inquirED Blog
Your source for inquiry-based learning and teaching strategies.
All blog posts
Elementary Social Studies
How Waukee Built Equitable Access to Knowledge Through Complex Texts
How Waukee Community School District used a rigorous K–5 social studies curriculum to ensure every student could engage deeply with complex, knowledge-building texts.
upcoming webinar
Free Resource
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Webinars
Beyond Silos: Aligning Inclusive Instruction and Inquiry in Social Studies
Across the country, states are introducing inclusive history mandates designed to expand the stories students encounter in social studies classrooms. Using Illinois as a case study, Dorlande Charles and Marci Glick explore how inclusive mandates can be integrated into inquiry-based social studies instruction.
upcoming webinar
Free Resource
Coast to Coast and Classroom to Classroom
How does social studies move from vision to classroom practice across different contexts? Join NCSS and inquirED to examine the real work of social studies instruction: from state-level decisions to classroom realities. Across three conversations, we’ll explore how instructional materials, inclusive inquiry, and elementary priorities intersect, and what it takes to turn big ideas into meaningful learning experiences for students.
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Integrated ELA
Designing for Depth: Giving Writing Its Due in Early Literacy
In the webinar Designing for Depth: Giving Writing Its Due in Early Literacy, Dr. Nell K. Duke and Elisabeth Ventling Simon examined why writing deserves a central place in early literacy instruction
upcoming webinar
Free Resource
Elementary Social Studies
Low Floors, High Ceilings: What’s Happening in Skokie Classrooms
When Skokie School District 68 in Illinois began reviewing its elementary social studies curriculum, the goal was simple: replace materials that had outlived their usefulness. What emerged was something bigger, a curriculum that modernized instruction while creating low floors, high ceilings, and new pathways for vocabulary development through multimodal learning.
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upcoming webinar
Free Resource
Designing for Depth: Integration Across the Early Grades
As states and districts explore integrated curriculum to support deeper knowledge-building, stronger coherence, and effective use of instructional time, this professional learning series offers a research-informed look at integration in early childhood and the early grades. The series includes a featured conversation with Dr. Nell K. Duke and examines what high-quality integration looks like in practice and why it matters for teaching and learning.
Webinars
From State Adoption to Classroom Instruction: Making Social Studies Materials Matter
How do state standards, instructional materials, and inquiry-based practice intersect, and what does it take to make social studies matter in classrooms?
upcoming webinar
Free Resource
Elementary Social Studies
How East Haven school district puts their vision of a graduate to practice
See how East Haven uses inquiry skills in elementary social studies to turn their district’s Vision of the Graduate into meaningful, observable learning from kindergarten through fifth grade.
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upcoming webinar
Free Resource
Elementary Social Studies
Canby Brings Oregon’s Vision for Social Science Education to Life
See how Canby School District uses Inquiry Journeys to meet Oregon’s new social science standards through inquiry-based learning, civic engagement, and equity-focused instruction.
upcoming webinar
Free Resource
Elementary Social Studies
How Standards-Based Inquiry Sparked Innovation in Iowa City Community School District
In the Iowa City Community School District, social studies is no longer squeezed out of the schedule. By grounding instruction in clear priority standards and an inquiry-based social studies curriculum, the district has made social studies a driver of deeper learning and community connection.
upcoming webinar
Free Resource
Elementary Social Studies
How West Aurora Turned Social Science into Literacy Gains
See how West Aurora used dedicated social science time and Inquiry Journeys’ inquiry-based literacy practices to build academic vocabulary, boost engagement, and strengthen real-world communication skills.
upcoming webinar
Free Resource
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Take a closer look at Inquiry Journeys
Inquiry Journeys (K–5 social studies curriculum) provides inquiry-based instruction for young learners through hands-on investigations and primary source analysis. Explore how elementary students build knowledge and skills by asking questions, analyzing evidence, and connecting learning to their lives and communities.
