Read.Inquire.Write. creates a process for social studies inquiry, supported by concrete tools that structure students’ and teachers’ work. This tool-supported approach to inquiry establishes classroom routines that can be used across all RIW investigations or with other social studies content. Through repeated opportunities for inquiry learning, students’ stamina, confidence, and proficiency build over time as they practice complex ways of thinking, reading, talking, and writing.

Read.Inquire.Write. specifically aims to improve students’ social studies thinking and argument writing with sources. We designed this curriculum in partnership with middle school teachers and students in the U.S., paying particular attention to the experiences, ideas, and learning of bi/multilingual students and students who benefit from additional literacy support.

In addition, we created design principles to guide the development of Read.Inquire.Write. These design principles draw on findings from recent education research about how to support adolescents’ disciplinary, language, and literacy learning.