Tier 2

This focused one-day inquiry leads students through an investigation of the Jefferson Street business district in Nashville, Tennessee and how music can change and influence a community. Jefferson Street has been considered, “a lab for some of the most important historical, social and cultural events in the U.S. South” (Facing north: Jefferson street, Nashville). Dave Paulson described the district as being “Nashville’s prime thoroughfare for Black culture and commerce” (read more from Paulson here).

The Heart of Social Studies

Inquiries

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Jefferson Street Focused Inquiry

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Political and Social Polarization BBI

How Can Art Unite A Divided Democracy? This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the ways in which artists are trying to heal the political polarization that have divided Americans. Students analyze recent events (e.g., the 2024 Fast Car duet between Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs) and how these artists created some national unity…

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Great Depression BBI

What Stories Do Photographs Tell? Photography serves as a powerful window into the experiences of migrants during the Great Depression, offering visual narratives that capture their struggles, resilience, and hopes. Through the lens of historical photographs, we gain intimate glimpses into the hardships faced by migrant families, from the dusty fields they worked to the…

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National Budget BBI

What Should the U.S. Spend Its Money On? Economics is grounded in the concept of scarcity, which ultimately means there is not enough stuff (e.g., food, movie theaters, healthcare) to go around. As a result, economic reasoning emphasizes making informed decisions about how to distribute goods and services efficiently and in ways that yield the…

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Cold War Music

This inquiry leads students through an investigation of how music was weaponized during the Cold War. By investigating the compelling question, students examine the U.S.’s policy of cultural containment through “Jazz Diplomacy”, American popular protest music and the messages of protest music, and the role of American popular music in the Soviet Union in the…

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Disney’s Pocahontas

This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the Disney effect, and how it affects how we view the world, including prominent historical figures like Pocahontas. Students will investigate historic accounts of Pocahontas’s life from the point of view of both Natives and English as well as direct clips from the Disney movies one and…

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Women’s Suffrage

This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the Women’s Suffrage Movement and the many ways the story has been told. By developing their own timeline and investigating varying sources, students will investigate differing views and perspectives surrounding the Women’s Suffrage Movement. They will use these sources to create a visual argument for Who tells…

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Atomic Bomb

This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the use of atomic weapons and lasting effects of the United States’ nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. By investigating the compelling question, students examine the reasons why the United States dropped the weapons. By completing this inquiry, students begin to understand the effects of nuclear weapons…

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Presidential Campaigns

This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the modern relevance of presidential campaigns by examining how campaigns are structured, financed, and presented to the American people. By investigating the compelling question, “Do presidential campaigns matter anymore?” students examine historical and contemporary sources that dissect how campaigns have changed over time in order to assess…

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Ellis Island

This inquiry leads students through an investigation of Ellis Island and its influence on migration to the United States between 1892 and 1954. During its peak in 1907 more than a million immigrants came through Ellis Island seeking a new home in America.

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