About the course
Our unique methodology
In this course, you’ll learn how to build a classroom centered on inquiry and authentic historical thinking. Instead of treating history like a set of facts to deliver, you’ll position students as investigators—asking questions, analyzing sources, and constructing evidence-based interpretations of the past. Grounded in frameworks like the C3 Inquiry Arc and Inquiry Design Model (IDM), you’ll design learning experiences that start with compelling questions and lead to meaningful, standards-aligned outcomes. You’ll walk away with practical routines and protocols that make inquiry doable on a daily basis, along with a clear plan and ready-to-use tools to help students think more deeply, question more intentionally, and engage more authentically with the past.
Details
Includes
Shareable certificate
Accreditation compliant
Course accessibility
What you’ll learn
Master Core Concepts
- Define historical inquiry with a focus on classroom application.
- Explain the benefits of integrating structured inquiry into your teaching practice.
Develop Your Skills
- Evaluate a range of inquiry frameworks and protocols.
- Acquire hands-on experience through practical exercises designed for your classroom context.
Apply Your Skills in Context
- Design classroom lessons that elevate content literacy and media literacy through inquiry.
- Learn how to implement and assess inquiry-based lessons in line with curriculum goals and learning objectives.
Share Your Learning
- Complete assessments that demonstrate your new capabilities and document your progress.
- Leverage a diverse range of supplementary resources.
Skills you’ll gain
Reflection moments
Our moments echo our methodology—these are a ‘pause’, and take the focus temporarily away from the core content of the course to think deeply on the details—but are nevertheless connected to the subject matter.
Think²
Pause and examine your assumptions. These moments encourage you to question what you think you know and consider alternative perspectives on the topic.
Think² Shared
Consider your students’ perspectives and experiences. These moments focus on understanding how learners process and engage with civil discourse concepts.
Literacy
Connect course content to broader reading and research. Literacy moments bridge theory and practice through curated texts and scholarly resources.
Ready to transform the way you use inquiry in the classroom?
Join educators building the skills to ask great questions and teach students how to think like historians.
Modules
C3 Framework Alignment
Dimension 1. Developing Questions and Planning Inquiries
D1.1. Explain why compelling questions are important.
D1.2. Identify disciplinary ideas associated with compelling questions.
D1.4. Make connections between compelling and supporting questions.
D1.5. Determine the kinds of sources that will be helpful in answering compelling and supporting questions.
Dimension 2. Applying Disciplinary Concepts and Tools
D2.His.4. Compare perspectives from the past and present.
D2.His.10. Explain how historical sources can be used to study the past.
D2.His.12. Generate questions about historical sources.
D2.His.13. Evaluate the usefulness of historical sources.
D2.His.16. Use evidence to develop claims about the past.
D2.Civ.10. Compare their own point of view with others’ perspectives.
Dimension 3. Evaluating Sources and Using Evidence
D3.2. Evaluate sources.
D3.3. Identify evidence from multiple sources.
D3.4. Use evidence to develop claims.
Dimension 4. Communicating Conclusions and Taking Informed Action
D4.1. Construct arguments using claims and evidence.
D4.4. Ask and answer questions about arguments.
D4.5. Ask and answer questions about explanations.
D4.7. Evaluate strategies for informed action.
Course Feedback Survey
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A microcourse is a short, focused learning experience designed to be completed in manageable segments — so you can fit professional development into your actual schedule, not just your PD days.
Course length varies, but most microcourses are designed to be completed in five hours — and you can pause and return whenever it works for you.
All courses are developed by teachers in collaboration with William & Mary faculty researchers, museum professionals, and other experts. Courses are grounded in learning science and backed by William & Mary’s decades of leadership in civic education. Content is designed to be rigorous and immediately applicable in the classroom.
Five courses are available for free during the public beta:Artifact Analysis, Civil Discourse, History Inquiry, Nonfiction Reading Strategies, and Podcasting in the Classroom. More courses will be added soon.
When you complete a lilyPD course, you’ll receive a downloadable certificate worth 5 hours of professional development, accredited by William & Mary’s School of Education.
Discover more courses
Continue your professional development journey with these related courses.
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As the first course in our three-part series on the American Revolution, the Horizon of Independence helps educators deepen their understanding of early America and the build up to the American Revolution (1607-1776) by exploring inquiry-driven, primary source-based strategies for teaching the complexities and enduring significance of the nation’s founding.
Artifact Analysis
Explore dynamic ways to support artifact analysis in your social studies classroom.
Civil Discourse in the Classroom
This course introduces educators to a research-backed framework for facilitating productive, respectful dialogue in classrooms of all levels.
Podcasting for Educators
Learn how to use professional podcasts as powerful classroom texts and support students as they create podcasts.
Historical Inquiry in the Classroom
Made for any social studies teacher who wants to elevate their inquiry instruction and empower students to think like historians.
Nonfiction Reading Strategies
Learn how to teach students to read strategically in any subject area, so they can navigate nonfiction texts with purpose, confidence, and clarity.
