Summer Slide Social Studies: Historical Inquiry and Research

This class prepares students for middle school social studies classes including research and presentation. It is part of a year-long social studies curriculum designed to be inclusive and support neurodiverse students including twice-exceptional students by providing leveled text, embedded graphics, dyslexia-friendly support, and explicit instruction on executive functioning including notetaking and study skills. Students will master social studies standards, build independent learning skills, and practice self-advocacy and self-regulation
In this project-based learning class, students will generate their own historical inquiry using critical perspectives, find, select and integrate appropriate primary and secondary sources, understand what makes a strong introduction and thesis sentence, learn how and why we keep body paragraphs focused, write a conclusion and abstract, revise and share their work. Then we will use the paper they have generated to create and share a presentation. Students will choose their own topic to study, research, and present during this class. This allows students to incorporate any special interests, skills, passions, or connections to make the work more enjoyable and relevant to their own lives.
Week 1: We will learn about the historical method including how historians generate historical inquiries and what makes a good question. We will discuss common perspectives historians use to help generate questions. Students will generate their own historical inquiry and develop an explatory outline. 
Week 2: We will discuss how to find, select, and integrate primary and secondary sources. We will discuss online archives, library databases, and sources in the community. We will also discuss how to evaluate sources and cite them using MLA guidelines. Students will select at least three sources and take notes. 
Week 3: We will begin the writing process. We will discuss thesis statements and how to generate a strong thesis statement using the historical inquiry as a basis. We will learn the parts of an introduction paragraph. 
Week 4: We will work on the body of our paper. We will review the parts of a paragraph and organizational structures for the body of a research paper. We will review how to integrate, combine, and expand sources. 
Week 5: We will work on wrapping up our writing with a strong conclusion. We will also discuss the purpose of the abstract and draft an abstract of our papers. 
Week 6: We will work on revising our papers and share our papers for peer feedback. We will discuss the peer review process and how to get appropriate feedback.
Week 7: We will discuss presenting our work and how to create a presentation. We will learn how to use google slides and discuss best practices for creating a presentation. 
Week 8: We will have a student showcase for students to share their work.