Inquiry is the process of answering authentic and important questions in structured educational settings. In formal settings, inquiry makes learning the mandated curriculum feel more like the curiosity-driven learning that takes place outside of school.
Inquiry in history classrooms is driven by authentic, open-ended questions, the kinds of questions historians would ask, and that young people care about. Historical inquiry also requires evidence, the types of evidence historians use, including primary sources and artifacts. The best inquiries provide conflicting and fragmentary evidence from multiple perspectives. Inquiry cannot proceed effectively unless students have certain skills. History teachers have the responsibility to nurture historical reading, thinking, and writing skills in students. In addition to skills, students need certain dispositions such as curiosity and academic humility. For more information about skills and dispositions, please see the web pages on skills and dispositions linked in this introductory page. Finally, inquiry requires the space needed to develop unique interpretations. Teachers welcome diverse answers if they are defensible given the evidence.
The inquiries on this site provide teachers with a suggested question, evidence, and ideas for structuring inquiries. With the proper support, including explicit instruction on skills and dispositions, students learn historical content, become better historical thinkers, improve their reading skills, and are better prepared for informed civic engagement by participating in these inquiries.
