Was Athens More Democratic? A Sixth Grade Sample Inquiry Lesson (2015) 

Presented at the North Carolina Council for Social Studies annual conference. In this workshop, educators experienced a full “soup to nuts” inquiry-based lesson designed for sixth grade social studies, centered on the compelling question: Was Athens truly democratic? Through engagement with primary sources, structured analysis, and evidence-based discussion, participants stepped into the role of learners to explore how uncertainty and open-ended questioning drive deeper thinking. The session highlighted how leveraging students’ natural curiosity (when answers are not predetermined) can significantly increase engagement and critical analysis. Teachers left with a clear model for designing inquiry-driven lessons that foster student voice, historical reasoning, and authentic intellectual engagement.