‍Back When Social Studies Meant the Holidays

Before adopting a social studies curriculum, Canby leaders recognized that teachers were working hard to fit in social studies whenever possible, but they needed a consistent structure, vertical alignment, and a shared curriculum to make instruction sustainable and cohesive.

“Social studies was the holidays, and that was about it,” recalled Amanda Graber, Teaching and Learning TOSA. “We wanted to really think about how we were expanding what social studies means, and how we could really connect students to critical thinking, and deeply engage with the concepts and content within social science in a way that also connected them to their community as a whole.”

As part of their curriculum adoption process, leaders were looking for an inquiry-based approach that made social studies content relevant and engaging for students. “We wanted something that was interactive and hands-on,” said Danielle Reynolds, Director of Teaching and Learning. “Teachers were asking, how do we make social science engaging and relevant to students?”

Those questions led Canby to Inquiry Journeys, a K-5 social studies curriculum designed around inquiry, disciplinary thinking, and the authentic use of primary and secondary sources. For Canby, this was the bridge between disconnected lessons and a deeper, more complete meaning of social studies.

"There is definitely an infectious energy to it…creating these common experiences across the district is just really helpful, for students, but then also for teachers, because they have other people that they can connect with about what's going on.”

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How Inquiry Helps Students Think for Themselves

When Canby teachers began teaching Inquiry Journeys, they saw how the inquiry process, supported by carefully curated primary and secondary sources, helped students understand different perspectives and learn to think for themselves. Each unit begins with a compelling question that sparks curiosity and gives purpose to learning. From there, students examine photographs, maps, short texts, and videos to investigate possible answers, comparing how each source offers a different perspective on the same event or concept.

“You’re going to look at a video, you’re going to look at an artifact, you’re going to look at the way [the curriculum] brings together different resources,” said Reynolds. This variety keeps students engaged while strengthening the disciplinary skills emphasized in Oregon’s standards, including analyzing evidence, evaluating perspectives, and constructing claims.

Throughout each investigation, teachers guide students through rich tasks such as writing evidence-based claims, participating in movement-based experiences, and engaging in discussions that deepen understanding. “The information and the tasks that are in there are just really high quality,” Reynolds said. “There’s a good balance of times when teachers are having students explore everything and times when they’re doing expert group work and sharing back out. The materials really support teachers in being able to do that.” added Graber

By grounding every inquiry in high-quality sources, teachers saw students move beyond surface-level learning to true investigation that builds deep content knowledge. They were learning about history and practicing how to think like a historian—asking questions, analyzing evidence, and constructing their own understanding of the world around them.

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Bringing Multiple Perspectives Into the Core

Oregon’s Social Science Standards make it clear that equity and representation are central to how students should learn history, geography, economics, and civics. “We wanted a way that allows students to really have critical thinking opportunities to look at different perspectives and experiences of multiple individuals,” said Reynolds.

As students learned to ask questions and analyze evidence, they also began to explore whose stories were being told through those sources. Each unit gave them opportunities to encounter primary and secondary sources authored by people with diverse backgrounds and experiences. A single investigation might include a photograph from one perspective, an oral history from another, and a short text that expands both views.

These encounters helped students see that social studies content is full of multi-faceted concepts rather than a long list of facts. By comparing and discussing different sources, students learned that every event is shaped by multiple points of view. Students also recognized that their own identities and communities belong within that larger story.

When diverse sources are woven into every unit, representation becomes a core piece of the inquiry process. Students are given the opportunity to experience the power of perspective and understand how hearing and considering many voices helps build a more complex understanding of social studies content.

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From the Classroom to the Community

As students journey across an Inquiry unit, they take what they’ve learned and synthesize from all of these primary and secondary sources and apply it within their community. In one first-grade Inquiry Journeys unit, students began with a question: How can we help others appreciate our special location? As they examined photos, maps, and stories from their community, they learned how people work together to meet local needs.

This gave Graber and Reynolds the opportunity to plan a district wide field trip for first grade students. “All of the first graders in our district got a chance to hear about the fire department, the police department, public works, and a local grocery store,” said Graber. “The kids over the course of the day packed 141 sandbags that are gonna be used throughout the winter.” In Canby, sandbags are used throughout the winter to prevent flooding along creeks, rivers, and storm drains clogged with fallen leaves, making them a familiar, real-world symbol of community care and preparedness.

By studying multiple sources and then taking action, students saw the connection between inquiry and impact. The sandbag project became a shared story of civic action. First graders will see those sandbags in use and they’ll know that their learning mattered. This experience captures the power of using primary and secondary sources that build towards civic action. When students work with real evidence about real people, they begin to understand their own capacity to contribute to their community.

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What’s Working in Canby and What It Means for Oregon

Canby teachers continue to refine their practices, deepening their work with inquiry and evidence. Their classrooms show what is possible when a district commits to a shared vision of social studies grounded in inquiry, primary and secondary sources, and civic action.

“There is definitely an infectious energy to it…creating these common experiences across the district is just really helpful, for students, but then also for teachers, because they have other people that they can connect with about what's going on,” Graber shared. 

As the district enters its fourth year with inquiry-based social studies, the focus remains steady: build on what works and strengthen what matters most. Teachers continue to grow in their ability to balance rigor, equity, and inquiry, the same criteria that Oregon’s new Social Science Standards now call for statewide. 

Today, Oregon’s updated standards affirm that work and invite other districts to join a vision of social studies that is both rigorous and relevant. With Inquiry Journeys now rated Exemplary on the state’s list of approved instructional materials, districts have a clear, classroom-tested model for bringing that vision to life.

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Curious how an inquiry-based approach could support your district’s goals? Inquiry Journeys, our K–5 social studies curriculum, is rated Exemplary on Oregon’s approved instructional materials list.

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