2. E Pluribus Unum is student-friendly and visually engaging!

E Pluribus Unum applies current learning theory to every chapter, which has a parallel structure: (1) an advanced organizer with state learning standards, essential questions, a word wall of key terms, and a one-page preview of the chapter; (2) chunked text with colorful illustrations and maps, accompanied by primary source readings and student activities; and (3) a post-reading chapter concept map and test questions.  This is the only adopted book to have an illustrated concept map at the end of every chapter.

3. E Pluribus Unum boldly confronts controversial topics and crucial issues!

In E Pluribus Unum, your students will read about such topics as:

• the foundations of religious freedom
• the “Founding Fathers” and slavery
• the violation of federal treaties with Indian nations
• the constitutionality of the Louisiana Purchase
• the discrimination faced by gay and lesbian Americans
• the brutality of African-American slavery
• the outbreak of the Mexican-American War
• the business tactics of the great entrepreneurs

4. E Pluribus Unum promotes classroom literacy.

Word walls at the beginning of each chapter identify essential terms and phrases that students should know. The text includes 100 excerpts from primary sources, accompanied by engaging questions. Many of these are documents mentioned in the new HSS Framework that teachers might have trouble finding on their own.  Many of these documents also include special scaffolding—such as sidebars with the definitions of difficult words, or parentheticals in the document itself with their definitions.  The basic text begins at a lower reading level and gradually raises the reading level in later chapters. The Teacher’s Guide includes proven strategies to help your students acquire new content-area vocabulary.

5. Purchases of class sets of E Pluribus Unum include access to its separate Teacher’s Guide, which can serve as a comprehensive lesson-planning tool.