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The New York C3 Hub provides access to the New York Social Studies Toolkit, an amazing collection of resources supported by the New York State Department of Education. In the New York Hub you’ll find 84 inquiries distributed across all grade levels, a conceptual foundations essay describing the 10 assumptions guiding the Toolkit, as well as professional development materials for learning more about the project.
On the surface, the compelling question for this inquiry, “What’s the real story behind the purchase of Manhattan?” asks students to explore the background to the story of the sale of Manhattan to the Dutch in 1626 for $24 of beads and trinkets. A closer look at the story reveals a range of myths and unknowns including who was involved in the transaction, what the transaction actually meant, and what was exchanged. In fact, the only contemporary evidence that the sale ever took place is in a document found in the Dutch National Archives—the Peter Schagen letter written in November 1626 (though a statement by English Governor Francis Lovelace in 1670 confirmed the sale).
Exploring this letter and the many other sources of information about the sale offer students a glimpse into the world of historical evidence, a world in which, as much as we might like, conclusive answers prove elusive. Teachers and students should note that, although the supporting questions and tasks ask about the perspectives of Native Americans at the time, there are no historical sources that record their views. Inferences can be made from the Dutch documents, but teachers and students will want to be aware that absence of sources can influence the interpretations that we develop of the past.
The New York Social Studies Resource Toolkit is a curriculum and instructional resource that builds out from the recently released New York State K-12 Social Studies Framework. Featuring an ambitious new approach to constructing social studies curriculum inquiries, the Inquiry Design Model (IDM), the Toolkit emphasizes the role of teacher knowledge and expertise. Funded and sponsored by the New York State Education Department, the direct work on the Toolkit project finished 2015. Implementation of the Toolkit materials are ongoing.
Check out some the ongoing work in Rockland County Schools
The New York State K-12 Resource Toolkit and Professional Development project, funded by a grant from the New York State Education Department, is the result of the efforts of nearly 100 educators from around New York State and across the country.
See a list of everyone who contributed to the New York Toolkit project
Undergirding the New York Social Studies Toolkit project in general and the curriculum inquiries in particular are a set of 10 assumptions.
These Conceptual Foundations describe the principles that informed the design of Toolkit inquires and the Inquiry Design Model (IDM). Rooted in research and practice and reflecting the Inquiry Arc of the C3 Framework, these assumptions offer a coherent and mutually reinforcing set of ideas that define the often nebulous term “inquiry.” The assumptions are:
The New York Toolkit Project approach to professional learning recognizes the complexities of designing inquiry activities and then teaching those inquiries in the classroom.
Complementing the Toolkit Inquiries and Conceptual Foundations is a collection of turnkey professional learning materials that introduces educators to the C3 Framework and the Inquiry Design Model. These materials feature PowerPoint slide decks and related materials that are organized around three parts of the Inquiry Design Model – 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 Toolkit IDM slides below.
Created in collaboration with the Tribeca Film Institute, the Toolkit Video Series features the Kathy Swan, SG Grant, and John Lee along authors of our writing team and teachers who helped bring the project to life. The videos speak to the several elements of the Inquiry Design Model in general and three key elements in particular: Questions,Argumentation, and Taking Informed Action. The films feature insight from teachers about using inquiry with students in their classrooms and background on IDM in general and the Toolkit project in particular.
The C3 Framework provided the inspiration for the New York Social Studies Toolkit Project and has set in motion a grassroots movement to put teachers at the forefront of social studies reform. This video introduces the Toolkit project.
Social studies is many things, but at its heart are questions. The Inquiry Design Model™ (IDM) represented in the New York Social Studies Toolkit begins with a compelling question and features the elements necessary to support students as they address that question in a thoughtful and informed fashion. This video describes the role of questions in an inquiry.
Inquiries lead to arguments. Using the Inquiry Design Model and social studies content, teachers can design students’ work with sources across all four dimensions of the C3 Inquiry Arc so that they can produce a clear, coherent, and evidence-based argument as the summative performance task. This video describes how teachers support students as they develop inquiry-based arguments.
Taking Informed Action tasks are designed so that students can civically engage with the content of an inquiry. Informed action can take numerous forms (e.g., discussions, debates, presentations) and can occur in a variety of contexts both inside and outside of the classroom. The key to any action, however, is the idea that it is informed. The Inquiry Design Model™, therefore, stages the taking informed action activities such that students build their knowledge and understanding of an issue before engaging in any social action. This final video features teachers describing how taking informed action completes the Inquiry Arc.
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Students investigate the compelling question, “How Did Cotton Sow the Seeds of Panic?” Students identify the market forces of demand and supply during the boom and bust of the cotton industry in the United States during the time surrounding the Panic of 1837. They learn how economic and political forces impacted the treatment of enslaved…
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On the surface, the compelling question for this inquiry, “What’s the real story behind the purchase of Manhattan?” asks students to explore the background to the story of the sale of Manhattan to the Dutch in 1626 for $24 of beads and trinkets. A closer look at the story reveals a range of myths and…
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The compelling question “Can peace lead to war?” offers students an opportunity to explore the historic controversy surrounding the extent to which the Treaty of Versailles caused World War II. Students consider not only the stipulations of the peace treaty but also the nature of historical interpretation by following the voices of historians throughout the…
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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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There has been much debate about the role of corporations and how they function in today’s global society. Arguments abound as to whether or not these entities pay their fair share of taxes to the governments of the countries in which they operate and whether or not they have a social responsibility to act according…
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of political issues and political parties. By exploring the compelling question about how well political parties represent individuals, students consider their own political ideology as a lens for learning about the extent to which political parties address international and domestic issues. In investigating political issues and political party…
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This inquiry leads students through the political, social, geographic, and economic changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain between roughly the years of 1760 and 1840. By investigating the compelling question “How did the Industrial Revolution move people?” students consider the ways in which movement (e.g., people, goods, services) affects a person’s…
This inquiry engages third graders in expanding their understandings of diverse cultures. The compelling question “How does our culture make us similar and different?” is intellectually respectful of students who, by their nature, are interested in people and their similarities and differences. It allows for engagement with several social studies disciplines as students examine diverse…
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the 2007–2008 subprime-mortgage crisis that ultimately led to the Great Recession, the worst economic downturn in the United States since the Great Depression of the 1920s. The US Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission concluded that the “crisis was avoidable” and that entire sectors of the economy (e.g., financial…
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of youth voting practices. By investigating the compelling question of whether or not they will vote, students consider the ways in which the voting habits of youth (citizens who are 18–29 years old) provide a unique opportunity to reflect on their own voting preferences. In investigating the issues…
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of modernization and development in three African countries: Kenya, Botswana, and Algeria. By investigating the compelling question “Does development mean progress?” students focus on the characteristics of development in these countries and respond to the challenges that each country faces in light of modernization. The inquiry is designed…
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The goal of this inquiry is to help students develop their thinking in terms of continuity and change through learning about US immigration policy actions and their effects over time. By examining whether there is anything new about current immigration policy debates, students compare and contrast the discourse around immigration at three key moments in…
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This inquiry provides students with an opportunity to evaluate a series of innovations by three complex civilizations— Maya, Aztec, and Inca. In examining the compelling question “What makes a complex society complex?” students explore how complex societies and civilizations adapt to and modify their environment to meet the needs of their people. Students use the…
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This annotated inquiry leads students through an investigation of the civil rights movement using the lens of nonviolent direct-action protest. The content of this inquiry relates to Key Idea 11.10, Social and Economic Change/Domestic Issues (1945 – Present). The compelling question “What made nonviolent protest effective during the civil rights movement?” asks students to grapple…
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The goal of this inquiry is help students understand the central debate about the government’s role in fostering economic opportunity over the past half century. As this is a historical inquiry, it focuses on the motivations, actions, and impacts of two particular US presidents: Lyndon Johnson and Ronald Reagan. Their economic programs stand in for…
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The goal of this inquiry is to help students understand the various factors that caused the United States to be on the winning side in World War II. The compelling question “Why was the US on the winning side of World War II?” engages students with both the economic and military factors that contributed to…
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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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This annotated inquiry leads students through an investigation of the Aztec Empire through the study of its capital city, Tenochtitlán. Scholars debate the significance of the role of the Aztec Empire in Mesoamerican culture. While some observers see great innovation in architecture, agriculture and economic systems, others see a simplistic, militaristic, and flawed empire. Further…
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The goal of this inquiry is to introduce students to historiography as they wrestle with historical significance within the context of a historical controversy. The common narrative about the end of slavery has given credit to President Abraham Lincoln, who earned the nickname “The Great Emancipator.” However, over the past 30 years, many scholars have…
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This inquiry is framed by the compelling question “Can disease change the world?” Among the many catastrophic global pandemics in history, perhaps none achieved the notoriety of the Black Death. The Black Death was a massive outbreak of the bubonic plague caused by infectious bacteria. Thought by scientists to have been spread by contaminated fleas…
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This inquiry explores some of the dynamic changes occurring in the US labor markets through the investigation of the compelling question “Does it matter what I want to be when I grow up?” The importance of understanding labor markets in this inquiry is twofold: (1) students should be able to understand some of the changes…
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of recent studies that try to quantify a country’s happiness through different economic measures. By investigating the compelling question about whether Americans could be happier, students consider the ways in which economic values (e.g., freedom, security, sustainability) impact our perspectives on happiness and the extent to which we…
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Nobel Prize–winning economist Milton Friedman once said, “There is a standard cliché which I am sure you have all heard, that if you have two economists in one room, you are bound to have at least three opinions.” Drawing on disciplinary experts who disagree on a fundamental free-market economic tenet, this inquiry asks students to…
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the perennial power struggle between federal and state governments to legislate. By investigating the compelling question “Who has the power?” students will consider the role of state government in initiating the best legislation for its citizens, even in cases where state law conflicts with federal law. In…
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of campaign finance by examining election costs, expenditures, and the complex relationships between candidates and political-action committees. By investigating the compelling question “Does money matter in political campaigns?” students dissect contemporary political campaigns in order to assess whether or not campaign-finance reform should take place. In investigating contemporary…
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This inquiry engages third graders in expanding their understandings of our increasingly interconnected world. The compelling question “Is sharing and trading across cultures always a good thing?” is intellectually respectful of third graders who have personal experience with sharing and trading and typically have been told that sharing and trading are positive ways to interact….
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This inquiry is an exploration into government that begins by looking at the historical roots of democracy in the United States and then focuses on state government. The inquiry features a case study of a piece of legislation, initiated by a class of New York State elementary school students that resulted in yogurt becoming the…
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the Industrial Revolution in the United States by examining the manufacturing industry as a proxy for industrialization. In weighing the opportunities and costs afforded to New Yorkers as a result of the shift from an agrarian society to an industrial one, students will be able to develop…
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In this inquiry, students examine the extent to which the Chinese and Romans had knowledge of and interacted with one another. Knowledge of one another accumulated over time, and a long history of interaction was part of the process that led to the establishment of regular trade and cultural relations along the Silk Road. This…
This inquiry prompts students to investigate the social, economic, and environmental issues surrounding the global banana industry. In investigating the compelling question regarding real cost of bananas, students explore the pros and cons of the banana industry, including the practices of multinational corporations (MNCs) and smaller fair-trade cooperatives and organizations. Students grapple with several layers…
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the complex trade networks throughout Eurasia, collectively known as the “Silk Road.” By investigating the compelling question, students evaluate the descriptor “Silk Road” by considering its accuracy and determining whether or not this label should continue to be used or if there is a more appropriate title…
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the actions, policies, and laws of Emperor Shi Huangdi of the Qin dynasty, 220–210 BCE. By investigating the compelling question “Did Emperor Shi Huangdi improve China?” students evaluate whether Shi Huangdi’s policies and practices ultimately hurt or helped Chinese society. By investigating historical sources, students will assess…
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This inquiry focuses on the emergence, growth, and collapse of the New France colony in North America. French explorers, missionaries, traders, and settlers established an important presence in North America, beginning with Jacques Cartier’s explorations in 1534 and continuing through the 19th century. The development of the fur-trading industry, along with a relatively stable relationship…
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This inquiry examines the historical and contemporary factors surrounding the debate over Puerto Rico’s statehood. The compelling question “Should Puerto Rico be a state?” provides students with an opportunity to participate in the debate by focusing on national and cultural identities and the economic arguments for and against Puerto Rico’s statehood. The inquiry embeds Taking…
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This inquiry uses the ancient and modern Olympic games as a context for students to explore the compelling question “Are the Olympics about more than sports?” The Olympics play an important role in modern society, bringing together athletes from around the world every four years to display and celebrate human athleticism; however, the Olympics are…
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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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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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By asking the compelling question “Was the New Deal a good deal?” students take on a topic with a long history and plenty of relevance for today. The inquiry uses the New Deal and the expansion of federal government programs designed to stimulate the economy and support citizens in need as a context for considering…
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This inquiry is focused on the compelling question “Were the suburbs good for America?” and deals with the period of rapid suburbanization immediately following World War II, from 1945 through the 1950s. The question challenges the notion that all economic development is beneficial and considers both the positive and negative outcomes of American suburban growth….
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This inquiry is focused on the compelling question “Is protest patriotic?” The question challenges the notion that protest against authority is unpatriotic and asks students to consider whether America’s democratic institutions are strengthened through occasional opposition to American leadership. This inquiry deals with the Vietnam War era (1964–1973), focusing primarily on the national and international…
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the efforts made by individuals, organizations, and institutions that eventually resulted in the end of apartheid in 1994. By investigating the compelling question “What ended apartheid?” students focus on the policies of apartheid and consider the various endeavors to end this system of racial separation and constitutional…
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Between 1899 and 1901, in what became known as the Boxer Rebellion, a Chinese secret organization called the Society of the Righteous and Harmonious Fists led an uprising in northern China against foreign imperialism and associated Christian missionary activity. Western powers, including the United States, intervened and defeated Chinese forces. This inquiry investigates the multifaceted…
This inquiry explores how communities develop and sustain themselves by examining the positive and negative impacts of development on community environments. In considering the idea that communities grow and change over time, students develop an argument with evidence that answers the compelling question “How do we shape our environment?”
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This inquiry is an exploration into the concepts of time, continuity, and change in a community with the dual purpose of establishing students’ understandings of the passage of time and explaining why the past matters today. The inquiry taps into a common student assumption about the authority of the present and its existence independent of…
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This inquiry engages kindergartners in exploring the various ways people interact with and act upon rules and laws in society. The compelling question “Are all rules good rules?” assumes that while students generally enter school with some concept of rules and what it means to follow or break them, they may not yet understand who…
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of students’ rights and the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. By investigating the compelling question, students consider the ways in which their rights provide a unique perspective on learning about the First Amendment and the extent to which schools are “special areas,” in which various courts…
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The goal of this inquiry is for students to gain an informed, critical perspective on the United States Constitution as it stood at the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention of 1787. By investigating the justness of the Constitution, students examine how the Constitution structures the government, the Constitution’s relationship to slavery, and the extent to…
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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…
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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…
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 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…
This inquiry leads students through an investigation of their communities as a way to deepen their understandings of the importance of place in general and the similarities and differences between different kinds of communities in particular. By investigating the compelling question “How would our lives be different if we lived in a different kind of…
This inquiry leads students through an investigation of economic systems by focusing on the context of trade among world communities. Trading is one of the oldest forms of economic interaction among humans, yet it is also among the most complex. In examining the reasons for international trade and the exports of world communities, students should…
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This inquiry is an exploration into governments around the world; it examines how the fundamental principles of governments vary in different world communities with diverse political systems. In uncovering the idea that the role of citizens varies in governments around the world, students develop an argument supported by evidence that answers the compelling question “Does…
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the experiences faced by immigrant groups who traveled to New York throughout the mid-nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Understanding those experiences helps students develop keen insights into the cultural fabric of New York State. In examining the initial hopes of immigrants and their reasons for coming to…
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This inquiry focuses on the concept of religious freedom driven by the compelling question “Does religious freedom exist?” The question establishes the importance of religious freedom and tolerance as a way for students to learn about world religions. In learning more about the compelling question, students identify the major beliefs of world religions and begin…
This inquiry engages first graders in exploring the meaning and purpose and function of government through the compelling question “Is the president the most important person in government?” Assuming that most first graders know who the president is, this inquiry is designed to help students explore the different levels of governmental leadership and the idea…
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This inquiry provides students with an introduction to a historical example of religious tolerance and cooperation as it evolved in Islamic Spain, also known as Al-Andalus. Muslims settled in Spain and took control from Christian Visigoths in the 8th century. Over the six centuries of Muslim rule in Spain, Muslims, Jews, and Christians lived side…
This inquiry leads students through an investigation of maps and spatial representation, exploring how and why we depict the physical world the way we do on maps. The compelling question “Can my life fit on a map?” encourages students to consider our ability to represent real-world places on a map. In doing so, students explore…
This inquiry leads students through an investigation of their families as a way to begin understanding the concepts of past and present. By answering the compelling question “What do family stories tell us about the past?” students learn about change over time. Through the use of family artifacts (e.g., photographs, marriage licenses, family trees, keepsakes),…
This inquiry engages students in expanding their understandings of families in general and the idea that families can be both similar and different. Although much of family life may be shared—language, religion, culture, and traditions—there are important differences across these elements. The compelling question “How can families be the same and different?” offers students opportunities…
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the fall of the Roman Empire. More specifically students examine whether the events that occurred in 476 CE constituted the fall of the Roman Empire or a transformation of the empire. By investigating the compelling question about whether or not the Roman Empire fell, students consider the…
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the Ottoman Empire during the 16th century by examining the esteemed leader Suleiman the Magnificent. By investigating the compelling question “How ‘magnificent’ was Suleiman?” students are asked to evaluate the positive and negative impacts Suleiman had on the region. The formative performance tasks are designed to build…
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This inquiry uses the Industrial Age as a context for students to explore the compelling question “Is greed good?” The Industrial Age, often referred to derisively as the Gilded Age, brought about unprecedented economic growth and the advent of modern living. The effects of the Industrial Age were so essential to the economic and social…
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This inquiry is focused on the compelling question “Was American expansion abroad justified?” In other words, did the expansion of America’s global power justify the means by which lands came under control of the United States? The inquiry calls into question motives and outcomes of imperialism by considering both the positive and negative results of…
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This sixth grade annotated inquiry provides students with an opportunity to investigate the role of agriculture in the growth of complex societies. Students will examine sources related to the development of agriculture, the emergence of ancient writing in Mesopotamia, and the rise of social inequalities as they construct an argument in response to the compelling…
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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…
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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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This tenth grade annotated inquiry leads students through an investigation of the French Revolution. Adolescent students are quite concerned with challenging authority and establishing their independence within the world; the concept of revolution brings those two concerns to their most world-altering levels. This inquiry gives students an entry point into thinking like historians about the…
This annotated inquiry focuses on physical geography in general and on the relationship between early (pre-1700) Native American nations and their environments in particular through the compelling question “Does where you live matter?” The compelling question highlights the idea that geography is not a neutral entity. Environments can exert an influence on human existence, but…
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This annotated inquiry leads students through an investigation of a public policy debate by studying the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The compelling question—“Why is the Affordable Care Act so controversial?”—calls out the persistent debate around this legislation and asks students to grapple with the roots of disagreement through the examination of the origins, opportunities, shortcomings,…
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This eighth grade annotated inquiry places students in the middle of an important debate—a debate that goes beyond semantics and hypothetical constructs. The trade-off between freedom and security is one of the thorniest dilemmas in United States history. From the Sedition Act of 1798 to the Patriot Act of 2001, the United States has sought…
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The third-grade annotated inquiry focuses on the concept of universal human rights and fair treatment of all people through the compelling question “Do people around the world care about children’s rights?” This question highlights the idea that human rights, including the right to have one’s basic needs met, are to be universally ensured and protected….
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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…
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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 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 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…
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This fifth-grade annotated inquiry asks why countries declare their independence. As an integral early step in the process of becoming independent, a declaration of independence functions as an argument for why people should be free. This inquiry focuses on the argument made in the United States Declaration of Independence. With a firm understanding of the…
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This twelfth grade annotated inquiry leads students through an investigation of a hotly debated issue in the United States: the gender wage gap. The compelling question “What should we do about the gender wage gap?” asks students to grapple not only with how to quantify and interpret the gap but also to consider ways of…
This inquiry engages third-grade students in exploring world geography through the compelling question “Where are we?” This question sparks students’ intellectual curiosity through the study of geographic location and the impact of humans on their environment. Working with evidence from sources, students should understand that, although we can be in different “places,” our impact on…
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the women’s suffrage movement in New York State as an example of how different groups of people have gained equal rights and freedoms over time. Through examining the role women played in society before the 20th century and the efforts made by women to gain the right…
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This inquiry provides students with an opportunity to evaluate the relationship between the dramatic increase in European sugar consumption in the 18th and 19th centuries and the reliance on the labor of enslaved persons to produce sugar in the Western Hemisphere. In examining the compelling question–“How did sugar feed slavery?” students explore the environmental, economic,…
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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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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the impacts of the printing press by examining its utility in society, both as an instrument to preserve cultural products of the past and as an agent of change. By investigating the compelling question “Did the printing press preserve the past or invent the future?” students evaluate…
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…
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.
