It Is Possible: A First-Grade Inquiry About Food Justice

• In Event: The Who, What, When, Where, and Why of Inquiry in Elementary Social Studies

Abstract

This paper shares the story of a first grade teacher’s efforts to engage her students in a social studies inquiry unit to show what is both possible and desirable. Each element of the enacted unit was analyzed for how well it aligns with the C3 Framework’s inquiry arc as well as the NCSS statement on “powerful and purposeful social studies teaching”. This instrumental single case study (Stake, 1995) examined the curriculum planning and enactment of a first grade inquiry unit using teacher’s planning notes, reflections, curriculum materials, and student responses documented by her teaching partner during class.

Findings show that the unit exemplifies each dimension of the C3 Framework inquiry arc. In the “Developing Questions and Planning Inquiries” dimension, students decided to investigate the question, “What if you don’t have enough money to buy food?” Students also engaged in Dimensions 2 and 3 to apply disciplinary concepts/tools as well as evaluate primary sources and use evidence to make claims. Geography was a particularly fruitful discipline. Students used maps to generate theories about the location of grocery stores. Teachers challenged their hypotheses with superimposed population density maps of the city onto store locations. The students also engaged in substantial economic thinking. After a simulation, the kids brainstormed multiple ways to address food accessibility issues. As they debated, they considered different community stakeholders’ perspectives and voted in favor of lowering prices for people in poverty. They compared this solution with actual government programs. As part of Dimension 4 (Communicating Claims and Taking Action), students visited local community organizations fighting against hunger in D.C. Ultimately, the students decided to create awareness-raising flyers to pass out at the nearest Metro stop and helped prepare food for the hungry and homeless.

In addition, this unit meets the expectations of powerful and purposeful social studies—particularly the need for units to be “value-based”. As the school encouraged teachers to take a more explicitly justice-oriented stance, the 1st grade team decided to redesign their “basic needs” unit to focus on how where people live affects how they live. The teacher made exploring inequality central to the inquiry and offered students multiple opportunities to engage in democratic deliberation about the causes of and solutions to this problem. Lastly, the paper briefly examines factors that contributed to the teacher’s success and examines to what degree these were necessary conditions.

This case study can be useful in efforts to help elementary teachers envision what inquiry is possible and desirable by providing concrete examples of strategies suggested by researchers (e.g., Picower, 2012; Wade, 2007).

Picower, B. (2012). Using Their Words: Six Elements of Social Justice Curriculum Design for the Elementary Classroom. International Journal of Multicultural Education, 14(1), n1.

Stake, R. E. (1995). The art of case study research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Wade, R. C. (2007). Social studies for social justice: Teaching strategies for the elementary classroom. Teachers College Press.

Author

• Jennifer Oliva, Sheridan School