This inquiry is an initial exploration into the concept of interdependence through the lens of community economics and the idea of an economy as a diverse, mutually supportive web of needs and wants, workers and consumers, and problems and solutions. The compelling question “What makes me become we?” challenges students to consider interdependence among individuals and groups and think about how a community is not just a bunch of individual “mes” living in a shared space but also a collective “we” that interacts, grows and contracts, and tries to solve issues. This inquiry builds on students’ first-grade knowledge and challenges them to understand that through businesses, town organizations, and local governments, a community meets the needs and wants of its people, finding strength in collective efforts to address problems.
K-2
The Heart of Social Studies
Inquiries
This inquiry is an initial exploration into the concept of interdependence through the lens of community economics and the idea of an economy as a diverse, mutually supportive web of needs and wants, workers and consumers, and problems and solutions. The compelling question “What makes me become we?” challenges students to consider interdependence among individuals…
Through the compelling question “Do we have to have rules?” this annotated inquiry investigates the relationship between rules and values as well as the role that rules play in maintaining a civil society. This question acknowledges outright that many students wonder about their roles in and responsibility for rule making. It gives voice to their…
This inquiry is an exploration into the concept of responsibility, beginning within the home and then expanding to school and the community. In examining the idea that we all have important responsibilities, students should consider the question of what could happen if they choose to act irresponsibly. Through interaction with the formative performance tasks and…
This inquiry encourages kindergartners to expand their study of self and others by deepening their understanding of the role of traditions, holidays, and symbols in establishing cultural identity and unity. The compelling question “What makes holidays special?” reflects an enduring conversation about how and why people engage in ritual and tradition. It is respectful of…
This first grade annotated inquiry highlights the idea that even primary-age children can begin thinking about their civic roles in their communities and beyond. Those roles can be made real and vital to young children by exploring the traits or characteristics that represent responsible citizenship. Those traits—respecting others, behaving honestly, helping others, making and obeying…
This second-grade inquiry leads students through an investigation of symbols and representation. By investigating the compelling question “What symbol best represents the United States?” students explore what each American symbol represents, how we use these symbols, and what we, as US citizens, value. At heart, a symbol is a word, object, or action that represents…
This first-grade inquiry features an investigation of economic decision making through the context of how families manage their money. In examining the costs and benefits associated with making decisions about spending and saving money, students should be able to develop an argument with evidence to answer the compelling question “What choices do we make with…
This kindergarten inquiry leads students through an investigation of self by recognizing that all humans have both unique and similar characteristics. By investigating the compelling question “Is everyone unique?” students begin to see how they are similar to and different from their classmates. The study of similarities and differences among individuals provides the foundation for…
This kindergarten inquiry leads students through an investigation of maps and globes as tools that represent the physical world in different ways. In the inquiry, students consider how each tool represents locations, what purposes each tool serves, and what advantages and disadvantages each tool offers. The study of maps and globes provides the foundation for…
This annotated kindergarten inquiry focuses on the economics concept of scarcity by developing an understanding of needs and wants and goods and services through the compelling question, “Can we get everything we need and want?” The distinctions between these constructs serve as the necessary components of an examination of the choices people must make when…