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The PSU SSE Framework for NH is embedded in a living Google Document. The version visible on these pages is dated 12.08.25 and lacks links to related inquiries and resources. For full resources, follow the link to the Framework below.

Full Framework

Appendix E: Annotated Primary and Secondary Sources for World History

Key Sources Recommended for All Students

Ancient and Classical Civilizations, c. 2500 BCE-500 CE
Epic of Gilgamesh (c.2150-1400 BCE) Article on Gilgamesh with maps and photographs and link to 10-minute video animation. Full text of the epic illustrated with photographs of Assyrian sculpture. First written epic.	Grade 6
The Code of Hammurabi (c. 1754 BCE) Article with photograph of stele (stone relief sculpture) showing Hammurabi from the Louvre. Full text. Video interpretation of the stele with the Code of Hammurabi. First written set of laws, carved on a stone sculpture in the Louvre Museum, Paris	Grade 6
The Egyptian Hymn to the Nile (c.2100 BCE) Hymn praising the Nile as the source of life in Egypt	Grade 6
King Menkaura (Mycerinus) and queen (2490-2472 BCE) Stone sculpture of a pharaoh and queen from the Museum of Fine Arts Boston	Grade 6
The Egyptian Book of the Dead, Negative Confessions (c.1570-1069 BCE) Text and article with illustrations: Text alone. A list of sins that the speaker had not committed; an indication of the cultural values of the Egyptians	Grade 6
The Torah (first five books of the Bible), Exodus, Chapter 20, the Ten Commandments (c.600 BCE, based on earlier oral tradition) Code of religious commandments; an indication of the cultural values of the ancient Israelites. Background and analysis of the text.	Grade 6
The Vedas: The Rig Veda (c.1500-500 BCE) Article and excerpts. Text alone. Central texts of Hinduism; hymns	Grade 7 World History I
Homer, The Iliad and The Odyssey (c. 800 BCE based on earlier oral tradition) Greek epics that present the story of the warrior Achilles and the Trojan War (Iliad) and the journey of the warrior Odysseus home from the war (Odyssey)	Grade 7
Confucius, The Analects (thought to have been compiled in the 5^th century BCE, completed in a final form in the 3^rd century CE) Central text of Confucianism; a collection of sayings and philosophical thoughts about virtue and ethics	Grade 7 World History I
Buddhism, the Four Noble Truths (c. 500 BCE) Central text of Buddhism, relating to the cycle of human life and suffering	Grade 7 World History I
Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War (431 BCE) Greek historian’s account of the war between Athens and Sparta	Grade 7
Plato, The Republic (360 BCE) Greek account of a Socratic dialogue about justice, virtue, and the ideal city and its ruler, the philosopher-king	Grade 7 Grade 8
Aristotle, Politics (350 BCE) Greek book of political philosophy about the role of a citizen, ruler, democratic constitutions and institutions, and the ideal state	Grade 7 Grade 8
Examples of Greek Art Sixteen examples of Aegean and Greek sculpture, vase painting, and objects from c.2300 BCE to 100 BCE, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston	Grade 7
Julius Caesar, War Commentaries (58-47 BCE) Caesar’s account of Roman conquest in Europe	Grade 7
The Bible, New Testament, Gospel of Matthew, Chapters 5-7: Sermon on the Mount (c. 80-110 CE). Key text for Christianity of Jesus’ philosophy; analysis and interpretation of the selection	Grade 6 World History I
Standing Shakyamuni Buddha (3^rd century CE) Gandharan Buddhist sculpture showing the fusion of Greco-Roman and Buddhist imagery; stone sculpture, Worcester Art Museum	World History I
6^th-10^th Centuries
Mosaic: Hunting Scene (Antioch, early 6th CE) Antioch was a city on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean and this example shows the influence of Greco-Roman and Persian styles. Worcester Art Museum	Grade 7
Hagia Sophia (532-537 CE, video and article by William Allen, 2015) Photographs, text and video about the art and history of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, formerly Constantinople	World History I
The Code of Justinian (535 CE) Code of law of the Byzantine Empire under Emperor Justinian	World History I
The Longmen Caves, Loyang (c. 5^th to 8^th centuries CE. Essay by Jennifer McIntire, 2015) Cave complex of early Buddhist art in China	Grade 7 World History I
Martin Amster and Lier Chen, Buddhist Art Styles and Cultural Exchange along the Silk Road (c.200 BCE to 1000 CE)Article(2004) that compares images of the Buddha in Asia	Grade 7 World History I
Selections from the Qu’ran, 1, 47 (609-632 CE) Central text of Islam, centering on the belief in one God, Allah	World History I
Al-Tanûkhî (c. 980 CE) Ruminations and Reminiscences: Acts of Piety Writings of a judge and legal scholar of the Abbasid Caliphate	World History I
11^th-15^th Centuries
Pope Urban II, Speech at the Council of Clermont (c.1095) Video version of the speech that launched the Christian crusades against Islam or text versions	World History I
Roger of Hoveden, The Fall of Jerusalem, 1187 (c. 1190) Chronicle by a medieval English historian who was present at the Third Crusade	World History I
“Court Ladies Preparing Newly Woven Silk” (12^th century) attributed to Emperor Huizong, Song Dynasty. Scroll painting, ink, color, and gold on silk, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston	World History I
Magna Carta (1215) Foundational British document on government	Grade 8 World History I U. S. History I U.S. Government and Politics
Sainte-Chapelle (1248 CE) Paris Royal chapel, example of high Gothic architecture; video, 2017	World History I
View of Florence, detail of Madonna della Misericordia (1342) and Palazzo Vecchio (1299-1310) from “Florence in the Late Gothic Period: an Introduction,” essay by Joanna Milk MacFarland, 2015	World History I
Zhao Yong (1347), Horse and Groom after Li Gonglin Scroll painting, ink and watercolor on paper, Freer/Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. For additional images, see Song and Yuan Dynasty Painting and Calligraphy	World History I
Ibn Battuta, The Rihla (1354) African scholar’s account of his travels in Africa and Asia	World History I
Cresques Abraham, Map showing Africa and King Mansa Musa, from the Catalán Atlas (1375) (from The African Diaspora in the Indian Ocean World); see The Cresques Project; for other pages and translations of the text Paint and gold on vellum, mounted on wood, Bibliothecque Nationale, Paris, France	World History I
The Art of the Benin Kingdom(c. 900-17^th centuries CE) Bronze sculptures from the Benin Palace in Nigeria, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston	World History I
The Great Mosque at Djenne (c. 800-1250 CE; article by Elisa Dainese, 2015), mosque in West Africa in present-day Mali	World History I
Geoffrey Chaucer, Canterbury Tales (1387-1400) Prologue to tales about a group of people on a pilgrimage; in Old English	World History I
The Alhambra (14^th century) Photographs and essay by Shadieh Mirmobiny, 2015	World History I
“China and the World History of Science, 1450-1770” by Benjamin Elman, 2007; article about Chinese science and technology	World History I
Golden Kingdoms: Luxury and Legacy in the Ancient Americas (500 BCE-1500 CE) Objects of gold, turquoise, feathers, and clay made and traded by South and Central American civilizations; video, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018	Grade 6 World History I
Images and text about Mayan architecture and culture (c. 900 BCE to 1500 CE) in Tikal National Park, Guatemala	Grade 6 World History I
City of Cusco (c. 1440-1540 CE) Peru, essay by Sarahh Scher, 2015 Article on monumental architecture of the Inca regional empire	World History I
Unearthing the Aztec Past: the Destruction of the Templo Mayor (c.1325-1519) Mexico; video by Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank and Stephen Zucker, 2017; Aztec architecture, Mexico City	World History I
16^th-17^th Centuries CE
Maps from the 1500s A collection of historical maps in the public domain such as the Waldseemuller Map; links to other decades before and after (e.g., 1490s, 1510s,1520s) and other centuries (e.g., 1600s, 1700s, 1800s)	Grade 4 World History I
Kilwa Kisiwani (16^th-17^th centuries; video by Stephen Battle, World Monuments Fund and Stephen Becker, 2016). East African trade center on the Indian Ocean in present-day Tanzania	World History I
Leonardo da Vinci, Notebooks (c. 1508) Renaissance artist and inventor’s notebooks of sketches and texts Ink on paper, British Library, London, UK	World History I
Machiavelli, The Prince (1513) Renaissance book on government and the rights of rulers	World History I
Bartolomé de Las Casas, A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies (1552). See also Bartolomé de Las Casas Debates the Subjugation of the Indians (Spanish document); the work in Latin This text is a summary of a debate concerning the subjugation of Native Peoples, contains the arguments of Las Casas, the Bishop of Chiapas, Mexico, and Juan Gines Sepulveda, an influential Spanish philosopher, concerning the treatment of Native Peoples in the New World. It offers one of the earliest written accounts as well as images on this topic.	World History I
Tughra, official signature of Süleiman the Magnificent, (1555-60, video 2013, Metropolitan Museum of Art). Video about close reading of an example of imperial Islamic calligraphy. Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York	World History I
Pieter Bruegel the Elder, The Tower of Babel (1563), video 2015 by Beth Harris and Stephen Zucker. Northern Renaissance painting, oil on canvas, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria	World History I
“The Spy Zambur Brings Mahiya to the City of Tawariq,” (c. 1570) folio from a Hamzanama (Book of Hamza) attributed to Kesav Das, example of Mughal painting. Illustration of a scene from the life of the uncle of the Prophet Mohammed, who traveled the world preaching Islam. Ink, watercolor, and gold on cloth mounted on paper, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York	World History I
Bernal Diaz del Castillo, excerpts from The True History of the Conquest of New Spain (1576) Spanish account of the conquest of Mexico	World History I
Rembrandt van Rijn, (1632) The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp Group portrait of attendants at a dissection, one of many paintings made for the prosperous middle class of the Dutch Republic (video, 2015). Oil on canvas, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands	World History I
Evliya Ҫelebi, Seyahatname (Book of Travels) (1630-1672) Accounts by a Muslim traveler in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Virtual exhibition with text, images, video, London, 2010.	World History I
Louis le Vau, André le Nôtre and Charles le Brun, Château de Versailles (1664-1710), article by Rachel Ropeik, 2015. Article on the buildings and grounds built for King Louis XIV of France at Versailles	World History II
English Bill of Rights (1689) Foundational English document on rights	World History I; World History II
John Locke, Two Treatises of Civil Government (1690) Foundational documents on government	U. S. History I World History I U.S. Government and Politics
18^th-19^th Centuries CE
Charles de Montesquieu, The Spirit of the Laws (1748) Legal philosophy of the French Enlightenment	World History I
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Social Contract (1763) Legal philosophy of the French Enlightenment	World History I Grade 8
Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations (1775) Foundational text on free market economics based on competition	World History II Grade 8
National Assembly of France, The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen (1789) Declaration of Rights of the French Revolution	World History II
Mary Wollstonecraft, Vindication of the Rights of Women (1792) Declaration of women’s rights and equality to men	World History II
Simón Bolívar, Letter from Jamaica (1815) Letter about the movements for independence in South American nations	World History II
Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist (1837-1838), with illustrations by George Cruikshank; novel showing the effects of urban poverty and the Industrial Revolution in England	World History II
Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels: The Communist Manifesto (1848) Political pamphlet about class struggle in capitalism between the proletariat and owners of companies and factories and a call for revolution by the working class	World History II
Images of the Crystal Palace for the Grand International Exhibit in London (1851) Massive Steel and glass pavilions built in London in the Victorian Era, destroyed in 1930s	World History II
John Stuart Mill, On Liberty (1869) Essay on the importance of personal liberty, social liberty, and freedom of speech	World History II
Rudyard Kipling, “Take Up the White Man’s Burden” poem (1899) Poem written to encourage American colonization of the Philippines	World history II United States History II
20^th-21^st Centuries CE
Edward D. Morel, “The Black Man’s Burden,” essay (1903) Critique of colonial exploitation in Africa	World History II
World War I posters (1914-1920) Library of Congress collection of recruiting and inspirational posters from around the world	World History II United States History II
The Treaty of Versailles (1919) Treaty at the end of World War I that forced Germany to pay reparations	World History II United States History II
Sun Yat-Sen, The Principle of Democracy (1924) Founder of the Chinese Republic, philosophy of nationalism, democracy, and social welfare	World History II
Erich Maria Remarque, Excerpts from All Quiet on the Western Front (1928). Novel, account of warfare in World War I	World History II
Adolf Hitler, Excerpts from Mein Kampf (1925) Hitler’s autobiography in which he presents his philosophy of anti-Semitism and a plan for the future of Germany.	World History II
Paul Troost, The House of German Art (1933-1937), video by Beth Harris and Stephen Zucker, 2015. Hitler’s use of art exhibitions as a form of propaganda	World History II
Leni Riefenstahl, Triumph of the Will film (1935). Nazi propaganda film	World History II
Henryk Ross, Photographs of the Lodz Ghetto, a Collection of Holocaust Photographs (1939-1945). The Lodz Ghetto in Poland was under German rule in World War II, liberated by Russian troops in 1945	World History II
Holocaust Survivor Stories (20^th century) Videotaped interviews with survivors of the Holocaust in the U.K., c.2010	World History II
Neville Chamberlain, “Peace in Our Time” (1938) Speech given in defense of the Munich agreement	World History II
Winston Churchill, “A Disaster of the First Magnitude” speech (1938) Speech in response to Chamberlain, calling for Britain to fight Germany	World History II
Franklin Roosevelt, First Annotated Typed Draft of War Address (1941) Roosevelt’s speech to the nation on the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor	World History II
Winston Churchill, excerpts from “The Iron Curtain,” speech (1946) Speech in which Churchill describes the divisions between the Western Allies and Russia, the beginning of the Cold War	World History II, United States History II
Joseph Stalin, “Response to Churchill’s Iron Curtain Speech” (1946) Stalin’s assertion that the Soviet Union must protect its security	World History II, United States History II
United Nations, “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” (1948) A declaration of human rights for all nations in the United Nations	World History II
The Geneva Conventions (1949) Conventions adopted by the Diplomatic Conference of Geneva that set international standards for the humanitarian treatment of individuals in war	World History II
Nikita Khrushchev, Secret Speech to the Closed Session of the Twentieth Party Congress (1956); Khrushchev’s denunciation of Stalin	World History II
Soviet political posters, postcards, and photographs (c. 1918-1981)	World History II
Mao Tse-Tung, Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung (1966) Sayings and political philosophy of Chinese Communist leader	World History II United States History II
Nelson Mandela, “I am prepared to die” statement at the Rivonia Trial (1964). Mandela’s speech against apartheid in South Africa at the trial in which he was sentenced to life imprisonment	World History II
Vaclav Havel, “The Power of the Powerless,” essay (1978) Essay about freedom and power in Eastern Europe	World History II
Lech Walesa, Nobel Peace Prize lecture (1983) Speech about the importance of the Solidarity movement in Poland	World History II
In pictures: Beijing’s Tiananmen Square protests (1989), BBC News photo gallery, 2014. Photographs of student protests in China	World History II
Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace Prize Lecture (2014) Text and video of speech on girls’ right to education	World History II

Standards for

History and Social

Science Practice, Pre-K-12

Develop focused questions or problem statements and conduct inquiries.
Organize information and data from multiple primary and secondary sources.
Analyze the purpose and point of view of each source; distinguish opinion from fact.
Evaluate the credibility, accuracy, and relevance of each source.
Argue or explain conclusions, using valid reasoning and evidence.
Determine next steps and take informed action, as appropriate.