本系列教材为立体化呈现的新形态教材，含纸质书和云端数据库两个部分。云端数据库是对纸质书相关内容的补充和拓展，可通过扫码的方式立即获取。
本系列教材在编写中，每一个知识模块的6个部分按照语言难易度和知识的复杂度从第1册到第6册以梯级式递进：第1、2册侧重于体验与认知；第3、4册侧重于思辨与融通；第5、6册强调思辨、批判和思想创造。
本教材为第一册，书中每个单元都是一个具有系统性的知识板块，由A、B两篇课文以及围绕课文设计的练习活动组成。

Unit 1 History
Text A The Importance of History (Excerpts)
Text B What Is History? (Excerpts)
Unit 2 Art
Text A On Art and Artists (Excerpts)
Text B What Is Art?
Unit 3 Science and Technology
Text A New Concepts as Historical Markers
Text B James Watt and the Steam Engine
Unit 4 Philosophy
Text A An Introduction to Philosophy
Text B What Use Is Philosophy?
Unit 5 Race and Nation
Text A The Forming of Races and Ethnic Groups
Text B A Detailed List of Human Races
Unit 6 Society
Text A Man and Society
Text B The Rationalization of Society
Unit 7 Communication
Text A Light, Fire and Smoke as Emergency
Communication Signals
Text B Birth of a Language
Unit 8 Education
Text A Confucius' Educational Thoughts
Text B Aristotle's Educational Thoughts
Unit 9 Nature and Environment
Text A Healing the Divide: Breaking the Boundaries
Between Humans and Nature
Text B Nature
Unit 10 Business
Text A What Is Money?
Text B The Long Arc Behind Bill Gates' Wealth (Excerpts)
Unit 11 Belief and Culture
Text A The Four Dimensions of Religion (Excerpts)
Text B The Major World Religions and Their Beliefs
Unit 12 Politics
Text A What Is Politics?
Text B The General Mechanism of Political Development