This inquiry focuses on the rights of citizenship that African Americans were denied following Reconstruction. Though the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments were passed in order to guarantee citizenship rights to freedmen, many states passed laws that limited these rights. In this inquiry, students will examine ways rights of citizenship were denied by many states and how citizens attempted to secure those rights. The tasks completed for each supporting question will help students to consider who grants citizenship rights and how they are expanded. The first task will help students to understand that the U.S. Constitution guarantees rights of citizenship, while the second task will help students to understand how states can limit those rights. The final task will help students to investigate the way citizenship can be change agents in the fight to ensure equal rights for all.
US History
The Heart of Social Studies
Inquiries
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This inquiry focuses on the rights of citizenship that African Americans were denied following Reconstruction. Though the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments were passed in order to guarantee citizenship rights to freedmen, many states passed laws that limited these rights. In this inquiry, students will examine ways rights of citizenship were denied by many states…
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This inquiry focuses on the myriad of injustices inflicted upon people of color during the colonial period, and how these early interactions and acts of oppression provided a foundation for the racial injustices still experienced in America today. From Europeans’ first contact with American Indians, to the subjugation of African slaves, a hierarchy based on…
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation that explores the struggle for equality through social justice movements. Specifically, students explore the tension between the assumption that “all [people] are created equal,” a guiding principle from the Declaration of Independence, and the reality of legal and social structures that do not treat all people equally. By…
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of Sikhism and the challenges and opportunities the Sikh community has faced over time. By investigating the compelling question “How do religious communities respond to challenges and opportunities?” students evaluate how the Sikh community has responded to different social, historical, and political changes as members immigrated and integrated…
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The compelling question for this inquiry calls on students to conduct an inquiry in the tradition of social history, where students are examining the activities of people who are sometimes overlooked in social studies. The question of how people responded to Pearl Harbor is not as simple as it may seem at first. Students will…
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This inquiry guides students through an investigation of the actions of Ruby Bridges during the Civil Rights Movement. By investigating the compelling question, students examine: how Ruby Bridges participated in the Civil Rights Movement, what issues and problems led to the integration of public schools, and the dangers that Ruby Bridges faced. By completing this…
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the civics test, a current graduation requirement for Kentucky students, in order to consider the ways in which the test addresses needed knowledge and skills to prepare students for active engagement in civic life. The compelling question for the inquiry—can the civics test make you a good…
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of geopolitical relationships, particularly through an imperialistic lens. Focusing on the Philippines, students investigate the compelling question—how should we remember Emilio Aguinaldo?—in order to examine questions of foreign intervention, self-determination, and national sovereignty. By investigating the compelling question, students will examine the United States’ relationship with the Philippines…
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This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the LGBTQ+ movement, primarily driven by the history of the movement through various accounts and perspectives. The compelling question—What makes a movement successful?—does not address whether or not the movement was successful, but instead assesses the components of a movement and whether the movement is in a…
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This inquiry leads students through a comparison of protest marches. The compelling question for this inquiry calls on students to examine primary source photographs of protest marches that attempt to restrict the rights of citizens and protest marches that attempt to protect civil rights. By completing this inquiry, students begin to understand the similarities and…