Northern Lights
Third Edition Updates
The Third Edition of the popular Northern Lights Minnesota Studies curriculum is currently in development. The suite of Third Edition products will continue to include both print books and eBook options. All components are slated for a summer 2026 launch, in advance of the 2026-27 school year.
A primary driver in the creation of the Northern Lights Third Edition is the revision of the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards for Social Studies. The 2021 social studies standards were formally approved and adopted into law March 11, 2024, and are required to be implemented in the 2026-27 school year. The Northern Lights Third Edition will address all required benchmarks for history, civics, geography, economics, and ethnic studies. Updates are also being made to reflect feedback from educators and a variety of content experts, as well as changes in scholarship and interpretation since the release of the Revised Second Edition in 2013.
Much of the organization and features of the Northern Lights curriculum will remain, based on positive feedback from teachers across the state. The narrative non-fiction storytelling style, coverage of multiple perspectives, and highlighting of primary sources will continue to be hallmarks of Northern Lights. Minnesota Studies sidebars will continue to clearly call out content connections across the five social studies disciplines. The Annotated Teacher’s Edition and Workbook will continue to offer teacher supports and hands-on, student-centered activities to engage students with meaningful learning. The Interactive eBook will continue to provide the same content found in the print book, but enriched with diverse audio narration, short videos, and more.
DRAFT Northern Lights Third Edition Standards Alignment Spreadsheets
Because the Northern Lights curriculum is customized to address current required sixth-grade academic benchmarks, a draft version of the standards alignment spreadsheets is now available (and subject to change) for the 2021 standards that will be addressed in the Third Edition.
Frequently Asked Questions
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How much is changing from the Revised Second Edition to the Third Edition?
It is estimated that approximately 50% of the content will be new or heavily revised. Some existing content will move chapters and all content will be at least minimally refreshed.
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How much will the components of the Third Edition cost?
Pricing for the Third Edition is not yet finalized. Once it is, this webpage will be updated to provide pricing detail for schools.
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Will the Interactive eBook automatically update when the Third Edition launches?
Yes, all Northern Lights Interactive eBook subscriptions will update automatically to the Third Edition when it is released in summer 2026. The exact date will be finalized as the launch nears. The Revised Second Edition eBook and the Third Edition eBook cannot be hosted simultaneously due to cost.
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Will there be a Spanish version of the Northern Lights Third Edition?
Yes, there will be a Spanish language version of the Student Edition available only in the Third Edition Northern Lights Interactive eBook. More information about the launch date of this product will be available in early 2026.
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When will preview versions of print books and the Interactive eBook be available?
Full previews will not be available due to the tight timeline for Third Edition development and production. There will be some limited availability of preview pages in print and/or eBook format in spring and early summer of 2026. Please contact education sales and service specialist, Amy Feole, to learn more.