This inquiry leads students through an investigation of tribal sovereignty for existing Native American tribes and nations in the United States and their continuing relationship with the federal government as a nation-to-nation agreement as defined within each and every treaty made with the more than 574 recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and villages throughout the country.
Utah
Industry and Inquiry
The Utah C3 Hub brings together educators who are committed to using inquiry to spark learning in social studies classes. Anchored by the work of teams of teachers in the Salt Lake City School District, the Utah hub is a space for all teachers across the state who are interested in using our published inquiry and learning more about the Inquiry Design Model design their own inquiries.
The Heart of Social Studies
Featured Inquiries
This collection of Utah standards aligned inquiries was developed by classroom teachers as part of an ongoing professional development program in Salt Lake City School District. The project is lead by Dessie Olson to support teachers in preparing students to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to participate in our democratic republic. We want our students to recognize the complexities inherent in social studies and be equipped to make an informed and positive difference in their communities.
This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the compelling question, Is globalized culture in Bhutan a good thing? The inquiry is shaped by three supporting questions, beginning with a question focused on what the Bhutanese people believe about the preservation of traditional culture. The second supporting question aims to tease out whether the differences between Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Gross National Happiness (GNH) differ significantly. While GDP measures economic activity, GNH assesses the holistic well-being of citizens, incorporating social, environmental, and cultural dimensions. The inquiry concludes with a supporting question on the challenges and opportunities of cultural change in Bhutan including navigating modernization while maintaining traditional values, addressing the impacts of globalization, and leveraging cultural heritage for sustainable development. These factors play crucial roles in Bhutan’s unique approach to development and cultural preservation.
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the experiences of Chinese Americans through the industrialization of America in the late nineteenth century. Western states like California, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming have a rich history of Chinese railroad labor. In this inquiry, students will determine whether railroad work amounted to oppression of Chinese workers or an opportunity to build wealth.
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the Civil Rights movement and the methods used to challenge social injustices in the United States. Students will analyze the disagreements between Civil Rights leaders on how best to accomplish shared goals. Students will work with primary sources and secondary sources to evaluate the methods by which leaders have attempted to support the movement.
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the early Cold War. In addressing the compelling question “Is military strength a prerequisite for peace?” students will review primary sources from President Reagan, President Eisenhower, the CIA, the White House, and data on the growth of the American military. Students will add evidence, questions, connections, and analysis from those documents to create an annotated timeline. The completed annotated timeline is a writing scaffold to support argumentative writing on the compelling question “Is military strength a prerequisite for peace”? In the summative performance task, students will write a claim supporting their answer to the compelling question while also acknowledging views that may compete against theirs.
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the annexation of the Islands of Hawaii during the late-1800s and early 1900s. It also follows a U.S. policy of imperialism abroad as the nation looks to other regions of the world to control for political or economic gain including Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. The annexation of Hawaii provided a strategic advantage for American business owners and for the U.S. military as Pearl Harbor was established on Oahu in the years following the end of the Spanish-American War. Consequently, the war ended the day after Hawaii was annexed. In addressing the compelling question students work through a series of supporting questions, formative performance tasks, and featured sources in order to construct an argument supported by evidence while acknowledging competing perspectives.
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the nature of indigenous society. The inquiry focuses on indigenous society in Utah and opens with a question about Prehistoric Utah. From there, students examine indigenous artifacts to learn more about society. Lastly, consider how societies impact and utilize their environment. To understand indigenous society in Utah, evidence like tools, pottery, and cave paintings can offer insights into their daily lives, beliefs, and environmental interactions. Artifacts, through their design and materials, reveal cultural aspects such as social organization, trade, and technological advancements. Societies impacted and utilized their environment by modifying landscapes for agriculture, managing natural resources, and adapting to climate changes, which is evident through the location of settlements, food remnants, and the types of tools used. Each of the supporting questions underscores the importance of archaeological and environmental evidence in piecing together the lives of ancient societies.
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the Industrial Revolution from its technological innovations and economic strategies to its reliance on immigrant labor and its effects on individuals and societies. In addressing the compelling question “For whom was progress worth its costs?” students will work through four supporting questions with accompanying formative performance tasks. These performance tasks will be completed with a variety of largely primary and some secondary sources in order to create arguments about differing perspectives and experiences in the Industrial Revolution.
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the compelling question, Was industrializing worth it? The Industrial Revolution brought significant benefits, including technological advancements that improved productivity, transportation, and communication, leading to economic growth and the development of new industries. However, it also incurred substantial costs, such as environmental degradation, poor working conditions, and social displacement, which affected the health and well-being of the workforce. These contrasting outcomes highlight the complex legacy of the Industrial Revolution, underscoring its role in shaping the modern world while also posing challenges that societies continue to address.
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the history and impact of Jim Crow laws. The inquiry opens with a supporting question that encourages students to explore the opportunities and challenges that the Reconstruction posed for African Americans. This work provides a base of knowledge for students to investigate specific opportunities for African Americans today and specific challenges that African Americans face today.
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the argument over whether or not raising the minimum wage will really help workers during recent trends in the U.S. In addressing the compelling question students will evaluate the impact of a minimum wage increase through the secondary source analysis of historical trends related to wage fluctuations as well as arguments for and against increases to the minimum wage.
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of specific programs of the New Deal and the systemic inequities in the implementation of those programs. Further, students will start to develop an understanding on the changing role of the federal government and form a position on what that role ought to be. In addressing the compelling question “Does government intervention help Americans economically?” students will review the programs of the New Deal and the impact various programs had on a diverse group of Americans. Analyzing these document sets through formative tasks will stage the summative task of presenting an argument for or against the New Deal.
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Accordion This inquiry provides students with an opportunity to learn about the New Deal in an interesting and provocative manner, through the lens of environmentalism. The inquiry establishes this context by opening with a supporting question about the environmental or conservation movement and actions in the first half of the 20th century. With this grounding, students then investigate the relationship between New Deal programs and the environment. Lastly, students focus on the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the economic and environmental reform role the CCC played.
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the two-party system in the United States. Political parties are a central feature of American politics. While political parties were not a part of the original conception of government as established in the U.S. Constitution, they have emerged to play a dominant role in American politics. This inquiry provides students with an opportunity to take a position on whether the two-party system that we have today actually works.
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the Progressive Era and focuses on the working conditions and reform efforts of working-class, industrial populations in the United States. In addressing the compelling question “Does change guarantee progress?” students will analyze how the experiences of workers in the 20th century impacted the need for labor laws and inspired the need for change. The fight for labor reforms based on working conditions is an important part of Progressive Era reform movements. Worker rights remain an important issue for Americans today. Workers fought for changes to laws and policies and in many cases were successful.
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of total war tactics, rationale, and consequences during World War II. Source material covers total war elements including the targeting of civilians, the Holocaust, the racism encountered by Japanese Americans, the effect of atomic warfare, and the military decision-making behind these practices. In addressing the compelling question “Is total war justified?” students will work with both primary and secondary sources to evaluate the use of “total war” in an historical context.
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of America’s role in the Western Hemisphere during the turn of the 20th century during Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency. In addressing the compelling question “Was the ‘Big Stick’ policy a noble policy?” students will analyze the impact of Roosevelt’s policies on international affairs as well as political cartoons that interpret the arguments for an against his policies.
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This inquiry leads students an opportunity to explore the role of women in the Civil Rights movements. The inquiry focuses on the efforts of four women in the Civil Rights Movement. The inquiry first asks students to examine how Dolores Huerta’s work contributed to the solidarity of the Civil Rights movement. Students then examine how the activism of Yuri Kochiyama contributed to the solidarity of the Civil Rights movement. From there, the inquiry shifts to provide students with an opportunity to explore the contributions of the Native American activist Wilma Mankiller to the Civil Rights movement. Lastly, the theme of solidarity of the Civil Rights movement concludes with students exploring the work of the student activist and co-founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Diane Nash.
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the suffrage movement in Utah and the unique role it played during the national women’s suffrage movement. In addressing the compelling question “How do people respond when democracy is impeded?” students will analyze the reasons women were excluded from voting, the influence of arguments for voting rights, and the methods used to attain those rights. Students will work with primary sources to evaluate the effectiveness of the women’s suffrage movement in Utah.
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