The history of ordinary people and everyday life appeals to students. However, teachers struggle to squeeze it into a social studies curriculum dominated by stories of wealthy elites and political chronology. 

How does a teacher narrow down over 5000 years of human history and culture for the classroom? Use essential questions!

Inquiry is a term that has been bantered around frequently in the education world. For the sake of clarity, let’s keep the definition simple. Inquiry is seeking knowledge or information.