Calisphere is the University of California’s free public gateway to a world of digitized primary sources. Selected from the libraries and museums of the 10 UC campuses and more than 30 cultural heritage organizations, these images, documents, and artwork, reveal the diverse history and culture of California and its role in national and world history. Calisphere's 150,000-plus digitized primary source materials include photographs, diaries, oral histories, historical documents, artwork, and other artifacts of historical lives and events. Teachers in all grades can use these powerful tools to stimulate curiosity, imagination, and engagement with learning. Our themed collections, lesson plans, and Browse A-Z are specifically designed to support K-12 classroom needs.

Calisphere is made up of six themed collections:

• The Changing State in the Gold Rush Era (1848-1865)
• Closing of the Frontier (1870-1900)
• Emerging Industrial Order (1900–early 1940s)
• The Great Depression (1929-1939)
• World War II (1939–1945)
• Social Reform (1950s-1970s)