This U.S. history curriculum guide, based upon historical essays written by Richard B. Bernstein, is intended for students in grades 7 and 8, and is the keystone of the 'Crossroads' project. The guide introduces students to the chronological structure of U.S. history and to the eight overarching themes of U.S. history as defined by the 'Crossroads' curriculum. The curriculum enables students to orient themselves within the chronological structure and to think about the past as historians do. The guide is divided into twelve units: (1) "A World of Their Own: The Americas to 1500"; (2) "Contact: Europe and America Meet, 1492-1620"; (3) "The Founding of New Societies, 1607-1763"; (4) "What Was the American Revolution? 1760-1836"; (5) "The Ambiguous Democracy, 1800-1848"; (6) "'Now We Are Engaged in a Great Civil War,' 1848-1880"; (7) "'What, Then, Is This American?' 1865-1900"; (8) "Waves of Reform, 1880-1921"; (9) "Boom and Bust, 1921-1933"; (10) "The Age of Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1933-1945"; (11) "Leader of the Free World, 1945-1975"; and (12) "A Nation in Quandary, 1975--." Each unit is comprised of the content to be covered, a teacher's rationale, a table of contents, and detailed lessons and activities. (LB)