K-2 integrated ELA and social studies
Elementary social studies built on inquiry
Inkwell is a core ELA and core social studies curriculum that integrates reading, writing, speaking, and listening within content-rich social studies learning.
Better Together: ELA and Social Studies
Meet Inkwell, a K–2 core curriculum that integrates ELA and social studies into one cohesive instructional block. It replaces traditional reading comprehension, writing, grammar, and language programs and is designed to be used alongside your foundational skills curriculum.
But Inkwell is so much more than just a mix of subjects; it's a cohesive inquiry-based learning experience where reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills are applied with depth, context, and purpose.
- Supports mastery of ELA and social studies standards in one block
- Grounded in the Science of Reading
- Embeds explicit writing instruction in daily lessons
- Builds knowledge through content-rich social studies investigations
- Connects and deepens learning through inquiry
Integration isn’t about adding content to ELA or squeezing subjects together.
It’s about designing instruction differently from the start.
Elisabeth Ventling Simon
Co-Founder and Chief Academic Officer, inquirED
Hear from the experts developing Inkwell
Learn how inquirED’s founders and academic leaders, CEO Shanti Elangovan and CAO Elisabeth Ventling Simon, bring a shared vision for high-quality, integrated instructional materials to life through Inkwell.
Discover how Connie Hebert, Director of Curriculum, ELA, applies her experience as an ELA Content Specialist at EdReports and as Louisiana’s Director of Instructional Materials Review to shape Inkwell’s development.
Explore how Kim Perry Cummings, Curriculum Design Lead, tests and refines Inkwell lessons in K–2 classrooms, keeping classroom realities at the center of the work.
Reading comprehension, and so much more
We know that reading comprehension improves when students think deeply about meaningful content. As students build knowledge through social studies content, reading and writing become clearer and more purposeful. Over time, that knowledge supports stronger discussion, more precise vocabulary, and more confident writing.
Other ELA
Purpose of Knowledge
Text comprehension
Text comprehension to build deeper understanding of the world
Use of Evidence
Shows comprehension
Shows comprehension as students analyze social studies content
Role of Topics
Entry points for text-based work
Entry points for text-based work that drives conceptual thinking
Source of Knowledge
Drawn from curated text sets
Drawn from text sets and diverse primary and secondary sources
Demonstration of Learning
Demonstrate text-based learning
Demonstrate text-based learning and transfer learning beyond the text
Focus of Learning
What happened in a given text
What happened in a text, why it matters, and how it connects to the world
What integrated ELA and social studies instruction looks like across lessons
To understand how integration works in Inkwell, it helps to zoom out and look across a full instructional module of 10–12 lessons. In an Inkwell module, reading, writing, language, and social studies concepts develop together as students revisit a shared topic through increasingly complex texts and tasks.
1st Grade Module Snapshot
Module focus: Civic cooperation
Essential question: How do people work together to achieve shared goals?
Core texts:
- In Our Garden (realistic fiction)
- The Power of Cooperation (informational text )
- Building the Statue of Liberty (informational text)
- Let Liberty Rise! (narrative nonfiction)
Reading across texts and sources
Students read a sequence of literary and informational texts that increase in complexity, supported by primary and secondary sources that build background knowledge and understanding.
- Early lessons focus on understanding characters, settings, and problems in a familiar school-based story (In Our Garden).
- Later lessons require students to analyze informational texts, videos, visuals, and timelines to understand how cooperation operates in a city (The Power of Cooperation) and across nations (Building the Statue of Liberty).
Reading comprehension develops alongside growing social studies knowledge about communities, roles, and civic responsibility.
Daily, purposeful writing
Writing is woven throughout instruction, not reserved for the end.
- Sentence-Level Instruction: Early writing centers on expanding and combining sentences as students explain how characters worked together in a school community.
- Paragraph Writing: Midway through the module, students write structured informational paragraphs explaining how cooperation enabled a city project, using details from text features and images.
- Process Writing: In later lessons, students plan, draft, revise, and publish an informational piece explaining how cooperation made the Statue of Liberty possible.
Across lessons, texts, and tasks, students write to explain ideas they are actively learning, not hypothetical prompts.
Embedded grammar, language, and vocabulary instruction
Language instruction stays explicit and purposeful, grounded in what students are reading and writing.
- Sentence-level work focuses on adding where, how, and why details connected to acts of cooperation.
- Grammar and conventions are taught in service of clarity as students revise sentences and paragraphs drawn directly from their writing.
Language instruction supports meaning-making rather than isolated practice.
Structured speaking and listening
Speaking and listening instruction is intentional and structured, grounded in shared texts, sources, and ideas.
- Structured discussions support students in explaining ideas, asking questions, and building on one another’s thinking as they talk about cooperation in stories, informational texts, and historical examples.
- Oral rehearsal is embedded throughout the module as students turn and talk, participate in guided discussions, and practice explaining ideas before writing, using evidence from texts, images, and timelines.
Speaking and listening routines help students clarify thinking, test ideas, and learn from multiple perspectives as understanding deepens across the module.
Integrated knowledge building
Knowledge deepens as students move across contexts.
- Students begin by exploring cooperation within a classroom or school community.
- They expand to understanding civic cooperation in a city setting, examining roles, contributions, and shared goals.
- They extend that understanding historically, learning how cooperation across countries made a national monument possible.
Concepts like civic roles, collective effort, and shared responsibility develop alongside literacy skills.
Frequently asked questions
Curious about what Inkwell looks like in real classrooms? This section addresses common questions from educators and leaders.
What is Inkwell?
Inkwell is inquirED’s K–2 integrated curriculum that brings core ELA and core social studies together into one instructional block. Students build reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language skills within the context of building social studies knowledge about communities, civic life, and the world around them.
What does “integration” mean in Inkwell?
In Inkwell, integration means that ELA and social studies are intentionally designed together. Students read, write, discuss, and investigate social studies topics using rich texts and sources, so literacy skills and content knowledge develop side by side rather than separately.
How is Inkwell different from teaching ELA and social studies as separate subjects?
Instead of dividing time between separate blocks, Inkwell addresses ELA and social studies standards within a single lesson. Literacy skills are taught explicitly, but always in the context of meaningful social studies investigations. This creates coherence for teachers and helps students apply skills to real ideas and questions.
Is Inkwell aligned to standards?
Yes. Inkwell is designed to meet both ELA standards and state social studies standards. ELA standards shape daily instruction in reading, writing, language, and speaking and listening within the context of standards aligned social studies content and disciplinary skills. For more information on alignment to state standards or requirements, please contact us here.
Is Inkwell grounded in the science of reading?
Yes. Inkwell’s approach to reading comprehension and language development is grounded in the science of reading, with an emphasis on knowledge building, explicit instruction, and regular practice with complex texts.
Will we need a foundational skills program in addition to Inkwell?
Yes. Inkwell is designed to be used alongside a high-quality foundational skills program that provides systematic phonics instruction.
How does Inkwell approach writing instruction?
Writing is taught explicitly and practiced daily. Students write to learn and learn to write about what they read and discuss. Instruction begins at the sentence level and builds toward longer pieces of writing across genres over time, all connected to social studies content.
How is Inkwell structured?
Each grade level includes three units per year. Units are organized into modules:
- A Launch Module that introduces the inquiry and builds curiosity
- Investigation Modules that develop knowledge, literacy skills, and writing
- A Transfer Module where students apply learning in a new or authentic context
This structure supports coherence, skill progression, and meaningful application of learning.
How long is an Inkwell lesson?
Each Inkwell lesson is designed for a 70-minute instructional block. Lessons are divided into two 35-minute segments, giving teachers flexibility to pause, regroup, or adjust pacing based on student needs.
Which grade levels are currently available?
Inkwell is available for Kindergarten through Grade 2. To learn more about the timeline for Grades 3–5, please contact us here.
What kinds of texts do students read in Inkwell?
Students engage with a range of high-quality literary and informational texts, including trade books, primary and secondary sources, and multimedia. Texts are intentionally sequenced to build knowledge over time and support discussion, vocabulary development, and writing.
How does Inkwell support all learners?
Inkwell includes built-in Tier 1 support in every lesson so all students can engage with grade-level content within core instruction. Lessons use predictable routines, visuals, structured discussion, oral rehearsal, and explicit language support to support students in making sense of texts and ideas.
How does Inkwell support multilingual learners?
Multilingual learner supports are embedded directly into lesson plans and aligned to WIDA, including sentence frames, modeled language, opportunities for talk before writing, and scaffolds that support comprehension and expression. These supports are designed to keep students engaged with the texts, questions, and learning goals.
What materials are included with Inkwell?
Inkwell includes both print and digital components. Teachers have access to lesson plans, slide decks, sources, and assessment resources and guidance through a digital subscription. Print materials include trade books, Sourcibles, vocabulary cards, student workbooks, and other consumables.
Ready to explore Inkwell?
See the structure behind integrated ELA and social studies.
Get a first look at how our K–2 curriculum integrates core ELA and core social studies into one instructional block. Explore the Curriculum Map to see how ELA and social studies skills, concepts, and knowledge develop together over a year of instruction.
