Arkansas
Inquiry springs to life
The Arkansas C3 Hub is an ongoing effort to build inquiry materials in support of Arkansas social studies standards. This work is being lead by the Arkansas Teacher Collaborative Council made up of teacher leaders around the state.
The Arkansas Inquiry Toolkit provides teachers with access to curriculum materials opportunities to learn more about using inquiry in Arkansas social studies classrooms. The instructional materials available here feature the Inquiry Design Model, an innovative approach to teaching and learning emphasizing teacher knowledge and expertise. The Toolkit project was funded by the Arkansas Department of Education. See our inquiries below.
Learn more about our Arkansas Inquiries
The inquiries published in the Arkansas Inquiry Toolkit were built using the Inquiry Design Model and feature a blueprint overview of how the inquiry might be taught as well as the sources needed to implement in the classroom. All of the inquiries support Arkansas social studies practices aligned with Dimensions 1, 3, and 4 of C3 Framework as well as specific content standards found in the Arkansas Social Studies Curriculum Framework. Although the inquiries align with standards, they are not intended to be comprehensive content units, nor are they intended to be a series of prescribed lesson plans. They are intended to serve as pedagogically rich examples content and skills built out in inquiry-based fashion.
The following charts displays the array of inquiries developed for each Arkansas grade level along with the relevant Arkansas content standard. By viewing the topics for each inquiry, curriculum teams can begin planning their work to develop additional inquiries for the remaining grade-level topics.
Elementary Inquiries
| Grade 1 | Do I have to like everyone? | Civics Inquiry on Friendship By Kristen Hurt & Stephanie Drury |
| Grade 1 | How do maps talk to us? | Geography Inquiry on Map Skills Cathy Toney, Conway School District |
| Grade 2 | Is the relationship between people and rivers good or bad? | Geography Inquiry on the environment Lisa Bailey, ADE |
| Grade 5 | Is betrayal always bad? | U.S. History Inquiry on Betrayal Tanya Ellington & Jennifer Steele, Valley View School District |
| Grade 5 | Social media, why can’t I post that? | Civics Inquiry on Social Media Lisa Bailey |
Middle Grades Inquiries
| Grade 6 | How do we know the past without written evidence? | World History Inquiry on Nomadic Life By Hailey Smith, Elkins School District and |
| Grade 7 | Why is conflict so difficult to resolve? | Geography Inquiry on Conflict Resolution Jeff Davidson, |
| Grade 7 | Can nations own the sea? | Geography Inquiry on the South China Sea Jeff Davidson, |
| Grade 7 | How should South Asia respond to a growing population? | Geography Inquiry on Population Growth Jeff Davidson, |
| Grade 7 | Is America the promised land for the world’s immigrants? | Geography Inquiry on America as a “Promise Land” Robin Morris, Patty Townsend & Dustin Dean |
| Grade 7 / 8 | Is the Hunter-Dunbar Expedition Worth Remembering? | Arkansas History Inquiry on Hunter-Dunbar Expedition Jeff Davidson |
| Grade 8 | Was the Dust Bowl a perfect storm? | U.S. History Inquiry on the Dust Bowl Maggie Herrick, Connie Echols, Greg Moore |
| Grade 8 | Is progress more important than preservation? | Arkansas History Inquiry on Historical Preservation Lisa Lacefield |
Secondary Inquiries
| Civics | Can polls be trusted? | Inquiry on Polls Vickie Yates |
| Civics | Do we need the electoral college? | Inquiry on the Electoral College Evan Cowling, Harrison School District Vicki Yates, Virtual AR– editor |
| Civics | Was the vote enough? | Inquiry on Women’s Suffrage Barry Watkins, Bay School District |
| Civics | Should safety outweigh freedom? | Inquiry on Safety and Freedom Vickie Yates |
| World History | How did reason lead to revolution? | Inquiry on the Age of Reason David Freligh, Forrest City |
| U. S. History | Was containment a success? | Inquiry on Containment Vickie Yates, Virtual AR |
| U. S. History | Is it ever too late for justice? | Inquiry on the Murder of Emmett Till Lisa Lacefield, |
| U. S. History | Can music cause cultural change? | Inquiry on Music and Change Written by teachers attending |
| Economics | Is the United States ready to be a cash free society? | Inquiry on a Cash Free Society Sarah DeWitt, |
| Economics | Is Fair Trade Fair? | Inquiry on Trade Sarah DeWitt, |
| Economics | Do taxes help or hurt U.S. citizens? | Inquiry on Taxes Tiffany Ford, Virtual Arkansas |
Arkansas teachers are working together to learn more about the C3 Framework and the Inquiry Design Model. These professional development materials feature PowerPoint slide decks that are organized around the C3 and the three parts of the Inquiry Design Model (IDM™) – Questions, Tasks, and Sources. The four slide decks available here are annotated to provide facilitators with the information they need to conduct the professional learning activities.
Download the slides below
Introduction to the Arkansas Toolkit
This slide deck introduces the Arkansas Social Studies Resource Toolkit and Professional Development project and is the first set of slides in this professional development series.
IDM and Questions
This slide deck is the second in the professional development series. These slides introduce the first component of IDM focused on questions. IDM is the basis for the construction and presentation of the inquiries that make up the Arkansas Toolkit. In these slides:
IDM and Tasks
These slides introduce the second component of the IDM dealing with tasks. IDM features a variety of performance tasks that provide students with opportunities for learning and provide teachers with multiple opportunities to evaluate what students know and are able to do.
IDM and Sources
These slides introduce the third component of IDM about sources. IDM features sources as the primary means by which students encounter social studies content and practice the skills needed to learn that content.
This video series provides teachers with an introduction to the C3 Framework and the Inquiry Design Model. The first in our series was recorded in 2015 and focuses on the Cs Framework. The videos were filmed in the studios of the Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN) and are available through the ideas network at AETN as online courses at https://ideaslms.aetn.org/ (account required). The titles of these courses are as follows.
SSC15052 Foundations for C3 Inquiry and The Inquiry Design Model (IDM): Part One
A PDF with PPT slides from this course are available below
PPT #1 – Foundations for C3 Inquiry & the Inquiry Design Model (IDM)
Work on the Toolkit project began in the summer of 2015 with professional learning activities and the development of a video series for helping teachers learn more about the C3 Framework and Inquiry Design Model. That work continued into 2016 with the addition of a Teacher Collaborative Council focused on building inquiries and related professional development and implementation materials for teachers in Arkansas. The first set of inquiries were published in spring 2017. Work continues on the Toolkit project to develop additional inquiries and for teachers to share about their experiences through our Arkansas blog series.
The Heart of Social Studies
Featured Inquiries
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of voting rights in America. By investigating the compelling question “Was the vote enough?” students evaluate both sides of the early twentieth century quest to expand suffrage to women. The formative performance tasks build on knowledge and skills through the course of the inquiry and help students determine…
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of leaders during the American Revolution. By investigating the compelling question “Is betrayal always bad?” students evaluate the actions of King George III and George Washington. The formative performance tasks build on knowledge and skills through the course of the inquiry and help students understand the motives of…
This inquiry leads students through an investigation of early social interactions and behaviors. By investigating the compelling question “Do I have to like everyone?” students evaluate friendship, what is a friend, how to be a friend, and how to respond when you dislike someone or they dislike you. Students will develop a deeper understanding of…
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This inquiry leads students through an examination of whether there is a time limit on pursuing justice in decades-old civil rights-era lynching cases. By investigating the compelling question “Is it ever too late for justice?” students evaluate primary sources about the murder of Emmett Till and address the issue of whether the passage of time…
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the issue of preserving historic lands and the challenges that face preservation. By investigating the compelling question “Is Progress More Important than Preservation?” students evaluate whether preservation is always the most important consideration, or if there are times when progress must become a priority. The formative performance…
This inquiry leads students through an investigation of whether polling can be trusted. By investigating the compelling question “Can Polls Be Trusted?” students evaluate what polls are, how they are used, and how we are growing more confused by them. The formative performance tasks build on knowledge and skills through the course of the inquiry…
This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the compelling question, “How do maps talk to us?” Students create symbols, use directional words and a compass rose, develop map keys, and discover relationships among items on a map as they learn to use the language of maps. They are able to distinguish between physical and…
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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…
This inquiry leads students through an investigation of fair trade. By investigating the compelling question “Is Fair Trade Fair?” students evaluate the rise of fair trade as it relates to several specialty industries; such as the coffee industry. The formative performance tasks build on knowledge and skills through the course of the inquiry and helps…
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of The Dust Bowl. By investigating the compelling question “Was the Dust Bowl a Perfect Storm?” students gain understanding through reading a variety of texts and analyzing photographs to determine the major causes of the Dust Bowl. By examining the dust bowl through multiple social studies lenses, students…