The author contends that teachers can challenge the oversimplified narrative of Martin Luther King Jr. typically taught in elementary schools through an inquiry into the Memphis Sanitation Strike. Designed for students in grades 3–5, this inquiry includes children’s literature and a four-part primary source investigation following the C3 inquiry arc.

Taking a repeat photograph, or then and now photo, of a site can engage students in the exploration of social, economic, and environmental changes over time.

The use of trade books to foster discussion of historical events and major Supreme Court decisions in the elementary classroom can serve as a powerful method through which elementary students can begin to see themselves as active contributors to the communities and worlds in which they live. In this article and the accompanying lesson plan, the authors share ways to teach about Supreme Court decisions —specifically the decisions that have affected marriage equality—with the C3 Framework.