Inquiries Filed Under:

About the inquiry

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 challenges America faced during the presidential administrations of Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon. Students have an opportunity to learn about the reasons for and against the antiwar protests of the Vietnam War era, the methods used to protest the Vietnam War, and the ways in which America’s towns, schools, and families were divided over war policy. In investigating the compelling question, students grapple with issues related to message versus method: Could one agree with the message of antiwar protesters while disdaining the methods of protest? Could one support Nixon’s goal to stem the spread of communism while protesting the bombing of Vietnamese and Cambodian villages? This inquiry challenges students to examine their own views on patriotism and evaluate whether a soldier with a rifle and a protester with a bullhorn can be equally patriotic.

Compelling Question

Is Protest Patriotic?

Staging Question

Students read excerpts from Thomas Paine’s The American Crisis (1776) and use the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) to generate companion questions addressing the inquiry topic.

Summative Performance Task

Argument: Is protest patriotic? Construct an argument (e.g., detailed outline, poster, essay) that addresses the compelling question using specific claims and relevant evidence from historical sources while acknowledging competing views.

Extension: Adapt these arguments by rewriting the lyrics to a popular song to address the compelling question while also referring to specific details and evidence from the featured sources.

Taking Informed Action

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