Yellowstone became the first U.S. national park in 1872. As more Americans recognized the importance of protecting natural places from overuse and development, conservation became a national priority. With the creation of the U.S. National Park Service in 1916, the national park network grew through the 1900s, and today it maintains 63 parks around the United States. In this inquiry students will investigate the compelling question, “How do we conserve?”
Geography
The Heart of Social Studies
Inquiries
Filed Under:
Yellowstone became the first U.S. national park in 1872. As more Americans recognized the importance of protecting natural places from overuse and development, conservation became a national priority. With the creation of the U.S. National Park Service in 1916, the national park network grew through the 1900s, and today it maintains 63 parks around the…
Filed Under:
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…
Filed Under:
This inquiry leads students through an investigation of archaeology and how it contributes to our current understanding of the Bible. It is important to note that this inquiry requires prerequisite basic knowledge of world history, geography, and religion. Developing students’ background knowledge on these topics can be part of the inquiry or from previous learning.
…
This 2nd and 3rd grade inquiry expands student understandings of how a state is shaped by exploring the ways in which geographic and cultural forces work together to define a region. The compelling question—“How did my state get its shape?”—engages students in an examination of the defining characteristics of Tennessee by noting the history around…
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…
Filed Under:
This 4th and 5th grade inquiry expands students’ understandings of Indian removal in the early 1800s by centering Cherokee resistance to removal policies. The compelling question—“How did the Cherokee resist removal?”—engages students in an examination of the Cherokee, whose ancestral homelands include parts of present day Tennessee, and the efforts they took to resist removal…
The students will be able to identify situations in which either maps or GPS are the most appropriate tool for navigation guidance. This is important because online guidance systems are so prevalent that some children might deem paper maps as outdated or unnecessary. The IDM builds capacity by starting with identifying situations in which guidance…
Filed Under:
This inquiry leads students through an investigation of global citizenship, global cooperation, as well as how local solutions have been used to solve shared global issues. The inquiry is designed to open students’ eyes to their role as global citizens. It is also designed for students to uncover the similarities in issues faced by rural…
This inquiry leads students through an investigation of how they can make an impact on their community. By investigating the compelling question, students examine an issue that is important to them, assess what can be done to help with the issue, plan ways they can take action on their issue, and evaluate potential challenges. By…