Elementary: Questioning the Past and Present: Inquiry & Media Literacy for Elementary Students

Massachusetts public school educators register for free by using the coupon code "MACIVICS" at registration.

Course Logistics

Explore inquiry strategies for social studies and civics, approaches for teaching hard histories with care, and practical tools to build your students' media literacy. Skills every student needs, starting young. Dates: Wednesday, July 15 to Tuesday, August 11, 2026 Course Format: Online, asynchronous Professional Development Points (PDPs): 15 Fee: $450 for all educators outside of Massachusetts (no charge for Massachusetts public school educators)

Jennifer Hanson

Jennifer Hanson is the Library Director at Saint John’s High School in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. Prior to joining Saint John’s, she was the library director at New England Innovation Academy and Worcester Academy. She also spent 9 years as the librarian for Primary Source and has continued to facilitate online courses for the organization. She has over 20 years of experience teaching information and media literacy skills at the middle and high school level as well as the college and professional level. In her current role, she works closely with the 8th grade Civics course, teaching research skills for the Civics Action Project each student completes. She has presented at ISTE, MassCUE, NCSS, NCHE, Tech & Learning Live, the Boston Book Festival, and other conferences.

Course Overview

5 Chapters · 34 Lessons

1
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Introduction
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Pre-Course Survey
2
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Using Inquiry Strategies to Support Social Studies and Civics in the Elementary Grades
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Introduction to Inquiry-Based Learning (30 minutes)
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Inquiry Is Foundational for Social Studies and Civic Learning (25 minutes)
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Questioning (25 minutes)
5. (Included in full purchase)
  Investigating, Analyzing, and Evaluating Resources (25 minutes)
6. (Included in full purchase)
  Communicating and Sharing New Understanding (25 minutes)
7. (Included in full purchase)
  Assessing Inquiry-Based Learning
8. (Included in full purchase)
  Putting it All Together to Create an Inquiry-Based Experience (50 minutes)
9. (Included in full purchase)
  Closing
3
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Chapter: Teaching Hard Histories in Grades K–5
2. (Included in full purchase)
  What Are Hard Histories? (50 minutes)
3. (Included in full purchase)
  What Does the State of Massachusetts Say About Teaching Hard Histories?
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Open and Settled Questions
5. (Included in full purchase)
  Engaging Caregivers and Administrators (50 minutes)
6. (Included in full purchase)
  Protocols and Strategies (50 minutes)
7. (Included in full purchase)
  The Social-Emotional Side of Teaching Hard Histories (30 minutes)
8. (Included in full purchase)
  Additional Resources
9. (Included in full purchase)
  Closing
4
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Module: Developing Media Literacy in Elementary Grades
2. (Included in full purchase)
  What is Media Literacy? (25 minutes)
3. (Included in full purchase)
  Key Elements of Media Literacy (55 minutes)
4. (Included in full purchase)
  Analyzing the Media You Encounter and the Media You Create
5. (Included in full purchase)
  Using an Inquiry Approach
6. (Included in full purchase)
  Asking Critical Questions
7. (Included in full purchase)
  Minor Shifts as a Guiding Approach
8. (Included in full purchase)
  Integrating Media Literacy into Content Lessons
9. (Included in full purchase)
  Stand-Alone Media Literacy Lessons
10. (Included in full purchase)
  Decoding Media
11. (Included in full purchase)
  Additional Resources
12. (Included in full purchase)
  Closing
5
1. (Included in full purchase)
  Post-Course Survey
2. (Included in full purchase)
  Culminating Task: Questioning the Past and Present: Inquiry and Media Literacy for Elementary Students

About Primary Source

Primary Source educates global citizens by working with teachers to foster students’ knowledge, skills, and dispositions for thoughtful and engaged citizenship. With our guidance and resources, teachers cultivate students’ civic-mindedness, cultural awareness, and global competence, preparing them for our increasingly diverse and interconnected world. We collaborate with teachers, schools, and educational organizations to offer professional development programs and resources that help make global, civics, and cultural education an integral part of every student’s classroom experience. Our engaging face-to-face and online programs, curriculum resources, and international study tours enhance global understanding, civic engagement, and cultural understanding, and help thousands of teachers every year bring the wider world to their students. To learn more, visit our homepage at primarysource.org!