United States Academic Decathlon® Curricular Topics for 2025–2026!

    • The U.S. Academic Decathlon® is excited to announce that the overall curricular theme for 2025–2026 will be The Roaring Twenties.

      Following is some general information on the topics in each of the subject areas.


      ART: The art curriculum will offer an introduction to the art of the Jazz Age.


      ECONOMICS: The economics curriculum will cover fundamental economic concepts, microeconomics, and macroeconomics and will include a thematic section on the U.S. economy in the 1920s.


      LITERATURE: The literature curriculum will present an introduction to the literature of the Jazz Age and will include critical reading, one long work of literature, and selected shorter works. The long work of literature will be The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.


      MATHEMATICS: The mathematics curriculum will provide an overview of algebra and trigonometry.*


      MUSIC: The music curriculum will focus on the music of the Jazz Age.


      SCIENCE: The science topic will be an introduction to electricity and magnetism.


      SOCIAL SCIENCE: The social science topic will be the Roaring Twenties.


      The full subject area outlines will be posted on the U.S. Academic Decathlon website <www.usad.org> on May 1 and will be published in the U.S. Academic Decathlon Study Guide, which will be available on May 15.


      * The 2025–26 mathematics curriculum and materials will be the same as were used for the 2022–23 U.S. Academic Decathlon. 

    Curriculum Updates

    • Art

    • Economics

    • Literature

    • Mathematics

    • Music

    • Science - Full-Color Figures

      Many of the Science Resource Guide figures are best viewed in full color. Students using the electronic version of the Science Resource Guide will have access to all full-color figures. Students using a black-and-white printed version of the Science Resource Guide can access figures that are best viewed in full color via the link above.

    • Science

      Link: Revised Science Resource Guide p.76 Posted On:
      June 4, 2025

      In the Science Resource Guide, page 76, in the 2nd equation from the top of the page, “(2(pi)r)” should be deleted from the left-hand side of the equation.

    • Social Science

      Link: Revised Social Science Resource Guide p. 20 Posted On:
      June 4, 2025

      In the Social Science Resource Guide, page 20, in the second to last line of column 2, “Twentieth” should be corrected to read “Twenty-First.”

    • Study Guide

    United States Academic Decathlon Curriculum Development

    • The following is some general information on the topics in each of the subject areas:

      USAD Curriculum Advisory Group The Curriculum Advisory Group is a panel of educators who assist in the development of the USAD curriculum by suggesting and providing feedback on curriculum topics and themes and by reviewing the subject area outlines, selected works of literature, artworks, etc. The members of the panel have expertise in a variety of subject areas and are experienced educators. Members of USAD’s Curriculum Advisory Group work on a voluntary (i.e., unpaid) basis.


      USAD Curriculum Developers USAD hires curriculum developers in each subject area to develop the subject area outlines, Resource Guides, and Notebook Dividers. USAD’s curriculum developers are instructors at the university level. All of USAD’s curriculum developers have advanced degrees in their subject area and have experience in curriculum development. All applicants must submit a resume and writing sample to be considered as a curriculum developer for USAD’s materials. Writers are selected taking into account their qualifications and experience, their writing ability, and their familiarity with the Academic Decathlon® program.


      USAD Curriculum Reviewers USAD hires curriculum reviewers in each of the subject areas. All curriculum reviewers have expertise in the subject area for which they are contracted and generally are teachers at the university level. All USAD curriculum materials are reviewed by two curriculum reviewers. All curriculum reviewers have an advanced degree in their subject area. All applicants must submit a resume to be considered as a curriculum reviewer for USAD’s materials. Reviewers are selected taking into account their qualifications and experience and their familiarity with the Academic Decathlon® program. All USAD Student Exercise Books except for mathematics are developed by a leading publishing solutions company that specializes in K-12 educational content. The Mathematics Student Exercise Books are written by authors who are either mathematics teachers at the university level or are graduate students in mathematics. 


      Student Exercise Book Development  All USAD Student Exercise Books except for mathematics are developed by a leading publishing solutions company that specializes in K-12 educational content. The Mathematics Student Exercise Books are written by authors who are either mathematics teachers at the university level or are graduate students in mathematics. 

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