This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the life, achievements, and mystery of Amelia Earhart and her disappearance. The compelling question, “Where did you go, Amelia Earhart?” engages students in discovering the legacy of Amelia Earhart from her youth to her disappearance. Students will use the sources provided by this inquiry to gather information to create a final video in which they act as a reporter on the life of Amelia. They will need to report the facts but also come up with a clear argument to support their reasoning for what they believe to be the most compelling theory of her disappearance. The provided sources are suitable for 3rd-5th grade but can be differentiated as necessary. Including in this inquiry are a variety of sources that may be especially useful for advanced students who have a deeper interest in this topic.
US History
The Heart of Social Studies
Inquiries
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the life, achievements, and mystery of Amelia Earhart and her disappearance. The compelling question, “Where did you go, Amelia Earhart?” engages students in discovering the legacy of Amelia Earhart from her youth to her disappearance. Students will use the sources provided by this inquiry to gather information…
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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 in their work. Students start to think…
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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 crowded camps where they sought…
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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 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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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…
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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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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 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…