The stories of people's lives are captured in historic and contemporary media. Through these lenses, students and teachers can see into the world of social issues and movements, figures, and events. Ultimately, they yield a range of perspectives across time and space. In this article, the author introduces thematic investigations as a systematic…

This paper describes a recently developed test battery which measures inquiry skills relevant to social studies teaching. The test is used to assess entry-level inquiry skills and to monitor student achievement progress. Field tested among Australian junior high school students, the test was shown to be reliable and valid. (BC)