Pennsylvania

Ruffled grouse perched on a branch.

OER Project is the right fit for Pennsylvania schools in more ways than one:

World History Project (WHP) 1200 to the Present aligns with the vast majority of Pennsylvania’s Academic Standards for Social Studies. And while Pennsylvania’s world history course begins in 1450, the WHP 1200 course provides a bit more context with which to understand world changes that occurred around 1450.
Big History Project is an excellent option for sixth-grade students to establish an interdisciplinary foundation in historical and critical thinking.

Explore the courses mentioned above at your own pace, and once you’re ready to dive into planning, check out the Pennsylvania-specific resources below to get started!

Which best describes you?

I’m new to OER Project and about to start using the courses and materials.
I’m a returning OER Project user in Pennsylvania looking to see what’s new.

New to OER Project checklist

Getting started with WHP 1200 or Big History Project is a piece of cake! We recommend following the onboarding checklists below so that you’re equipped with all the information you need to get started:

	World History Project (1200)	Big History Project
Professional development opportunities	Explore the WHP 1200 course. You can also find our WHP 1200 course guide here. Attend a live WHP 1200 introductory PD session. Register for a session today! Take our free, online PD course, Teaching World History (TWH) 1200.	Explore the Big History Project course. You can also find our BHP course guide here. Attend a live BHP introductory PD session. Register for a session today! Take our free, online PD course, Teaching Big History.
Standards alignment materials	Read our WHP 1200 Pennsylvania standards alignment document. Read our WHP 1200 course plan, generated by a Pennsylvania teacher, which includes a pacing guide.	Read our BHP Pennsylvania standards alignment document. Read our sample BHP year-long and semester-long course plans, which include pacing guides.
Talk to a real person!	Connect with other Pennsylvania teachers in the OER Project Online Teacher Community—ask questions, share stories, and seek support! Still have questions? Email an OER Project outreach coordinator for support! You can either email them or find a time on their calendar for a meeting.

"I struggled my first two years of teaching because I couldn’t find the 'right thing' to teach my students. I came across the OER Project and it was life changing. The course materials add a dynamic component to ensuring my students understand the fundamental elements of history, such as CCOT [continuity and change over time], writing skills, critical thinking, and more! The OER Project is so well thought out that it is has been a staple in my classroom since 2017!" — Brittney, high-school history teacher, Philadelphia, PA

Returning to OER Project checklist

So you’ve taught with OER Project materials in Pennsylvania before. Welcome back! We update our courses and materials each year, so let’s catch you up on what’s new. To prepare for a new term or semester, we recommend checking off the following items:

	World History Project (1200)	Big History Project
Professional development opportunities	Attend a live WHP 1200 introductory PD session, or attend an advanced training tailored for veterans. Register for a session today! If you haven’t already, take our free, online PD course, Teaching World History (TWH) 1200.	Attend a live BHP introductory PD session, or attend an advanced training tailored for veterans. Register for a session today! If you haven’t already, take our free, online PD course, Teaching Big History.
Standards alignment materials	Read our WHP 1200 course plan, generated by a Pennsylvania teacher, which includes a pacing guide.	Read our sample year-long and semester-long BHP course plans, which include pacing guides.
Talk to a real person!	Connect with other Pennsylvania teachers in the OER Project Online Teacher Community—ask questions, share stories, and seek support! Still have questions? Email an OER Project outreach coordinator for support! You can either email them or find a time on their calendar for a meeting.

What Pennsylvania Teachers are Saying

The Big History Project is an excellent course for the twenty-first-century student, and even more so, in the post-pandemic world. The interdisciplinary approach Big History uses complements the global society and global problems confronting our students. It allows them to place events in their proper historical context. As a result, students critically examine how to solve these problems. I can’t think of a better course that prepares students for the future while telling the story of our past.

— Chad, tenth-grade world history teacher, Allentown, PA

Cover image: This ruffed grouse is drumming on a log with his outstretched feathers. The Pennsylvania state bird is the ruffled grouse. © photobirder / iStock / Getty Images Plus