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Middle School

Social Studies

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Looking to deepen your understanding of what high-quality, inquiry-based social studies looks like in practice? Join inquirED this fall for Exploring Inquiry Journeys, a webinar series designed to support school and district leaders. Each session offers practical insights into our K–5 social studies curriculum and the strategies schools are using to engage students, support teachers, and build consistency across classrooms.

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Inquiry in Social Studies Guide

Use this clear to guide to bring inquiry to life in social studies classrooms through questions, investigation, and collaborative learning.

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Social studies made for the middle school mind

Social studies made for the middle school mind

inquirED’s middle school curriculum uses inquiry-based learning to explore ancient and second-wave civilizations through compelling questions and rich sources.

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Explore world history through inquiry-based learning

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Help students connect ideas across time and place, not just memorize names and dates. inquirED’s World History curriculum uses inquiry-based investigation to help middle schoolers explore ancient and second-wave civilizations while building literacy, critical thinking, and conceptual understanding.

With ready-to-use lessons, diverse sources, and projects that stick, it’s built for how middle school students learn best.

Instructional supports and features

  • 75+ inquiry-based, standards-aligned lessons
  • Multimodal assessments and literacy skill-building
  • Primary and secondary sources from diverse perspectives
  • Ready-to-use slide decks, handouts, and assessments

Designed for middle school

  • The curriculum is semester-long and thematic to support deep learning
  • Lessons include collaboration, goal-setting, feedback, and hands-on projects that are aligned with brain development research for middle school students

Download the scope and sequence

Want a closer look at what students explore in The Human Story (Ancient Civilizations) and Influence (Second Wave Civilizations) Inquiry units? Download the scope and sequence to see how each Inquiry builds conceptual understanding, supports literacy development, and aligns to standards.

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Inquiry-based world history that deepens understanding

Standards call for students to analyze patterns, systems, and influence. That’s hard to do when history is taught in fragments.

inquirED’s World History units are built on an inquiry-based, conceptual framework that helps students meet content standards through deep, connected learning. Instead of jumping from civilization to civilization, students investigate Essential Questions like:

  • Are civilizations more alike or more different?
  • What challenges must growing cities prioritize?
  • How do civilizations gain and spread influence?
  • How might a single decision shape the course of history?

Each unit supports students in tracing patterns, analyzing complexity, and building the conceptual understanding that standards demand, and that the world requires.

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PODCAST
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"Live from Mount Olympus," by the Onassis Foundation and PRX, brings Greek myths to life, helping students explore timeless tales relevant to today’s challenges.

INFOGRAPHIC
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DK’s rich educational resources, featuring informative texts and stunning graphics, help students build knowledge and gather evidence during their investigations.

Curated, diverse primary and secondary sources

inquirED’s World History curriculum includes primary and secondary sources from diverse authors and perspectives: past and present, global and local. These texts, images, videos, and multimedia artifacts are carefully sequenced within each Inquiry to support critical thinking and analysis. Students don’t just read history. They investigate it, connect it to their own lives, and learn to see the world through multiple lenses.

Develop reading and writing through historical inquiry

Disciplinary thinking in social studies levels up disciplinary literacy skills

Middle School World History units give students opportunities to:

  • Investigate compelling questions through research
  • Practice source analysis to evaluate reliability, perspective, and purpose
  • Construct strong arguments by connecting claims, evidence, and reasoning

Learn more about literacy in social studies.

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See what’s inside each Inquiry unit

Take a quick look inside our two middle school social studies units: The Human Story and Influence. Each one guides students through key questions, engaging content, and inquiry-based lessons that build deep understanding and critical thinking skills.

Unit 1

The Human Story

Early People and Ancient Civilization

Inquiry Question: How did early people shape the world we live in today?

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Students trace the journey of early humans from the Paleolithic Era through the rise of early civilizations in Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and beyond. They explore agriculture, innovation, and storytelling as foundational elements of human progress, and investigate how the choices of early communities still echo today.

Topics Include:

  • Stone Age to Bronze Age
  • Ancient Mesopotamia, China, Indus Valley, Andean/Supe Valley, Mesoamerica
  • Development of agriculture
  • Written and oral communication
  • Migration of early humans
  • Urbanization and the growth of cities
Unit 2

Influence

Second Wave Civilizations

Inquiry Question: How can we recognize and respond to influences in the world around us?

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The influence of second-wave civilizations on art, innovation, and culture continues to be a source of wonder for many. In this Inquiry, students explore the factors that allowed these societies to gain and spread influence, and how they continue to influence our world today. Eras and topics include:​

Topics Include:

  • Rise and fall of Greece. Persia, China, India, and Rome
  • Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism
  • Geographic, political, and cultural characteristics of civilizations
  • Role of technology and innovation as driver of changes in society

Made for the middle school mind

Why are units semester-long & thematic?

Activity in the prefrontal cortex suggests that middle schoolers learn best from integrated learning that occurs over longer periods of time.

Why so much discussion & collaboration in lessons?

During middle school, changes in brain activity create a “social reorientation” that increases the importance of learning from peers.

brainbrain

Why do students set goals, reflect, & self-assess?

Middle school brains grow most in regions that control executive functioning, goal setting, and decision-making.

Why so many hands-on & experiential projects?

Increased neuroplasticity in middle school brains enhances learning from hands-on experience and exploration.

* Dahl RE, et al. Importance of investing in adolescence. Nature. 2018 Feb 21.

*Jansen K, Kiefer SM. Understanding brain development. Middle School Journal. 2020.

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“My personal opinion is that social studies is the umbrella for the whole day.”

Katie

Kindergarten Teacher

Recent resources

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Webinars

A Brain-Based User’s Guide for Educators

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Lesson Strategies

Hexagonal Thinking & Mapping: A Dynamic Strategy for Deeper Learning

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Critical Connections: Experience, Emotion, and Knowledge Building

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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.

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