Goal:

The goal of this 2 day workshop is to train Virginia Studies teachers on the Inquiry Design Model (IDM) and to partner with local museums and historical societies to create a bank of integrated inquiries as resources that are publicly available at C3 Teachers.

Rationale:

The IDM is a framework that starts with a compelling question. The development of a good compelling question is critical to creating relevant and rigorous instruction. Additionally, the IDM privileges the interaction with source material in pursuit of that question. Working with and interrogating relevant source material sparks curiosity in our learners. Embedded in each IDM are both formative and summative performance assessments that measure both short term and long term transfer goals. Finally, the IDM emphasizes informed action as a necessary outcome of each inquiry.

The development and implementation of this framework buttresses two broad goals we have for social studies in Virginia. First, it supports a shift in emphasis in social studies from content to skill acquisition. There are scant resources that support this shift at the elementary level. The IDM, as a framework, employs a backwards design model that helps teachers to articulate knowledge, skill, and big understanding outcomes. Arguably, the process of developing an inquiry is more important than the product because it trains teachers in a different way to approach social studies instruction. Secondly, the model directly supports the development of a balanced assessment model. The logical assessment for an inquiry is not multiple choice, but rather a performance assessment in which students wrestle with a compelling question. Instead of creating stand-alone assessments that might seem disconnected from the daily instruction of the teacher, this model directly integrates curriculum, assessment, and instruction to create a more relevant learning experience for our students.

We are proud to partner with the following organizations.

• The American Civil War Museum
• National Museum of the American Indian
• James Monroe's Highland
• The Jefferson School and African American Heritage Center
• Enyclopedia Virginia
• The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
• Thomas Jefferson's Monticello
• The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
• UVA Center for Politics' Youth Leadership Initiative
• James Madison's Montpelier
• Gunston Hall