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US History

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. 

The Heart of Social Studies

Inquiries

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.

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…