Newsela Social Studies helps teachers build connections, promote inquiry, and get students thinking like historians, political scientists, or geographers with content that is relevant and accessible to students and aligned to standards.
Newsela Social Studies Features
A social studies specific page makes it easier to find content and inspiration for instruction.
Expanded collections help you find curated and sequenced content that supports your core Social Studies instruction, complete with instructional resources.
Alignment to state social studies standards, and a selection includes a subject-specific quiz and Write Prompt.
An extensive library of authentic content, including: primary sources, famous speeches, biographies, recent current events, historical fiction, multimedia, and more.
Differentiated nonfiction texts allow students to access content at their suitable article level.
Explore Articles
Find individual texts across social studies categories like primary sources, historical news, opinion pieces, and commonly taught topics.
From the Content Library
Click on 'Content Library' at the top menu.
Select 'Articles and texts' from the Explore content dropdown menu.
On the next page, select the Articles tab at the top (select another tab to view other types of content).
Utilize the filters on the left-hand to narrow down the display by language, reading levels, instructional features, reading skills, standards, and topics.
Here you can explore content selections that are ready for the Social Studies classroom.
Each article card will display the type of text it is (news, informational, fiction, etc.), the text’s recommended maturity level and reading level, as well as which reading skills checks are available within the article if applicable.
Click on any article card to access the full text and build your assignment. You can find grade level standards alignment on the article's Quiz.
From the Social Studies specific page
Click on 'Social Studies' at the top of any Newsela page.
Select a category from the left hand menu to be directed to that section, or scroll the page to locate it.
Click on a showcased collection or text set card to access it, or click on 'view more' at the bottom of the section to view all associated text sets and collections available within your account and click on your desired collection or text set card from there.
Utilize the categories menu on the left hand side to be directed to that section, or scroll the page to locate the category of your preference.
Click on a showcased article card to access it, or click on 'See more' at the bottom of the section to view all associated content available within your account and click on your desired article card from there.
Example Categories
Multimedia
Find content to engage students across significant multimedia categories, including maps, art, cartoons, and photos.
Primary Sources
Use the Primary Sources category to browse by type of document, including Landmark Documents, Speeches, Supreme Court Cases, and Historic News.
Geography
Build students’ Geography skills and understanding with content organized by global regions, as well as texts to target Map Skills and Geographic Tools.
Explore Collections
Text Sets and Collections are two ways that you’ll see articles organized on Newsela.
Text Sets: Groups of articles that share a common theme. You can create your own Text Sets or explore Text Sets created by other teachers and by Newsela editors.
Collections: Curriculum resources that contain content and instructional materials aligned with state science standards, and complete with instructional strategies to provide ideas for how to use the content to teach the standards, that have been purchased for your school or district.
Browse all Text Sets
Click on 'Content Library' at the top of the page
Select 'Text Sets' from the dropdown menu
View Text Sets created by others
Click 'Content Library' at the top of the page
Select 'School Text Sets' from the dropdown menu
Scroll the displayed page to locate Text Sets
Using the Search Field
When you search on Newsela, Text Sets appear as one of the search tabs.
Enter a search term into the Search bar
Select the Text Sets tab above the search results
All Text Sets already curated by educators on that topic will be displayed
From the Social Studies specific page
Click on 'Social Studies' at the top of any Newsela page.
Select a category from the left hand menu to be directed to that section, or scroll the page to locate it.
Click on a showcased collection or text set card to access it, or click on 'view more' at the bottom of the section to view all associated text sets and collections available within your account and click on your desired collection or text set card from there.
Click on any text set or collection card to be taken to the its' landing page. Here you can read the overview, preview the sections or units, and locate instructional resources.
Example Collections and Text Sets
AP U.S. Government and Politics
In collaboration with the College Board, Newsela offers differentiated, authentic texts that complement the AP U.S. Government and Politics curriculum.
C3 Inquiries: U.S. History
Supports inquiry in the classroom via C3’s Inquiry Design Model and published Inquiries supported by Newsela’s differentiated, leveled content.
Complex Topics
Collection of current events to open discussions and debates around complex topics including: School Safety; Race and Ethnicity; Immigration; National Politics; Climate Change.
Cornerstone Activities
Curated set of activities designed as unit capstone projects, for units on: The United States; The Modern World; The Ancient & Medieval World; Civics; Religion; Career Fields.
Exploring World History
Teach the Fall of Rome through the Age of Exploration and including unique materials like resources on medieval Japan. The Collection uses primary sources, current events, unheard perspectives, and geography content.
History Comes to Life
Paired current events and primary source or historical documents with Lesson Spark recommendations for making connections between the two.
iCivics
Content to align and provide context to iCivics resources, including units on Citizenship and Participation, State and Local Government, Politics and Public Policy, Foundations of Government, Road to the U.S. Constitution, and A Growing Nation.
Rediscovering U.S.History
Teach events from Native American heritage through the Cold War using primary sources, current events, unheard perspectives, and historical fiction.
Unearthing Ancient Civilizations
Teach the legacies of familiar and lesser-known societies from around the world using primary sources, current events, unheard perspectives, and STEAM connections.
Search
Find articles across Newsela Social Studies categories by searching for keywords or subjects. To search, follow these steps:
Click into the Search field at the top left of any Newsela page.
Enter a keyword or subject. As you type, Newsela displays articles and Text Sets that match your search term(s).
Click on any of the suggestions to select it, or continue to type your own keyword then click Enter.
Use the tabs at the top of the page to narrow down your search results to a specific content type.
Utilize the filters on the left hand side to narrow down the display by language, reading levels, instructional features, reading skills, standards, and topics.
Newsela Social Studies Standards Alignment
All content on Newsela Social Studies is aligned to your state standards. To explore your standards, follow these steps:
Use the search bar to enter the code of a specific standard like SOC.5-8.RH.10, or enter a keyword and then filter down the results page using the Standards filter on the left hand side
Select any text and scroll underneath the image to view the standards to which the text is aligned.
Hover over the standard’s label to view the full text or click it to be taken to the standard details page to see more information about the standard and to view additional related content.
Article Activities
From the article page, expand the Assignment Builder on the right side of the screen and locate the article Quiz and Write prompt. Click 'View' next to an activity to review its' components. Checkmark the box next to an activity to add it to your assignment.
Multiple choice quizzes address and enhance standards and assess student understanding of significant Social Studies concepts and skills.
As we work to develop these further, social studies quizzes can be found in America’s Founding Documents, and Rediscovering U.S. History core content.
Customizable Writing prompts drive standards-based social studies skills, like argumentation, evaluation, and analysis. Find Social Studies Write Prompts in: All America’s Founding Documents; Rediscovering U.S. History; Exploring World History; Unearthing Ancient Civilizations core content.
Your Content Menu
Select an option from the My Content dropdown menu, under 'Content Library' at the top of any Newsela page, to locate your own saved content, original text sets, text sets created at your school and promoted content by your district.
