Grade 6 · Social Studies · Lesson 33

Choose your research question

A capstone in social studies is a piece of original research that you plan, investigate, and present yourself. Every strong capstone begins with the same step — choosing a research question. The question is the engine that drives everything else: the sources you gather, the timeline you build, the cause-and-effect arguments you make, the visuals you design, and the conclusions you defend.

What this lesson teaches

1Explain why a good research question is the first step of any historical inquiry
2Distinguish a focused, open-ended question from a vague or yes/no one
3Test a draft research question against four practical criteria
4Rewrite a weak question into a stronger, researchable one

🔒 Member-only content

Unlock the full lesson

Subscribe to access the complete mini-lesson, guided practice, interactive exercises, and printable PDF for this lesson — plus all 1,680 lessons across grades 1–6.

See membership plans Try a free lesson first

The first lesson of every subject is free — no account required.