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The Hawaii C3 Hub is leading the way in developing C3 Framework related curriculum and instructional materials. The Hawaii Hub includes a collection of professional development materials, but that’s just the beginning.
The Hawai‘i C3 Hub is a community workspace that is leading the way in developing culturally relevant C3 Framework related curriculum and instructional materials for the people of Hawai‘i. It is organized into ten main sections: Place, History of the C3 in Hawai‘i, Hawaii Core Standards in Social Studies , Inquiries, Informed Action, C3 Practitioner Blog, Professional Development opportunities, Research, C3 Hawai‘i Community Partners, and Connections. Grounded in a deep sense of place and a commitment to bringing people together to move forward, the Hawai‘i C3 Hub is designed to build community, inspire inquiry, and strengthen social studies education in the Hawaiian Islands and beyond.
To be an effective social studies teacher in Hawai‘i, C3 educators must develop a deep understanding of the place they are were working in, and find ways to make that place central to their classroom practice. Knowledge of place, and the cultural competency that goes along with it is primarily gained through building relationships with students, parents, and the wide variety of people who make up a school and its surrounding community. In addition, it is developed when teachers become critically familiar with the physical and genealogical landscapes of the schools and communities that they work in. This includes going out and experiencing the awesomeness of Hawai‘i’s natural environment and learning about the various ways in which the history, geography, economics, and politics of Hawai‘i give context to contemporary social studies teaching and learning. Below are some resources to support C3 Teachers on their journey to learn more about the history of Hawai‘i and indigenous Hawaiian culture, demographic information related to teaching in Hawai‘i, and the importance of “place” in designing culturally relevant curriculum and materials in Hawai‘i. If you know of a great resource for supporting social studies teachers in learning more about our island home and how to make it the foundation of their teaching practice, please contact Dr. Amber Strong Makaiau at amakaiau@hawaii.edu with your suggestions.
A History of Hawai‘i, Third Edition: http://manoa.hawaii.edu/crdg/news/successful-launch-history-hawaii-book-information-purchase/
Hawaiian Studies: http://manoa.hawaii.edu/crdg/subject/hawaiian/hawaiian.pdf
Accountability Resource Center Hawai‘i, School Status and Improvement Reports: http://arch.k12.hi.us/school/ssir/ssir.html
Census Maps: http://census.hawaii.gov/home/geography/
Polynesian Voyaging Society: https://www.hokulea.com/
Place-Based Learning and Community Engagement in Schools: http://www.placeshawaii.org/
Place-Based After-School Literacy Support: http://www.palshawaii.org/
Cultural Learning Center at Kaʻala (although their website is currently down): http://kaala.org (Here is another website that talks about them)
Hoa ʻAina O Makaha: http://www.hoaainaomakaha.org
Malama Learning Center: http://www.malamalearningcenter.org
October 2011, as a part of the Social Studies Assessment, Curriculum, and Instruction (SSACI) Collaborative, which is part of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), the Hawaii State Social Studies Specialist takes part in initial the planning meeting for the C3 Framework held in Atlanta Georgia.
2011 -2013, the Hawaii State Department Social Studies Specialist is included in a steering committee made up of representatives from twenty-three different states. This group met three times a year, and helped to guide the development of C3 Framework.
2013, The state social studies collaborative chooses highly qualified K-12 educators from 21 states to provide feedback on early drafts of the C3 Framework. Three members of this Teacher Collaborative Council are from Hawai‘i: Mitzie Higa, Pamela M.T. Takehiro King, and Carrie Sato. Mitzie Higa is also included on the C3 Framework editorial committee.
April 2013, the initial draft of the C3 Framework is released to the public.
August 2013, the National Council for the Social Studies publishes the C3 Framework [C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards].
January 2015, Dr. Kathy Swan leads a lecture and discussion titled, “The College, Career, and Civic Life C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards” at the University of Hawai‘i Uehiro Academy for Philosophy and Ethics in Education. Watch the video here: Dr. Kathy Swan presents the C3 Framework.
September 2015, The Hawaii State Board of Education adopts the C3 Framework for two purposes: (1) to provide the foundation for new standards in social studies, and (2) to support the development of meaningful, broad-based, and rigorous curriculum [Committee Action on C3 Social Studies Framework].
November 2015, Dr. John Lee leads a lecture and talk-story session titled, “The College, Career, and Civic Life C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards” at the University of Hawai‘i Uehiro Academy for Philosophy and Ethics in Education.
March 2016, based in part on the C3 Framework, the revision of the Hawaii Content and Performance Standards (HCPS) III in social studies begins.
October 2016, Dr. John Lee leads a “talk-story” session with social studies educators at the University of Hawai‘i Uehiro Academy for Philosophy and Ethics in Education to brainstorm the C3 Hawai‘i Hub.
March 2017: Amber Strong Makaiau gives a short address to the Hawaii State Senate about the C3 Framework. Watch the video here: Amber Strong Makaiau addressing the Hawaii State Senate about the C3 Framework.
October 2018: Hawai‘i Core Standards in Social Studies adopted by the Hawai‘i State Board of Education. See here.
The Hawai‘i Core Standards in Social Studies (HCSSS) were adopted by the Hawai‘i State Board of Education on October 4, 2018. The creation of the HCSSS was a three-year project that brought together teachers, university professors, and community members. The C3 Framework was a core document used in the design of these standards.
Read the standards at HERE
Our collection of C3 Inquiries designed by local educators for teachers and students in Hawai‘i. Keep scrolling down to see all of our inquiries – 15 total!
(Pacific Island Studies inquiry created by Denise Mazurik) This middle grades inquiry provides students with tools for learning how to evaluate the credibility of a source by examining its origin, author, context, and content. Designed for a seventh grade Pacific Island studies class, the inquiry is framed by the question, “Do pictures always tell the truth?” After analyzing a number of locally produced sources, the students are asked to apply what they learn to develop a plan for sharing with family and friends how photos can be used to spread fake news.
Download a PDF version
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This middle grades inquiry asks students to evaluate the political and economic developments leading to the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, and compare and contrast perspectives of proponents and opponents of the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Designed for a seventh grade History of the Hawaiian Kingdom class, the inquiry is framed by the question, “Was the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy justified?” At the end of the inquiry they create a powerpoint, poster board, video, or educational pamphlet that explores the current status of Native Hawaiians today. They can either show a problem and propose a solution to address an issue/need of the Native Hawaiian population today or show ways in which Native Hawaiians are thriving
Download a PDF version
Download a WORD version
This 4th grade geography inquiry leads students through an investigation of wayfinding and Polynesian navigation. By investigating the compelling question “How did early Polynesians find their way without modern technology ?” students learn, apply, and assess the complex skills and strategies related to wayfinding and navigation. The formative performance tasks build on knowledge and skills through the course of the inquiry and help students learn engage in close and critical reading of texts, geographical vocabulary, and participate in a community of inquiry discussions related to indigenous intelligence. At the end of the inquiry students will create an evidence-based argument that applies geographical concepts and explains the complexity and impact of traditional practices of wayfinding. In the end, students will be able to share a comprehensive portfolio of the formative tasks as well as a class created magazine based on their self-discovery of the impact of navigation in their lives.
Download PDF version
Download Word version
Hawaiʻi is a unique place in the world. Due to its geographic isolation, many of the plants and animals of these islands are found nowhere else in the world. Hawaiʻi’s exceptionality and the growing awareness of the value of place-based education are the inspirations for this inquiry.
The goal of this high school inquiry is to help students develop an understanding of the history of sugar industry in Hawaiʻi from a human-environment interaction perspective, then apply that understanding to a contemporary context. The natural resource management paradigm has shifted from a Manifest Destiny mindset of the mid-1800s to that of stewardship. Through this inquiry students will understand the environmental changes that resulted from the establishment of the sugar industry in the mid-1800s and the lasting impact these changes continue to have today.
This 7th grade geography inquiry leads students through an investigation of the toll that past military bombings have had on Pacific Island environments, economy, and society. In addition, it exposes students to the benefits and disadvantages of foreign military installations currently located on Pacific Islands. By investigating the compelling question “Does global security justify the cost to indigenous peoples?” students will weigh the information that they gather and the stories they construct to answer the question and determine whether the ends justify the means. The formative performance tasks build on knowledge and skills through the course of the inquiry and help students become more familiar with economic and geographic concepts. In addition, the formative performance tasks help students to recognize how past bombings and current military presence impacts various aspects of life on Pacific Islands and ultimately may lead to the want or need to emigrate. Throughout this unit, students will work with their peers to produce economic charts, layered maps, and multimedia presentations detailing the economic, environmental, and social impacts of these events on the islands and its peoples.
The purpose of this geography inquiry is to provide students with a foundational knowledge base on the subject of post-overthrow immigration to Hawai‘i in order for students to come up with their own arguments to answer the compelling question, “How does immigration change a society?” Immigration to Hawai‘i in the late 19th and early 20th century greatly impacted Hawai‘i’s geographic, economic, political and social landscape. The reasons for the wave of immigrants to Hawai‘i during this time can be attributed to the rise of the sugar plantations located on most of Hawai‘i’s islands, and the lack of a local labor force needed to manage it. By the end of this inquiry, students will be able to recognize what specifically caused the importation of foreign labor to Hawai‘i, the effects it had in Hawai‘i, and how immigration lead to changes in Hawai‘i’s culture. Students will be required to complete a number of assignments relating to the three supporting questions. These questions will guide students through the historical implications of post-overthrow immigration and eventually allow them to come up with their own conclusions about immigration to Hawai‘i. This inquiry can lead into further discussion on the reasons immigrants move to Hawai‘i today and how their presence in Hawai‘i continually changes all aspects of life in Hawai‘i.
This 4th grade geography inquiry leads students through an investigation of native and non-native plants that are significant to Hawaiian culture. By investigating the compelling question “Are native plants worth protecting?” students learn, apply, and assess the complex skills and strategies related to plant identification, uses and cultural significance. The formative performance tasks build on knowledge and skills through the course of the inquiry and help students learn engage in close and critical reading of texts, geographical vocabulary, and participate in a community of inquiry discussions related to indigenous intelligence. At the end of the inquiry students will create an evidence-based argument that applies geographical concepts and explains the complexity and impact of native and non-native plants significant to Hawaiian culture. In the end, students will partner with agency/group/program, create a PSA and then aid in planting/replenishing native or non-native plants in specific locations to understand and connect to the impact of native and non-native plants in their communities.
And here’s our first inquiry in the C3 Hawai‘i Hub on Human-Environment Interaction developed by a team of teachers at Kailua High School. Designed for high school students enrolled in Modern History of Hawaii, this inquiry engages students with geographic disciplinary concepts and tools related to “human-environment interaction” and the ways in which technology can help us “explain the spatial patterns of cultural and environmental characteristics.” To learn more about the inquiry, read our blog post: BioBlitz Recognized as Integral to Cutting Edge Action-Oriented Inquiry-Based Social Studies Teaching and Learning.
Check it out on our in our Featured Inquiry collection or HERE.
See this new inquiry project on modern Hawaiian history. You’ll find two approaches to implementing this unique inquiry as short direct learning unit and a more open inquiry research project. The materials available here include detailed instructional materials and all the sources needed.
This inquiry was created by Kēhau Glassco, Nanea Armstrong-Wassel, Keoni Kelekolio
The newest work in our collection include these 6 inquiries designed by HIDOE teachers.
This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the impact human’s use of plastic have on the environment. By investigating the compelling question “Do we have the power to solve the plastic problem?” students explore and apply scientific concepts to assess the complex impact plastics have on the marine environment. They conduct investigations to understand how plastic debris impacts and arrives at different beaches in Hawaiʻi, explore how society is addressing the plastic problem and determine how to design solutions to the plastic problem. The formative performance tasks build on knowledge and skills through the course of the inquiry and help the students engage in NGSS science standards and practices, develop arguments based on evidence and design thinking. At the end of the inquiry, students apply scientific concepts and data collected through this inquiry unit to write an evidence-based argument that addresses “Do we have the power to solve the plastic problem?” Students take action in developing and testing a prototype that addresses how we might solve the plastic problem and present it to the school community.
Download a PDF version of this inquiry
This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the question: Does America Really Value Freedom? The inquiry connects literature from pre-Revolutionary War America to the annexation of Hawaiʻi to current events in America.
America was built on the idea of freedom- freedom of religion with the original settlers, freedom from government by an oppressive British monarch and freedom as established in the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. But does America truly value freedom? Based on actions in our past, the answer is surely debatable. When we look at the civil rights movement and the women’s’ suffrage movements and the long list of freedoms as granted in the Bill of Rights, the answer may be a resounding yes!, but the answer might change when one takes a look at slavery. Can we say we value freedom if we illegally obtain an entire population of people via trickery, coercion and military might? Can we say we value freedom if we sit quietly by and allow others’ freedoms to be violated?
Download a PDF version of this inquiry
The goal of this inquiry is to lead students through an investigation of peaceful methods of protest to empower them to develop their own answers to the compelling question about how these methods can be utilized to address compelling issues of environmental justice in their own state and communities. While environmental justice is important for all people, this inquiry uses a lens of indigenous rights and indigenous knowledges to frame the issue for students. Students will learn about the connections between environmental justice and various indigenous groups globally and locally; the history of peaceful protest and some of the achievements derived from these actions. To take action, students complete a PSA design and delivery project that connects peaceful actions to an environmental justice issue.
Download a PDF version of this inquiry
This economics inquiry leads students through an investigation of limited resources and the consequences of not taking care of the limited resources native to Hawaiʻi. By investigating the compelling question “Is it important to only use what you need?” students learn, apply and assess the skills and strategies related to understanding limited resources and what happens if we do not care for them. The formative performance tasks build on knowledge and skills through the course of the inquiry focusing specifically on the Kalo plant. Students will understand more about the usefulness of kalo to Hawaiian culture and why it’s a limited resource. They will make connections between the limited amount of kalo plants and other limited resources in our world and the consequences of not taking care of our limited resources. At the end of the inquiry, students will create an evidence-based argument that will explain if it is important for people to only use what is needed in order to help conserve our limited resources. In the end, students will partner with an agency/group/program (i.e. Mānoa Heritage Center) that focuses on advocating and supporting the repopulation of a limited plant resource in Hawaiʻi. Some examples of what students can do include participating with the organization in planting or replenishing the plant, growing the plant at home or creating a garden of limited plant resources on campus.
Download a PDF version of this inquiry
This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the impact of economics and politics on change. Students will examine readings, videos, and other resource materials to gain a deeper understanding of the direct and indirect effects the economy and politics have on people or a groups’ ability to effect change. At the end of the inquiry, students will create an argument on the basis of what money and power have to do with change. They will then take this argument and create a presentation using a current event within their school, community, or the world that is an example of change being directly affected by money and power. This presentation will be shared with their school, and possibly their community.
Download a PDF version of this inquiry
What are the best tools of political resistance? This inquiry gives students a snapshot of how music, art, writing, and collective action have been utilized, both historically and in the contemporary, as tools of resistance in Hawaiʻi. Hawaiʻi, an independent country governed as a constitutional monarchy until the illegal overthrow of sitting Queen Liliʻuokalani by American Businessmen in 1893, provides a unique microcosm from which to view historical and contemporary instances of resistance of outside interests by a native people and their allies. Students will examine and analyze examples of resistance from right after the overthrow. They will engage with music, art, writing, and collective action from instances in Hawaiian history from the time after the overthrow ranging from the protests against the bombing of the island of Kahoʻolawe, Dennis “Bumpy” Kanhele and the formation of Puʻuhonua o Waimānalo, the Hawaiian Rights movement in the 1990’s, and in the contemporary with the Mele Murals project. The inquiry will then move into examining contemporary examples of resistance in music, art, writing, and collective action from the realm of the Kū Kiaʻi Mauna/Protect Mauna Kea movement. Students will gather and build knowledge of what resistance has looked like and what those venues of resistance have accomplished.
Download a PDF version of this inquiry
Through the sharing of exemplars of student work that was completed at the end of a number of C3 inquiries, this section provides educators with proven ideas and strategies for engaging students in “Informed Action.”
Dimension Four of the C3 Framework states,
Social studies is the ideal staging ground for taking informed action because of its unique role in preparing students for civic life. In social studies, students use disciplinary knowledge, skills, and perspectives to inquire about problems involved in public issues; deliberate with other people about how to define and address issues; take constructive, independent, and collaborative action; reflect on their actions; and create and sustain groups. It is important to note that taking informed action intentionally comes at the end of Dimension 4, as student action should be grounded in and informed by the inquiries initiated and sustained within and among the disciplines. In that way, action is then a purposeful, informed, and reflective experience. (National Council for Social Studies C3 Framework, 2013, p. 62)
But what does informed action look like in the context of K-12 inquiry-based social studies education? If you are interested in sharing your students informed action projects, please: (1) follow the procedures at your school/district/employer and obtain ALL of the proper permissions for sharing student work on a public website, (2) email a copy of ALL the required permission forms to Amber Makaiau at amakaiau@hawaii.edu; also, include additional attachments that (a) give a short narrative description of the inquiry that leads to the informed action project and images that (b) display students’ informed action products from this inquiry (e.g. photographs, artwork, video, letters, posters, etc.).
The C3 Hawai‘i Hub practitioner blog is an online forum for sharing about teaching and education issues, especially as they relate to implementing the C3 Framework in Hawai‘i’s classrooms. In general, a blog post should be about 500 words or less and be conversational in tone. The best blog posts offer insights or describe practices that help other teachers. If you are interested in writing a C3 Hawai‘i practitioner blog, posts should be sent to amakaiau@hawaii.edu. Please put “C3 Hawai‘i Hub blog post submission” in the subject line. Include your name, the name and address of your school, your title, an email address, and a telephone number. Also, please suggest a headline. Writers will be contacted if a post is used or not. Replies may take several weeks. Our most recent blog posts: C3 Hawaii: Making Our Social Justice Education Mission Explicit from Amber Makaiau Navigating the C3 Framework from Jyoti Castillo Supporting teachers to use the C3 by Mitzie Higa Validating good instructional practice by Mitzie Higa
This section contains a number of professional development opportunities and materials, including webinars, videos, and upcoming workshops.
Published C3 Hawai‘i webinars and videos:
2019
Olonā Media production about designing C3 inspired place-based inquiries in Hawai‘i.
Inquiry Design and Curriculum Building
2016 – 2017
Inquiry Ethos in Hawai‘i
2015
Introduction to the C3 Framework
Introduction to the Inquiry Design Model (IDM)
Recorded Lectures
2015 Kathy Swan Introduction to the C3 Framework
Resources from C3 Workshops in Hawai‘i
2015 Elementary Workshop
Additional C3 Hawai‘i Resources
How to use the IDM Generator
by AMBER STRONG MAKAIAU
With clear learning goals and the organizing structure of an Inquiry Arc, the C3 Framework supports teachers by providing them with an instructional pathway for fostering student-citizens who can both think for themselves and collaborate with others. With a focus on building inquiry skills and key concepts—within a collaborative civic space—the C3 Framework breaths new life into John Dewey’s (1916) assertion that, in order for democracy to function as it should, teachers must provide students with opportunities to experience democracy in schools. So how do C3 social studies teachers cultivate and nurture collaborative civic spaces in their classrooms? In this Brief, I draw on my experiences teaching social studies in the K-12 setting and respond to the question by offering three strategies from the philosophy for children Hawai‘i (p4cHI) approach to deliberative pedagogy. p4cHI is part of an international movement that aims to convert traditional classrooms into intellectually safe democratic communities of inquiry by engaging students and teachers in the activity of philosophy. Download this C3 Brief
Additional local research related to teaching and learning with the C3 Framework in Hawai‘i:
C3 inspired teaching and learning is elevated when social studies educators go beyond the four walls of their classrooms and collaborate with experts and organizations that specialize in a particular content area or field. In Hawai‘i, we are fortunate to have a number of organizations that are designed specifically for the purpose of supporting social studies education in our state and they are eager to work hand-in-hand with local C3 social studies teachers. Some of favorite C3 Community Partner organizations are listed below, along with links to their websites and contact information.
Hawaii Council on Economic Education
Web address: https://www.hceeonline.com/
Hawai’i Council for the Humanities
Web address: http://hihumanities.org/
Hawai‘i Geographic Alliance
Web address: http://hawaii-geographic-alliance.weebly.com/
Honolulu Museum of Art
Web address: www.honolulumuseum.org
Honolulu Museum of Art Lending Collection
Web address: www.honolulumuseum.org/16018-lending_collection
King Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center
Web address: www.jhchawaii.net
Manoa Heritage Center
Web address: http://www.manoaheritagecenter.org
Pacific and Asian Affairs Council (PAAC)
Web address: www.paachawaii.org
University of Hawai‘i Uehiro Academy for Philosophy and Ethics in Education
Web address: http://p4chawaii.org/
WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument
Web address: https://www.nps.gov/valr/learn/education.htm
C3Teachers.org facilitates open collaborative conversations among teachers as they tinker with their own instructional practice as it relates to the C3 Framework.
If you are interested in offering more professional development opportunities, rethinking or redesigning your social studies curriculum, we’d love to talk.
