11th Grade

This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the annexation of the Islands of Hawaii during the late-1800s and early 1900s. It also follows a U.S. policy of imperialism abroad as the nation looks to other regions of the world to control for political or economic gain including Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. The annexation of Hawaii provided a strategic advantage for American business owners and for the U.S. military as Pearl Harbor was established on Oahu in the years following the end of the Spanish-American War. Consequently, the war ended the day after Hawaii was annexed. In addressing the compelling question students work through a series of supporting questions, formative performance tasks, and featured sources in order to construct an argument supported by evidence while acknowledging competing perspectives.

The Heart of Social Studies

Inquiries

Filed Under:

Hawaii Sovereignty

Filed Under:

Civil Rights Movement

This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the Civil Rights movement and the methods used to challenge social injustices in the United States. Students will analyze the disagreements between Civil Rights leaders on how best to accomplish shared goals. Students will work with primary sources and secondary sources to evaluate the methods by which…

Filed Under:

Minimum Wage

This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the argument over whether or not raising the minimum wage will really help workers during recent trends in the U.S. In addressing the compelling question students will evaluate the impact of a minimum wage increase through the secondary source analysis of historical trends related to wage fluctuations…

Filed Under:

Total War

This inquiry leads students through an investigation of total war tactics, rationale, and consequences during World War II. Source material covers total war elements including the targeting of civilians, the Holocaust, the racism encountered by Japanese Americans, the effect of atomic warfare, and the military decision-making behind these practices. In addressing the compelling question “Is…

Filed Under:

Cuban Missile Crisis

This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the early Cold War. In addressing the compelling question “Is military strength a prerequisite for peace?” students will review primary sources from President Reagan, President Eisenhower, the CIA, the White House, and data on the growth of the American military. Students will add evidence, questions, connections, and…

Filed Under:

New Deal

This inquiry leads students through an investigation of specific programs of the New Deal and the systemic inequities in the implementation of those programs. Further, students will start to develop an understanding on the changing role of the federal government and form a position on what that role ought to be. In addressing the compelling…

Filed Under:

Industrial Revolution

This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the Industrial Revolution from its technological innovations and economic strategies to its reliance on immigrant labor and its effects on individuals and societies. In addressing the compelling question “For whom was progress worth its costs?” students will work through four supporting questions with accompanying formative performance tasks….

Filed Under:

Colonization vs. Sovereignty

This inquiry leads students through an investigation of tribal sovereignty for existing Native American tribes and nations in the United States and their continuing relationship with the federal government as a nation-to-nation agreement as defined within each and every treaty made with the more than 574 recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and villages…

Filed Under:

U.S. Imperialism

This inquiry leads students through an investigation of America’s role in the Western Hemisphere during the turn of the 20th century during Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency. In addressing the compelling question “Was the ‘Big Stick’ policy a noble policy?” students will analyze the impact of Roosevelt’s policies on international affairs as well as political cartoons that…

Filed Under:

Human-Environment Interaction

This inquiry leads students through an investigation of human-environment interactions using the ahupua’a of Waimanalo and Kailua as a case study. By investigating the compelling question, students examine the environmental particulars of their region, the ways in which humans have historically interacted with the environment, and the current environmental characteristics. This inquiry embeds the Taking…

Your Voice Matters

join C3 Teachers

C3Teachers.org facilitates open collaborative conversations among teachers as they tinker with their own instructional practice as it relates to the C3 Framework.

We'd Love to Talk

Contact Us

If you are interested in offering more professional development opportunities, rethinking or redesigning your social studies curriculum, we’d love to talk.