Syracuse City School District Social Studies Grade 11 Inquiry Task
Who truly prospered in the 1920s?
New York State Social Studies
Framework Connection
(Adapted Key Ideas, Content
Specifications, and Teaching Points)
11.7 PROSPERITY AND DEPRESSION: The 1920s and 1930s were a time of cultural and
economic changes in the nation. During this period the nation faced significant domestic
challenges including the Great Depression. (Standards: 1, 4; Themes: TCC, SOC, CIV)
11.7a The 1920s was a time of cultural change in the country, characterized by clashes
between modern and traditional values.
 Students will examine the cultural trends associated with the Roaring
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Twenties, including women’s efforts at self-expression and their changing
roles.
Students will examine the impact of Prohibition on American society.
Students will examine change in immigration policy as reflected by passage of
the Quota Acts of the 1920s.
Students will examine the reasons for the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan.
Students will examine the key issues related to the Scopes trial.
11.7b African Americans continued to struggle for social and economic equality while
expanding their own thriving and unique culture. African American cultural
achievements were increasingly integrated into national culture.
 Students will examine literary and artistic contributions associated with the
Harlem Renaissance and its impact on national culture.
 Students will examine the rise of African American racial pride and Black
Nationalism including the role of Marcus Garvey.
Shift 1: Question of Inquiry (Compelling Question) Compelling Questions are questions about how things
work, interpretations and applications of disciplinary concepts, and unresolved issues that require students to construct
arguments in response. (Common Core Learning Anchor standards addressed: R1, W7, SL1.)
Who truly prospered in the 1920s?
Shift 1: Supporting Questions
Supporting Questions are questions that focus on descriptions, definitions, and processes to help students construct
conclusions and take informed civic action.
Supporting Question #1
Supporting Question #2
Supporting Question #3
How did the 1920s reflect a hold on
traditional values?
Formative Performance Task
SPEC the changes among different social
classes during the period of the 20s including:
prohibition/18th amendment, Scopes trial/
educational reform, immigration policy/ nativism
How have women utilized their changing status
in the 1920s?
Formative Performance Task
SPEC the evolution of women and their drive
to gender reform including: Suffrage/ 19th
amend, prohibition/temperance/18th amend,
moral peril of young women
How have African Americans transformed
their role in society during the 1920s?
Formative Performance Task
SPEC the transformation of African
American culture during the 1920s
including: Harlem Renaissance, Marcus
Garvey, resurgence of KKK
Syracuse City School District Social Studies Grade 11 Inquiry Task
Shift 2: Evaluating Sources and Using Evidence
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(Common Core Learning Anchor Standards addressed: R1-10, W1,2,7-10, SL1)
Students use the following sources of evidence which list relevant information representing a wide range of views and personal
experience
Students will evaluate the credibility of sources by examining how experts value the source(s).
o While reading throughout all Secondary Sources, students will identify and analyze the social, political, economic and cultural
impacts of what they are reading by using the SPEC graphic organizer. The alternative “SPEECH” graphic organizer may also be
used to address environmental and historical significance.
o While reading Primary Sources, students will use the Reading Like A Historian graphic organizers to source, contextualize,
close read and corroborate sources. (Other resources and methods of analyzing primary sources may be used such as SOAP,
TACOS, POSERS, APPARTS, SOAPSTONES etc.)
Students will use evidence to develop claims and counterclaims by attending to precision, significance, knowledge conveyed
through the claim while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both. Students will use the “Establishing Historical Significance”
graphic organizer to develop claims and or counterclaims to specific primary sources being used.
Sources
Expository Text
The Great Gatsby
Sources
Sources
US History Text Chp 20 (p 658-697)
Women’s Rights NBC Learn
KKK Clip
Featured Anchor Text: The American Reader Words That Moved A Nation Edited Diane Ravitch p.p. 413-451
Shift 3:Communication Conclusions Or Taking Informed Action Summative Performance Task
(Common Core Learning Anchor Standards addressed: R1, W1-8, SL1-6)
Students will communicate their conclusion(s), (i.e. expository writing, multimedia presentations, Digital technologies) to a range of
audiences. Describe how students will use evidence to support claims, and appraise the structure and form of arguments and explanations
 Students will take informed action to respond to the issues raised in the inquiry and investigation
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Communicating Conclusions: Students will complete the DBQ project on Prohibition