Writing Inquiry Based Projects

Social Studies Education

•What is the goal of Social Studies education? What do K-12 Social Studies teachers want students to know and be able to do? Ultimately, students should be prepared as citizens to take informed Civic Action. Informed Civic Action improves neighborhoods, cities, states and the nation as a whole. Thus the application of a quality Social Studies education improves the world.

How will students be prepared to take informed Civic Action? Students need to: 1.) Know Social Studies content 2.) Consider Social Studies content through various conceptual lenses 3.) Practice inquiry4.) Practice civic action based on the results of inquiry.

How do we help students practice inquiry?

• C3 Framework: College, Career and Civic Life• National framework for Social Studies

instruction• Addresses pedagogy and particular disciplines

of the Social Sciences• Is not a set of standards• Compliments the NC Essential Standards• http://www.socialstudies.org/system/files/

c3/C3-Framework-for-Social-Studies.pdf

Inquiry Arc

• Dimension 1: Developing Questions and Planning Inquiries

• Dimension 2: Applying Disciplinary Tools and Concepts (Civics, Economics, Geography, and History)

• Dimension 3: Evaluating Sources and Using Evidence

• Dimension 4: Communicating Conclusions and Taking Informed ActionW

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What does liberty look like?

•History = When did Americans gain their liberty?•Civics = What is the line between

liberty and responsibility?•Geography = How does liberty change

from place to place?• Economics = Does more liberty mean

more prosperity?

IDM

•http://wsfcs.k12.nc.us/Page/97714•Click on Inquiry Project Template

Inquiry starts with a good question

• Review the HS Inquiry Projects• Do the compelling questions align with the

standards?• Are the compelling questions compelling?•Will acting on the answer to the

compelling question prepare the student for citizenship?• Does the question reflect an enduring

issue in the field?

Let’s practice writing questions

• Images, text, graphs, charts, political cartoons can be inspiration for good questions.•Does this question “sound” like a

student?• Is it provocative? Can it be answered in

several ways?•Does it reflect an enduring issue in the

field?

Assessment Matters, Too

Skim through the 3-4 formative performance tasks in the high school inquiry projects. What are the teacher and student actions necessary for success on each task?

Assessment Matters, Too

Next, find the summative performance task and taking informed action component. What kinds of supports/scaffolds would the teacher need to provide?

Finally, brainstorm some additional forms of assessment that facilitate/support students’ taking informed action in their inquiry.

Content and Skills are the Matter

“Working with a robust compelling question and a set of discrete supporting questions, teachers and students determine the kind of content they need in order to develop their inquiries” (NCSS, 2013, p. 17).

Content and Skills are the Matter

Option 1: List content/skills that apply to your draft compelling question. Brainstorm how you could address this content in the classroom.

Option 2: Generate supporting questions that focus the inquiry on necessary content/skills related to your draft compelling question.

Our goal

• Over the next three days we will create inquiry based projects to address issues surrounding personal financial literacy.• Look at PFL through the various strands / standards

(Wednesday morning)• Define a timeline for teaching the inquiry project

(Wednesday morning)• Write compelling and supporting questions (Wednesday

morning)• Gather resources (Wednesday & Thursday)• Create formative assessments (Thursday morning)• Create summative assessments (Thursday afternoon)• Proposals for Civic Action (Thursday afternoon)