PA Story’s Alignment to PA Education Curriculum

The PA Story program aligns with the C3 framework (College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards: Guidance for Enhancing the Rigor of K-12 Civics, Economics, Geography, and History) in the following ways: 

Dimension 1: Developing Questions and Planning Inquiries: In this program, students will generate questions to ask of their own family, history, and culture, and prepare to share that information more broadly with the class. Additionally, students will need to plan thoughtful and appropriate questions for their peers when sharing their stories. 

Dimension 2: Applying Disciplinary Concepts and Tools: Students will use historical, civic, cultural, and language development skills to complete the PA story components. The entire PA story project is designed to reinforce skills already being taught at grade level and provide practical applications for students to practice these skills as they relate to their own and PA’s. narrative. 

Dimension 3: Evaluating Sources and Using Evidence: During the PA Story program, students will evaluate primary and secondary sources, historical archives, and references to identify and assess evidence and narratives. 

Dimension 4: Communicating Conclusions and Taking Informed Action: Students will practice storytelling, asking questions, dialogue, reflective listening, and vulnerable conversations in the classroom with their peers, which will help students become more informed and take more informed actions. 

You can find more information about the C3 Framework here.

View how the PA Story aligns with your specific grade level here:

Elementary School

Middle School

High School

  • This project is designed to complement Pennsylvania History coursework by engaging students in an exploration of the Commonwealth’s foundational role in advancing religious freedom, democratic ideals, and civic identity. Using family and community storytelling as a central approach, students examine how personal experiences intersect with key themes in Pennsylvania’s history, including William Penn’s commitment to religious tolerance, patterns of immigration, industrial growth, and social movements. The PA Story aims to situate lived experiences within a historical framework that helps students understand how individual and collective stories have shaped Pennsylvania’s evolving identity over time. 

    Skills learned include: Historical analysis, historical inquiry, identity and place-based learning, linking past to present, and critical thinking.

    Commonwealth of PA Social Studies Standards can be found here.

  • The PA Story Project supports U.S. History instruction by situating Pennsylvania’s historical experience within broader national developments, such as democratic governance, civil liberties, migration, and cultural diversity. Students explore Pennsylvania’s role as an early testing ground for democratic principles that later influenced the nation as a whole. Through personal and community narratives, students gain insight into how national history is experienced across diverse communities while recognizing their place within a shared American story.

    Skills learned include: Contextual analysis, differing perspectives, Civic identity, continuity, and change.

    Commonwealth of PA Social Studies standards can be found here

  • This project aligns with PA Civics and Government coursework by highlighting civic identity, democratic participation, and constitutional principles. Storytelling activities invite students to examine how individual rights, religious freedom, and civic responsibilities are expressed and experienced within their communities. Students will reflect on their own Pennsylvania stories and develop a stronger sense of themselves as active contributors to democratic life rather than passive observers of government institutions.

    Skills learned include: Civic literacy and values, democratic values, democratic process, and civic engagement.

    Commonwealth of PA Civics and Government standards can be found here.

  • This project provides a practical context for developing reading, writing, speaking, and research skills. Students create personal or community-based narratives, examine historical and contemporary texts, and participate in structured dialogue. These storytelling activities strengthen students’ ability to communicate effectively, consider audience and purpose, and use reflection and evidence to construct thoughtful and meaningful narratives.

    Skills learned include: Research, essay writing, content creation, storytelling, and textual analysis.

    Commonwealth of PA English Language Arts standards can be found here.

  • (Cultural Studies, Social Studies, Family & Consumer Science, etc.):

    The PA Story project is designed to be flexible and adaptable across a range of elective courses that address culture, identity, community, and social relationships. In Cultural Studies and Social Studies electives, students explore how traditions, beliefs, and lived experiences influence community life. In Family & Consumer Science courses, storytelling activities may focus on family histories, intergenerational learning, and community well-being. The project’s adaptable structure enables educators to align activities with course-specific objectives while preserving its core civic and cultural emphasis.

    Skills learned include: Interpersonal skills, cultural awareness, public history, and cultural narratives