Inquiry Journeys: Highlighted by Massachusetts Department of Education
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The Massachusetts Department of Education highlighted Inquiry Journeys in it review of curricular materials. Inquiry Journeys was the only Core K-5 curriculum that met all all basic expectations for classroom use. Read more about the landscape review below - and watch a short interview with Reuben Henriques (History and Social Science Content Lead, MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) about the process and results of the review.
Focusing on Curricular Materials
Massachusetts, which rewrote its Social Science standards in 2018, has spent the last several years focusing on the evaluation and creation of curricular materials. “We've kind of leaned into those curriculum conversations,” shared Reuben Henriques, History and Social Science Content Lead, MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. “There’s a tradition of history, teachers, making or cobbling together their own materials,” Henriques said, “but if we can give teachers really solid instructional materials as a foundation, they can do the work that they are best at, which is bringing them to life.”
Conducting a Landscape Review
To recommend high-quality social studies instructional materials to teachers, Massachusetts developed a review tool, then convened a panel of teachers to conduct a review of both K-5 and eighth-grade curricular resources. According to their published review, its purpose was to "identify core and supplemental curricular materials that meet basic expectations" for alignment to Massachusetts content and practice standards, have features that "facilitate ease of classroom use," and support culturally responsive instruction.
In their landscape review, they found that 4 materials met their baseline expectations on the rubric for quality in either all areas or all but one area. “We tried to really make it obvious which criteria they met,” Henriques said, “and where they might need a little bit of adjustment or supplementation.”
inquirED is proud to be the only K-5 core curriculum that met all expectations in the Massachusetts Landscape Review. Inquiry Journeys was created by a team of teachers to inspire students with inquiry-based social studies and support culturally responsive instruction.
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