Inquiry Project

Created Feb. 7, 2024 by Christian Johnson

USH.1.3 Identify and tell the significance of controversies pertaining to slavery, abolitionism, and social reform movements. (Government, Economics)


Christian Johnson


United States Government - Post Civil War (Reconstruction)



Part 1:  Driving question:

  • What are your three initial driving questions?

    • Did federal expansion promote racial equality in the South?

    • Was it advantageous of the North to stay out of Southern politics, or did it compromise their own goals?

    • If you were a politician in the North, would you say that the reconstruction, post Civil War, was successful? Why or why not?

  • What is your one, final driving question?

Was it advantageous of the North to stay out of Southern politics, or did it compromise their own goals?

  • Background information of this driving question:

11th Grade

  • Academic Standard:

USH.1.3 Identify and tell the significance of controversies pertaining to slavery, abolitionism, and social reform movements. (Government, Economics)  

  • Why do you think this is a good driving question?

    • Does the DQ warrant in-depth study?

      • Yes, this question would either require a great amount of prior knowledge, or a good amount of research to answer the question. There is also a lot to consider when answering the question. There are plenty of pros and cons.

    • Is the DQ an authentic and relevant issue/problem for my students?

      • Yes, This question would be used perhaps on a test as an essay question or short answer, and would prove understanding of the topic by the student if completed well.

    • Is there more than one plausible solution to the DQ?

      • Yes, The students may look at different scenarios as outcomes for the solution different. Some may think that it is a con for the North, and some may think that, that con is a actually a pro for the North.

    • Does the DQ provide opportunities for students to evaluate, analyze, present, and defend their solutions?

      • Yes, they’ll have to research the topic on their own, and determine if the information they find is good or bad for the North. They’ll have to present their findings and try to convince me that they are right. There isn’t a right answer, so as long as their claims are convincing they will receive a good grade.


Part2: Grabber

  • What is your grabber?

Field Trip - “Follow The North Star” - Conner Prairie

  • Why do you think this grabber is beneficial and how it  aligns with your driving question?


  • The field trip will engage the students, and it will literally put them in a slave's place. It will be first hand experience with being a slave in the South and what it is like to travel along the underground railroad, and either make it to safety in the North, get caught and forced back into slavery, or killed for insubordination.

  • This is the explanation of the experience on the Conner Prairie website, “Follow the North Star is an award-winning, participatory museum theater experience that demonstrates the wide ranging social attitudes toward African-Americans in pre-Civil War Indiana. Participants travel back to the year 1836 and assume the role of fugitive slaves seeking freedom on the Underground Railroad through the state. Traveling as a group, you will encounter a variety of characters, ranging from sympathetic allies to racist antagonists. It is a powerful experience that generates empathy, provokes discussion, and immerses visitors in this important part of our nation’s history.” I think that this is an incredibly emotional experience and really involves all students! I took part in this experience myself, and I definitely think that it is super impactful and full of excitement!

  • It is important for students to understand all aspects of how the North did or didn’t get involved in Southern politics; however, slavery is perhaps the largest aspect of Southern politics at this time in history, and it is sometimes the most difficult to explain to any age group, so I chose this field trip experience because there is no better way to learn than to participate in an experience that forces you to fully engage in the topic.

  • We would introduce the topic and touch on basic knowledge. I would say we might use a class period to do this. I wouldn’t use too much time because the field trip experience will take care of most of the teaching; however, we want to make sure that the students are understanding and fully prepared for the experience, especially because the experience can be very controversial.


Part 3: Culminating activities: List all your activities here:


1) Activity 1

  • What is your first activity?

My first activity after this experience will be a group discussion which will actually be more on the lines of  a debate. I will ask students to separate themselves into two separate groups by presenting a question. The question will be, “Did you like or dislike this experience?” This may pose a concern that all students will say they liked it because it is a field trip, but this is unlikely to happen, especially, dealing with a higher age group. There will be differing and strong opinions. Once the students have separated, I will ask some driving questions about the experience to the class, and my only requirement is that if they liked the experience they can only answer the question in favor of it, and if they disliked it, then they can only answer the question in opposition. My goal is that the students that say they disliked the experience will realize that they learned something valuable and  that the experience was worth their while. I will then pose the same vague question at the end, and see if any of the students changed their minds. The student’s exit ticket will be to tell me if their opinion of the experience changed why or why not?

  • My biggest obstacle will be creating enough questions to encourage deep critical thinking and create a good authentic discussion among students with possible differing views.


  • Why do you think this is a good activity for PBL?

    • How is the activity authentic?

      • The activity is going to force students to think critically about their experience and about their own knowledge both from their prior education and the field trip. The activity will be more or less a debate which is going to pose new questions, differing opinions, and continuation of knowledge. The students will gain public speaking experience, debating experience, and possibly compromise.


  • Does the activity provide students with the opportunity to present and defend problem solution?

    • Absolutely! That is exactly what I want them to do! The only thing I ask of them is to be confident in their responses, use evidence and or facts to back their opinions or statements, and be respectful of differing opinions. All students should feel safe to pose their opinion and debate their stance on each posed issue.

  • Does the activity require student collaboration?

    • Students will be grouped in two separate groups by their similar opinion on one question posed at the start of class, and the students in each group should pose similar stances on each new issue that I, the teacher, or other students pose; therefore, they may not work directly with students; however, there will be a sound off effect where each student may build off of each other or form rebuttals.

  • How will I judge what students have learned from the activity?

    • I will be grading on participation, and their use of formulating questions, opinions, and their respectfulness throughout the debate/discussion.

 

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