Social Sciences · Years 7–8 · TRACE
Think like a historian and social scientist
Weigh the evidence and hear more than one side of the story.
Choose your inquiry
The whole class works on the same inquiry, in any term. Over two years you do both.
- Inquiry A · about 4 weeksTō Mātou Rohe: Stories of Our PlaceYour rohe has stories — on plaques, in kaumātua memories, in old photos, and in land features. Different people remember the same place differently. Your job is to weigh those accounts carefully.You'll make: A sourced narrative of your place with competing perspectives acknowledged, prepared for a museum, marae, or community archive.Open this inquiry →
- Inquiry B · about 5 weeksMana Motuhake: Power, Decisions and PeopleA decision in your community — a new facility, a rule change, or a historical turning point — affected different groups in different ways. You will map power, perspectives, and consequences.You'll make: A structured argument about power and change, with evidence from multiple perspectives, for council or community organisation.Open this inquiry →
Your journey: TRACE
Every Social Sciences inquiry moves through the same stages.
- Stage 1: Time & Place
- Stage 2: Relationships
- Stage 3: Accounts
- Stage 4: Causes & Consequences
- Stage 5: Evaluate
Explore more
Trusted New Zealand sites to use alongside your inquiry.
- DigitalNZ ↗
National Library of New Zealand
Millions of NZ photos, newspapers and records to use as sources.
- Te Papa Collections Online ↗
Te Papa
Objects and images from the national museum.
- Services to Schools ↗
National Library of New Zealand
Help finding and using sources for inquiry.
Topics
- local history
- perspectives
- sources and evidence
- power and decisions
- Aotearoa New Zealand's histories
- citizenship
Ready to run it with your class?
Free trial for NZ schools. One combined Years 7–8 class, any term.