The book will be a companion to the Common Core ELA Curriculum Maps, so that elementary level teachers could move easily between them and middle school ELA and social studies teachers could use them to work in close partnership. They will also incorporate the best existing state history and civics standards. Based on these standards, the maps will provide units with student objectives, readings, activities, and model lesson plans that feature the key content students need to know.

These books in particular are organized around specific anchor texts. Each contains about 6-10 recommendations per chapter, with one title highlighted for a detailed “text study,” a series of questions to help teachers organize a close reading of that text.