Resources for Educators, Schools, and Districts

Adopting Investigating History in your school or district for SY26-27? See below for resources to get started, and fill out our adoption survey to receive updates and new resources throughout the spring and fall.

The supports and resources below can help you, your school, or your district as you begin the process of adopting Investigating History and bringing it to life for your students.

If you're not sure where to begin, we recommend starting with some of these most popular resources:

The Curriculum Guidebook to get oriented to the materials and the key instructional routines
Pacing guidance for Grades 3–5 and Grades 6–7
Background Briefs to deepen content knowledge about each unit of the curriculum

Or, explore the full list of resources available below.

In SY26-27, Investigating History will be available for Grades 3–7. Ready to bring the curriculum to your school or district? Explore the following resources to get started:

What's New for SY26-27 : Learn about updated materials and new resources for School Year 2026-27.
Setting the Stage for Success: Adoption and Implementation Guide : Understand the conditions needed for long-term success with Investigating History and assess your school or district's readiness.
Pacing Guidance and Course Overviews: See our curriculum page for pacing guidance and course overviews across Grades 3–7.
Order Printed Materials: For SY26-27, printed materials will be available for Grades 3–7. See our curriculum page for information on ordering printed curricular materials.
Certified Professional Development Providers: Learn about professional development opportunities for Investigating History.

Certified Professional Development Providers: Explore professional development providers with offerings on Investigating History pedagogy and curriculum approach. Start here if you are looking for PD to support a curriculum implementation.
Content Learning Partners Directory : Find professional learning on history and social studies topics that align with or extend upon those in the Investigating History curriculum.
Background Briefs: Support educators in developing their own content knowledge. Aligned to each curriculum unit, asynchronous Background Briefs include videos from scholars and experts; curated collections of external resources; and notes on key ideas, important terminology, and possible misconceptions.

Curriculum Guidebook : Understand the key routines, strategies and structure of the curriculum.
Language and Literacy Supports: Bolster students' language development with Language and Literacy Builders and Word Maps. See a compilation of tools for Grades 3–5 and Grades 6–7 .
Picture Book List: Order picture books that appear in Investigating History Grades 3–5 or feature related content. A comprehensive list is available in spreadsheet format. Lists for individual units are included with unit materials.
Classroom Instructional Videos: Watch 10–15 minute videos from Investigating History classrooms to help illustrate key pedagogical practices and strategies.
DESE Instructional Planning and Observation Tools: Use this collection of tools focused on unit unpacking, lesson internalization, student work analysis, and classroom observations.

Investigating History Overview Flyer : Share this flyer with families, community members, or other educators in your school or district.
Key Principles One-Pager : Help others understand the basic design principles of Investigating History.
Family Letter : Modify this letter for your classroom at the start of the year or a new unit.

Allowed Link List : Share this list with your IT department to ensure that teachers and students have access to videos and other links used in the curriculum.
Change Log : Track changes made to Grades 6–7 units in response to reported errors and feedback.
Legacy Materials : Request access to the 2024 edition of the Grades 5–7 materials.

Have additional questions? Please email InvestigatingHistory@mass.gov .