7th Grade

This inquiry leads students through an investigation of population growth and expansion in South Asia. By investigating the compelling question “How should South Asia respond to a growing population?” students evaluate the best solutions for accommodating a growing population. The formative performance tasks build on knowledge and skills through the course of the inquiry and help students understand the scope of South Asia’s population growth, recognize the causes and effects of the growth, and determine possible solutions to deal with population growth consequences. Students create an evidence-based argument about the best way for South Asia to go about handling its population growth issues.

The Heart of Social Studies

Inquiries

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Population Growth

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South China Sea

This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the South China Sea dispute, in which several nations in East and Southeast Asia are claiming ownership of parts of the sea for various purposes. By investigating the compelling question “Can nations own the sea?” students evaluate whether nations have the sovereign right to claim parts of…

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Pilgrims and Wampanoag

In this inquiry, students investigate one of the best-known stories in American history—the interaction between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags that included the first Thanksgiving. The compelling question “Why did the Pilgrim–Wampanoag friendship go so wrong?” focuses on how the relationship between Native Americans and European settlers deteriorated over time. The Pilgrims’ initial contact with…

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Cost of Water

This 2016 Inquiry Challenge winner inquiry leads students through an investigation of water access in the Middle East using various sources that consider geographical, political and economic issues. By investigating the compelling question, students examine the geography of the region, including environmental and demographic relationships, the ecological impact of accessing water, and the subsequent political…

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Conflict Resolution

This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the conflict between the nation of Israel and the Palestinians. By investigating the compelling question “Why is conflict so difficult to resolve?” students evaluate the levels of cooperation between these two groups, analyze their land claims from multiple perspectives, and consider the human characteristics that influence the…

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Women’s Rights

This inquiry examines the emergence of the women’s suffrage movement in the 19th century as an effort to expand women’s political and economic rights, and it extends that investigation into the present. The compelling question “What does it mean to be equal?” provides students with an opportunity to examine the nature of equality and the…

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American Revolution

Throughout this inquiry students investigate the complex interconnected roles of individuals and groups as well as the economic, social, and geographical forces that contributed to the American Revolution. Students wrestle with issues concerning historical determinism as they move toward an evidence-based argument as to whether or not the war was avoidable. The compelling question “Was…

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Westward Migration

This inquiry prompts students to investigate the factors, conditions, and conflicts related to westward expansion in the United States before the Civil War. In the inquiry, students wrestle with various economic, geographic, and social ideas as they consider the value of the push westward. The compelling question “Was it destiny to move west?” prompts students…

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Uncle Tom’s Cabin

This seventh grade annotated inquiry provides students with an opportunity to explore how words affect public opinion through an examination of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Students will investigate historical sources related to the novel and reactions in the North and South in order to address the compelling question, “Can words lead to…

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Great Compromise

This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the Great Compromise using various sources related to its adoption. The Great Compromise was the pivotal breakthrough of the 1787 Constitutional Convention. Originally formed to revise the weak Articles of Confederation, the convention quickly took on the massive task of designing a new federal government. While the…

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