Elementary Social Studies Curriculum
Inquiry Journeys brings joy and rigor to elementary social studies, engaging students and supporting teachers in inquiry-based classrooms.
Download the Scope and Sequence to explore.
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Build Knowledge. Sharpen Skills. Hit the Standards.
Inquiry Journeys, inquirED’s K–5 curriculum, builds deeper social studies content knowledge through inquiry.
Inquiry Journeys: Elementary Social Studies Built on Inquiry
In every Inquiry Journeys unit, students read, write, discuss, and analyze primary and secondary sources — then apply their learning through hands-on investigations. These practices deepen learning, strengthen literacy, and connect social studies to students’ lives and communities.
- Builds Deep Knowledge: Students make sense of content through sustained inquiry.
- Supports Critical Thinking: Lessons focus on analysis, evidence, and reflection.
- Boosts Literacy Skills: Reading, writing, speaking, and listening are integrated into every unit.
Download the Scope and Sequence to see how it all comes together.
Benefits of being an early adopter
Early adopter districts gain customized onboarding and professional learning that set teachers up for success, continuous support and troubleshooting to ensure smooth implementation, priority access to preview and shape new content before release, and direct input into Inkwell’s design through ongoing feedback with our product team.
Ideal district partners
Participating districts commit to implementing in at least one grade level for a full year. We are looking for partner districts that are innovative, value continuous improvement, and prioritize research-driven decision-making.
As part of the program, districts will receive:
- Implementation Support: Hands-on guidance to implement Inkwell in selected classrooms or schools and help refine the program.
- Collaborative Feedback : Regular opportunities to share constructive input that shapes curriculum content and digital platform enhancements.
- Research Opportunities: Partnerships on case studies and research projects that highlight your district as a national leader in integrated instruction.
Designing for Depth: Integration Across the Early Grades
This three-part webinar series explores integrated curriculum as a design approach across Pre-K through Grade 2. The series begins with a professional learning session that builds shared understanding of integration. Educators and leaders develop common language, explore why integration matters, and clarify what to look for in high-quality integrated instruction.
The next two sessions bring those ideas to life through two powerful examples:
- How integration shapes the full Pre-K day in Great First Eight
- How ELA and social studies are intentionally integrated in K–2 through Inkwell
Together, the sessions move from understanding integration to seeing it in practice, supporting leaders and educators as they evaluate, plan for, and support integrated approaches across the early grades.
Upcoming webinars
Designing for Depth: Giving Writing Its Due in Early Literacy
The science of reading has reshaped early literacy instruction. But what about writing?
Research is clear: writing strengthens reading, deepens comprehension, and builds knowledge. And yet, in many PK – 2nd Grade classrooms, writing remains under-emphasized and under-designed.
Join Dr. Nell K. Duke, Executive Director of the Center for Early Literacy and Learning Success at Stand for Children and Professor of Education and Psychology at the University of Michigan, for a research-grounded look at writing in Pre-K. She will be joined by Elisabeth Ventiling Simon, Chief Academic Officer and Co-Founder of inquirED and lead developer of Inkwell, to extend the conversation into K–2 classrooms.
Together, they will explore what it means to design writing instruction that is explicit, developmentally appropriate, knowledge-building, and filled with authentic purpose. This session surfaces some of the science behind strong writing instruction — and the motivation and engagement that emerges when children have something meaningful to say.
Designing for Depth: Integration Across the Early Grades
This three-part webinar series explores integrated curriculum as a design approach across Pre-K through Grade 2. The series begins with a professional learning session that builds shared understanding of integration. Educators and leaders develop common language, explore why integration matters, and clarify what to look for in high-quality integrated instruction.
The next two sessions bring those ideas to life through two powerful examples:
- How integration shapes the full Pre-K day in Great First Eight
- How ELA and social studies are intentionally integrated in K–2 through Inkwell
Together, the sessions move from understanding integration to seeing it in practice, supporting leaders and educators as they evaluate, plan for, and support integrated approaches across the early grades.
Upcoming webinars
Accelerating Early Literacy, Math, and More: Great First Eight Pre-K/TK
What does a Pre-K/TK program look like when it is built to accelerate literacy, math, and overall development and ensure every child enters kindergarten ready to thrive?
As expectations for kindergarten readiness increase, districts are asking harder questions about how Pre-K/TK curriculum design supports early literacy and math learning without sacrificing joy, play, and other areas of development essential to early childhood education.Join Dr. Nell K. Duke to explore Great First Eight Pre-K/TK, a full-day curriculum developed by a nationally recognized team of early childhood scholars and intentionally designed to strengthen early literacy, math, and other areas of development through a playful and responsive approach.In this webinar, we’ll explore:
- How Great First Eight intentionally builds literacy, math, and other areas of development across centers, small-group, and whole-group instruction
- What project-based, research-aligned learning looks like in early childhood classrooms
- The structures and supports that help teachers implement with clarity and confidence
Learn why Great First Eight has earned the highest ratings to date from a review by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education & Care and the American Institutes for Research, including top scores overall and in literacy, math, and social-emotional learning.
Designing for Depth: Integration Across the Early Grades
This three-part webinar series explores integrated curriculum as a design approach across Pre-K through Grade 2. The series begins with a professional learning session that builds shared understanding of integration. Educators and leaders develop common language, explore why integration matters, and clarify what to look for in high-quality integrated instruction.
The next two sessions bring those ideas to life through two powerful examples:
- How integration shapes the full Pre-K day in Great First Eight
- How ELA and social studies are intentionally integrated in K–2 through Inkwell
Together, the sessions move from understanding integration to seeing it in practice, supporting leaders and educators as they evaluate, plan for, and support integrated approaches across the early grades.
Upcoming webinars
Better Together: How Inkwell Integrates K–2 ELA & Social Studies
See how Inkwell, inquirED’s K–2 integrated ELA and social studies curriculum, brings literacy and content together within a single instructional block. This webinar uses Inkwell as a concrete example to show how intentional integration supports knowledge-building, coherence, and instructional purpose, without sacrificing depth in either subject.
Through a guided walkthrough of materials and focused discussion, participants will build clearer criteria for identifying strong integration and distinguishing it from surface-level alignment.
About inquirED
inquirED supports teachers with high-quality instructional materials that make joyful, rigorous, and transferable learning possible for every student. Our social studies curricula – Inquiry Journeys (K-5) and Middle School World History – are used across the country to help students build deep content knowledge and develop inquiry skills essential for a thriving democracy.
