This teacher's guide was designed to accompany 16 short video programs that trace the social and cultural development of the United States and show that today's society is the result of diverse historical events, ideas, and people. The guide provides program summaries, ideas for discussion, review questions, and extra credit projects. Spanish, French, and English cultural contributions and their impact on U.S. society are detailed. The distinct social cultures that developed in the southern and New England colonies and their effect are emphasized. The development of transportation unified parts of the nation and gave impetus to the westward movement and industrialization of the north. These events are presented in several programs. The many reform movements (abolition, women's rights, utopian reform) that changed the nation and gave it its character are all part of the series. The way in which artists and writers contributed to the culture and helped to preserve it is also explored. (SM)