Blog Post #2

 

How has my understanding of social studies inquiry grown during this module?

My understanding has grown so much, and I think many of my peers would agree because we didn't all necessarily experience social studies being taught in this way as kids. I've learned that at the core of inquiry when it comes to social studies, we want kids to learn how to think about and examine the world around them. We want them to be able to have the tools necessary to discover the true accounts of the past and present, as well as how it affects them.

What is the importance of both compelling and supporting questions in an IDM?

Compelling questions should be setting students up for a learning opportunity and at the same time be relatable or relevant to students. This is what sets the students up for learning the content. Supporting questions should help lead students to the answers to the compelling questions and help them understand more about the topic.

What is a question I still have about social studies inquiry?

A question I still have is, "What does inquiry look like in the really early years (preschool or kindergarten)?" We did get to see some video examples in our last in person meeting, but it still wasn't in those really early years. I want to see how simple a social studies inquiry for younger kids might look. I feel like it might be simpler than I think, and I could be overthinking what the planning for it looks like.