Inquiry Design Model: Was Thomas Jefferson Really a Great Man?

Complete this inquiry and answer the compelling question: Was Thomas Jefferson Really a Great Man?

By examining various sources, students will explore the concept of what makes someone “great” in the memory of the people around them. To do this, they will explore the life and actions of one of America’s most well known “Great Men,” Thomas Jefferson. Based on their analyses, students will construct a claim in which they defend their argument.

The Inquiry Design Model (IDM) is a distinctive approach to creating curriculum and instructional materials that honors teachers’ knowledge and expertise, avoids overprescription, and focuses on the main elements of the instructional design process as envisioned in the Inquiry Arc of the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards (2013). Unique to the IDM is the blueprint, a one-page representation of the questions, tasks, and sources that define a curricular inquiry.