The National Council on Social Studies (NCSS) has created a set of thematic strands that help teachers organize curricula in meaningful ways. For purposes of instruction in DYS settings these principles have been consolidated into seven learning themes, they are:
- Cultural Identity, Development and Exchange
- Time, Continuity and Change
- Peoples, Environments and Global Connections
- Individuals and Groups, Power and Governance
- Production, Distribution and Consumption
- Science, Technology and Society
- Civic Ideals and Practices
The historical time periods include:
- Political and Intellectual Origins of the American Nation – The Revolution and the Constitution, 1763- 1789
- Formation and Framework of American Democracy
- Political Democratization, Westward Expansion and Diplomatic Developments, 1790-1860
- Economic growth in the North and South, 1800-1860
- Social, Political and Religious Change, 1800-1860
- The Civil War and Reconstruction, 1860 – 1877