewrite sections, create translations, or build multimedia companions. The only requirement is that you share your adaptations under the same license, ensuring they remain free for others.
If you use American Yawp MS in your classroom, we'd love to hear about it. What worked? What didn't? What would make it better? Your feedback helps improve the project for everyone.
Visit the GitHub repository to share feedback, report issues, or contribute improvements.