Free Inquiry-Based Curriculum

Welcome to the Great Books Foundation! In partnership with the American Writers Museum, we have created a range of activities for grades 6 and up that bring our Shared Inquiry™ method of learning together with the museum’s American Voices and My America exhibits. Whether you want to lead your students in discussion of an open-ended question, engage them in inquiry-based close reading, or help them develop their own connections and responses to an author’s work, you’ll find simple, flexible resources in our activity guides.

To begin:

  • Watch the short videos on this page. The first video provides basic information for teachers about using the Shared Inquiry stance, while the three shorter videos orient students on what to expect.
  • Choose the exhibit you’d like to focus on in your lesson, and download your chosen materials from the next page.
  • Have students watch the orientation videos, and get started using your free materials!

My America 

Explore how modern immigrant and refugee writing in America has influenced our culture, history, and daily lives.

American Voices 

Explore the evolution of American writing from the colonial period to the twentieth century, with a focus on key writers and events.