OER Project updates for 2025–26

By OER Project Team

Two years ago, OER Project hit a major milestone—our 10th anniversary! If you’ve been with us on this ride, you know big anniversaries bring big emotions. We’re beyond proud of a decade spent sharing what we believe is the best social studies curriculum out there. But anniversaries aren’t just about looking back—they’re about looking ahead. What will OER Project look like in another 10 years?

Education has shifted dramatically since we first launched Big History. Changing standards, the rise of AI, and a global pandemic reshaped how we teach and learn. Faced with these shifts, we had two choices: kick back and rest on our laurels or roll up our sleeves and revolutionize social studies education—again. There was only one real option: we got to work.

Over the past year or so, you might have spotted updates to our Origins and Climate Project courses. Those were just the beginning. Since then, we’ve torn every course down to the studs and rebuilt each one to be stronger than ever. This July, we’ll release the new courses in a massive relaunch.

 We know change can be nerve-racking. You might be wondering:

• Will my lessons still work?
• Can I teach these new materials effectively?
• If it wasn’t broken, why fix it?

We hear you. And we’ve got you. OER Project courses are still the high-quality curricula you know and love—just better. Here’s what’s new:

• Lessons are broken into smaller, structured steps.
• Clear openers and closers for every lesson.
• Built-in formative writing activities.
• Streamlined activity directions.
• Easier sharing, downloading, and printing.
• Enhanced teacher guides with assessment, differentiation, and modification ideas—aligned tightly with the curriculum for “just-in-time" support.

We’ve spent a decade gathering feedback from our teachers and it’s those insights and ideas that inspired this update. Will your favorite lessons and activities still be there? Maybe. We’ve refined our materials, cutting some but adding even more engaging activities that align with learning objectives. And this isn’t just a facelift—we focused on boosting student engagement and making it easier for you to gauge learning progress with frequent, quick opportunities to check for student understanding. If a lesson, activity, or other material you love is missing, don’t stress—email help@oerproject.com, and we’ll send it your way.

Now, let’s talk about the biggest transformation: Big History. We’ve redesigned it specifically for middle school by simplifying content and adding new materials to make it the perfect fit. You’ll find new videos, a Threshold comic series, and even a podcast, hosted by the BHP OG himself: David Christian. But high-school teachers shouldn’t worry—trusted educators agree the updated course works for high school too. And as always, our Help team is here if you need anything.

Now’s the time to dive in. Below, you’ll find links to the new course outlines—check them out before the big launch this summer. Send us your questions or post them in the Community. Together, we’re shaping the future—let’s make the next decade and beyond unforgettable!

• World History Project Origins
• World History Project 1200
• World History Project 1750
• World History Project AP®
• Big History Project