According to the authors, five years ago their school district embraced Understanding by Design as the organizing framework for curriculum. The emphasis on enduring understandings and essential questions led the sixth grade social studies teachers to reevaluate what they were teaching in their World History Curriculum. Together the authors worked…

Discusses how social studies teachers can use document based question (DBQs) to improve student writing skills. Asserts the importance of English and social studies teachers, and teachers from different grade levels, to communicate with one another to improve their students' writing. (CMK)