Inquiry is the essence of social studies, and inquiry "looping" in social studies curricula means offering students opportunities to engage in inquiry in regular intervals and in a coherent fashion within and across grade levels. This can benefit the youngest students since they are filled with hope and want to make a difference in the world. This article describes how in the Syracuse City School District, the authors used the Inquiry Design Model (IDM) to revolutionize a third-grade curriculum. An inquiry loop of three units and nine IDM inquiries were created around powerful topics to make social studies a meaningful experience for third graders.