Inquiry-based Lessons in U.s. History: Decoding the Past

Inquiry-Based Lessons in U.S. History: Decoding the Past provides primary source lessons that focus on teaching U.S. history through inquiry to middle school students. Students will be faced with a question to answer or problem to solve and will examine primary sources for evidence to create hypothetical solutions. The chapters focus on key chronological periods (e.g., the Age of Exploration to the Civil Rights era) and follow the scope and sequence of major social studies textbooks, with activities linked to the U.S. History Content Standards and the Common Core State Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies. The three lesson plans in each chapter begin with an essential question that sets the focus for the primary sources and teaching strategies that follow. The lesson plans include differing types of primary sources such as photographs, speeches, political cartoons, historic maps, paintings, letters, and diary entries.

Grades 5-8

Jana Kirchner, Ph.D., is an educator with 30 years of experience. She has served as a school district instructional supervisor, an assistant professor at Western Kentucky University, a social studies consultant, and a high school social studies and English teacher. She earned her Ph.D. in educational leadership from the University of Louisville. Kirchner coauthored Inquiry-Based Lessons in World History, vols. 1 & 2 and Inquiry-Based Lessons in U.S. History: Decoding the Past with Andrew McMichael and Parenting Gifted Children 101 with Tracy Inman. She provides professional development on social studies strategies and inquiry topics with JK Consulting (janakirchner.com).

Andrew McMichael, Ph.D., is the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and a professor of history at Auburn University at Montgomery.