Social Studies: Investigating the Past through Inquiry

an expert who studies the past by examining objects that people have left behind

• archaeologist

• historian

• geographer

• biologist

the position that researchers take about a particular topic, based on the evidence that they have gathered

• argument

• bias

• inquiry

• primary source

an object made or used by people in the past

• artifact

• prehistoric

• ritual

• argument

a personal leaning or a preference for a particular outlook

• inquiry

• compelling question

• bias

• argument

a question that does not have a simple or direct answer and requires some thought and investigation to answer

• inquiry

• compelling question

• primary source

• supporting question

an expert who studies and creates maps of Earth’s natural and human-made features

• archaeologist

• historian

• geographer

an expert who studies and records the past

• archaeologist

• historian

• geographer

• psychologist

in history, the process of exploring the answers to questions about a certain time and place

• inquiry

• argument

• public policy

• compelling question

before written history

• prehistoric

• ritual

• artifact

• ancient

a document or other record of past events created by someone who was present during the events or the time period in which they occurred

• artifact

• primary source

• secondary source

• inquiry