Curriculum

Elementary

Social Studies

Middle School

Social Studies

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Resource Collections

Downloadable guides, frameworks, and tools designed to help district leaders take action on social studies curriculum and instruction. Looking for our most downloaded resesources? Check the quick links below.

Curiculum Review Guide

Literacy in Social Studies Rubric

Social Studies Pacing Guide

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Fresh ideas, research, and reflections to help district leaders stay sharp and responsive in an evolving social studies landscape.

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Real-time conversations and on-demand learning with experts and district leaders tackling challenges in social studies education.

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Social Studies Curriculum Review Guide

Download this free tool designed to help educators, districts, and curriculum developers create, evaluate, and select social studies instructional materials that meet the demands of today’s classrooms.

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inquirED Blog

Your source for inquiry-based learning and teaching strategies.

Elementary Social Studies

Creative ways districts are making time for K-5 social studies

Elementary teachers often struggle to protect time for social studies when ELA and math dominate the schedule. This post shares practical strategies from real districts that show how storytelling, clear expectations, and high-quality curriculum can keep social studies thriving. With intentional planning, districts can ensure students build the knowledge they need for literacy, civic readiness, and lifelong learning.

inquirED

Sep 2, 2025
5
MIN READ

Elementary Social Studies

How Oconomowoc made standards stick

Oconomowoc Area School District adopted a new high quality elementary social studies curriculum to meet new standards. Students now practice key inquiry skills—asking questions, analyzing sources, and collaborating—to build deeper understanding across subjects.

Sep 3, 2025
5
MIN READ

Elementary Social Studies

What is Inquiry-Based Social Studies?

No matter your entry point – we’ve created & curated information to help you build your knowledge of inquiry-based social studies!

Nov 9, 2021
4
MIN READ
Illustration of teacher reading a story to classroom

Elementary Social Studies

The Missing Piece in Reading Comprehension: Social Studies

Reading tests don’t just measure decoding – they measure what students know. When social studies disappears from the elementary day, so does some of the context that makes reading meaningful.

Nov 13, 2025
6
MIN READ
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Lesson Strategies

See Think Wonder | Inquiry Lesson Plan Strategy

See, Think, Wonder helps students make observations, form inferences, and generate questions about a visual source or artifact. Use it to spark wonderings or introduce new topics.

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Lesson Strategies

Mingle Pair Share | Inquiry Lesson Plan Strategy

Mingle Pair Shares are a great way to get students moving around the classroom and talking to different classmates. Use this strategy to encourage students to hear from a variety of perspectives in response to an open-ended question or experience.

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Lesson Strategies

Note Card Reflection | Inquiry Lesson Plan Strategy

This reflection protocol prompts students to identify key takeaways from a Unit or other sustained inquiry experience. Use this to support students in sharing their thoughts with the whole class and making connections to others’ ideas.

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Lesson Strategies

Concentric Circles | Inquiry Lesson Plan Strategy

Concentric Circles get students talking to different classmates, allowing them to hear from a variety of perspectives in response to a series of prompts. This protocol fosters understanding of different perspectives while promoting students’ speaking and listening skills.

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Lesson Strategies

Artifact Study | Inquiry Lesson Plan Strategy

Artifact studies challenge students to analyze a primary source by identifying evidence, explaining interpretations, and drawing conclusions. Use this format when students analyze an unfamiliar primary source individually, in small groups, or as a whole class.

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Lesson Strategies

Socratic Seminar | Inquiry Lesson Plan Strategy

Socratic Seminars require students to collaboratively grapple with complex topics. Through the process, students closely read a teacher- selected article, draw evidence from that reading, and then discuss their responses through a structured seminar with peers.

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Webinars

Keeping Curiosity Alive

Unpack the role of curiosity in learning with research-based insights and classroom strategies to engage students and spark inquiry-driven exploration.

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Webinars

Using Primary Sources from the Library of Congress through Distance Learning

During the webinar, we used resources from the Library of Congress to implement inquiry-based activities with online learning tools.

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Webinars

Using Inquiry in Elementary Social Studies

Elementary students need engaging, inquiry-based social studies to help them develop critical thinking skills, make informed decisions, and take positive action to influence their world. 

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Take a closer look at Inquiry Journeys

Inquiry Journeys (K–5 social studies curriculum) provides inquiry-based instruction for young learners through hands-on investigations and primary source analysis. Explore how elementary students build knowledge and skills by asking questions, analyzing evidence, and connecting learning to their lives and communities.

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