Hillsdale College and Golden Thread Academic Release First Volume of Western Civilization Curriculum for Secondary Schools
The curriculum is a framework for teachers using ‘The Golden Thread,’ a two-volume history of Western Civilization from antiquity to the present.
HILLSDALE, Mich. — Hillsdale College and Golden Thread Academic, an educational imprint of Encounter Books, released the first volume of the Official Golden Thread Curriculum on Sept. 15. The comprehensive high-school curriculum provides a framework for teaching “The Golden Thread,” a two-volume history of Western Civilization from antiquity to the present.
“While high-quality textbooks like ‘The Golden Thread’ are essential, it is the curriculum that guides how students and teachers engage with these texts in their classrooms,” said Kathleen O’Toole, associate vice president for K-12 education at Hillsdale College. “The Official Golden Thread Curriculum offers teachers an adaptable and resource-rich framework that emphasizes rigor, coherence, and the pursuit of truth.”
“The Official Golden Thread Curriculum offers teachers an adaptable and resource-rich framework that emphasizes rigor, coherence, and the pursuit of truth.”
The Golden Thread Curriculum is designed to accompany “The Golden Thread: A History of the Western Tradition” by James Hankins and Allen C. Guelzo. Published by Golden Thread Academic, the two-volume series tells the story of Western Civilization from the ancient world and Christendom to the Renaissance and the modern day, integrating images, maps, and primary source texts.
Developed through an exclusive partnership between Hillsdale College and Golden Thread Academic, the Official Golden Thread Curriculum supplements the textbooks with:
- Daily lesson plans and readings
- Discussion questions and activities
- Formative assessments and quizzes
- Long-form writing assignments
- Summative chapter exams
- An online platform for teachers to connect
“The curriculum takes students beyond merely memorizing facts and events and helps them understand and appreciate the grand story of the West,” O’Toole said. “Through this journey, they develop judgment, curiosity, and a deep understanding of our cultural inheritance.”
“The curriculum takes students beyond merely memorizing facts and events and helps them understand and appreciate the grand story of the West.”
The curriculum has many features to help students understand history at different levels, from specific people, places, and events to enduring civilizational questions:
- Major themes running through the entire curriculum help students trace the development of the West;
- Interpretive questions guide discussion, connect ideas, and deepen understanding;
- Explanations of main points are indexed and cross-referenced to support instruction and assessment;
- Essential IDs teach students to ask their own questions of cause, effect, relation, and significance;
- Tools for daily lesson planning help students engage with the material and retain what they learn.
The first volume of the curriculum was released on Sept. 15 and can be accessed here. The second volume will be released in October.
To learn more about the Official Golden Thread Curriculum, click here. To learn more about “The Golden Thread: A History of the Western Tradition,” click here. For photos of Hillsdale College, click here. For a high-resolution copy of the Hillsdale College clocktower logo, click here.
About Hillsdale K-12 Education
The Hillsdale College K-12 Education Office supports school leaders, teachers, and parents with the educational and organizational resources they need to educate the nation’s young students in the liberal arts and sciences, with instruction in moral character and civic virtue. The Barney Charter School Initiative (BCSI), part of the College’s K-12 efforts, promotes the founding of classical charter schools and excellence in their teaching and operations. The K-12 Education Office works with private and public charter schools across the country, providing liberal arts curriculum, teacher training, and support for school boards and school leaders. This work is made possible through leadership support from the Barney Family Foundation and gifts from many other generous friends of Hillsdale College. For more information, visit k12.hillsdale.edu.
About Golden Thread Academic
Golden Thread Academic is an educational imprint of Encounter Books, dedicated to renewing the rigorous standards of the humanities essential to our national and civilizational traditions. By engaging distinguished scholars and experienced teachers to develop authoritative textbooks and curricular resources, the imprint brings students into direct contact with the great ideas and historical forces that have shaped Western Civilization. Through narrative history and the sustained study of foundational texts, Golden Thread Academic seeks to restore the continuity of our cultural inheritance. For more information, visit goldenthreadacademic.com.
DATE: Sept. 15, 2026