From Oklahoma's earliest times as Indian Territory, through its admission to the Union as the 46th state in 1907, to the founding of the Thunder basketball team, this Third Edition of The Story of Oklahoma tells the stories of the state's key people, events, and places. W. David Baird and Danney Goble offer fresh perspectives on such widely recognized history makers and markers as Quanah Parker, the 1889 Land Run, the Glenn Pool oil strike, the Tulsa Race Massacre, and Will Rogers. But they also give due attention to the Sequoyah Convention, Tulsa's Greenwood District, Sooner socialism, Hitch Enterprises, Inc., and other lesser-known but equally important milestones. In 16 chapters and an epilogue, Baird and Goble weave the many themes, stories, and perspectives of Oklahoma history into this comprehensive, often surprising, and ever fascinating narrative.

The Third Edition's complete coverage of the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Social Studies includes the following features:
 
* Written by award-winning Oklahoma-born and -educated historians
* Chapter and unit reviews revised to teach and reinforce Social Studies Practices
* Questions and activities that help develop students' social studies reading and writing skills
* Review and essay questions for conceptual understanding and problem-solving
* Introductions with learning objectives for each unit and chapter
* Timelines for key Oklahoma and national events
* Primary sources throughout the text
* Balanced treatment of race, ethnicity, class, and religion
* Vocabulary integrated to enhance reading skills
* Activities that encourage student participation
* Sidebars that highlight key concepts and historical developments