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.
Civics
The Heart of Social Studies
Inquiries
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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…
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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,…
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This action-embedded inquiry leads students through an investigation of how they can make a difference in their community. By featuring an opportunity for students to think through the issues that surround them, the inquiry enables them to choose one to work on, to decide what kinds of action they could take, to assess the challenges…
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of representation in the Senate. The fact that representation in the U.S. Senate ignores the size of each state’s population has both benefits and challenges. As students work through the supporting questions, formative tasks, and featured sources, they are able to explore those benefits and challenges and decide…
This 3rd grade inquiry asks students to think about a challenging local public policy issue: eminent domain. The compelling question—“Was the Chickamauga Dam worth it?”—engages students in an examination of a historic eminent domain case study that happened right in their backyard. The Chickamauga Dam was a Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) project — a result…
This Kindergarten/1st grade inquiry expands students’ understandings of how groups represent themselves through what they wear. The compelling question—“What do things I wear say about me?”—engages students in an examination of material culture by considering the factors impacting their own choices of what they wear such as geography, culture, and religion. Students will examine the…
This inquiry leads students through an investigation of historical and contemporary US immigration policy and how the policies stack up against the idea that United States is a “nation of immigrants.”. It is part of a series of lessons commissioned by the Democracy Project at the University of Virginia centered around the podcast Democracy in…
This inquiry leads students through an investigation of historical and contemporary social, political, and economic issues posed by mass incarceration. It is part of a series of lessons commissioned by the Democracy Project at the University of Virginia centered around the podcast Democracy in Danger. Democracy in Danger lessons share some basic characteristics. The compelling…
This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the right to vote as articulated (or not) in the Constitution and the historical and current challenges with voting and election administration. In addressing the compelling question, students will consider the connection of voting to the functioning of our democratic-republic. Students will then investigate what the text…
This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the challenges posed by hate groups to young people as a lens for understanding the problems posed by xenophobia more broadly. It is part of a series of lessons commissioned by the Democracy Project at the University of Virginia centered around the podcast Democracy in Danger. Democracy…