Making Social Studies Come Alive Through Inquiry

In this week’s Podcast episode, I sit down with Charisse Smith Ph.D. —CEO of Sankofa Educational Consulting and former K–6 Social Studies Supervisor in Trenton Public Schools, NJ—to dig into why inquiry-driven social studies is essential for today’s learners.

We talk about:

✨ Moving beyond facts + dates to real student thinking

✨ Why elementary students can handle complex history

✨ Powerful examples of informed action (2nd graders contacting City Hall!)

✨ How IDM creates space for civic engagement, critical thinking & SEL

✨ Supporting teachers through the shift from “sage on the stage” to inquiry facilitator/

If you want social studies to be relevant, joyful, and transformative, this is the episode.

🎧 Listen now and lean into inquiry. Our students—and our democracy—benefit.

Charisse Smith LinkedIn Page

Sankofa Educational Consulting

C3 Teachers Blog: Implementing IDM

Music by Aylex