In Medford, Massachusetts, “social studies is a subject to be valued,” fifth-grade teacher Jennifer Lindsey explains in this episode. “It’s the place to teach kids how to talk to each other and negotiate conversations and digest information and form an opinion—but also listen to others’ opinions and back that up with evidence,” she says.

This content-rich, inquiry-based learning is powered by Investigating History, a new, free social studies curriculum developed by Massachusetts teachers, scholars, and the state education department. It’s aligned to state standards and is available for grades 5–7; a pilot of grades 3–4 is underway.

Lindsey describes the “resource gap” of the past: either textbooks from 1992 or materials from the Internet, much of which is intended for teenage students. The state-developed curriculum is designed to build knowledge and literacy and critical-thinking skills in young students and works within a daily 30-minute timeslot, she tells host Barbara Davidson.

“Three core routines—a supporting question launch, an investigating sources routine, and a putting it together routine—really set kids up nicely to learn some solid informational texts and written and oral discourse skills because they are starting from a place of curiosity,” she says. “And in my literacy block, I’m teaching kids how to ask questions to keep themselves engaged and how to clarify ideas by asking questions. Those two things go hand-in-hand.”

The curriculum also is designed to support teachers with their content knowledge and provide guidance for challenging questions and conversations, Lindsay says. In one lesson, fifth-grade students are tasked with advising the president on a major decision, such as whether to declare war on Great Britain in 1812. They research the options and present their advice to the class—and often disagree with what actually happened.

“Fifth graders are talking about foreign policy and it will blow your mind,” she says. “Tiny humans can have the hard conversations.”

This podcast is produced by the Knowledge Matters Campaign and StandardsWork, on behalf of the History Matters Campaign. Follow the History Matters Campaign on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter/X. Search #historymatters to join the conversation.

Production by Tressa Versteeg. Original music and sound engineering by Aidan Shea.