Meet the 2026 Inquiry Work Contest winners
Teachers across the country shared inquiry work from their classrooms this fall, from anchor charts and student work to classroom video. Thank you to every teacher who entered. These are the classrooms that stood out.
Students doing the thinking
Entries were scored on how clearly the work shows students investigating a question, building evidence and sharing their own thinking.
Telling the story of 6th grade through cave art
The Human Story
After studying early humans and the stories artifacts can tell, 6th graders created their own Paleolithic cave art. Using four symbols and no words, each student answered the question "What story would you tell?" Then they switched roles, analyzed the art as archaeologists and wrote museum placards to explain it. The finished pieces came together on a simulated cave wall that tells the story of 6th grade.
Sorting artifacts to uncover their stories
Native America
5th graders spent this inquiry investigating what artifacts can tell us and who they belong to. In the video, students work together to sort artifacts from Native American cultures into categories they came up with on their own, including materials, how items were used, time frame, tribe and how items were made. They then took a position on whether artifacts should be kept in museums or returned to their cultures of origin and wrote out their claims and reasoning, shown in the photo.
Interviewing the grown-ups who help our school
Navigating School
Kindergartners brainstormed the grown-ups who help at school and voted to interview their custodian. With teacher support, they wrote questions to learn about his role and his life outside of work, then illustrated and labeled what they learned.
A layer cake for a healthy democracy
Rights and Responsibilities
3rd graders designed a layer cake to show their audience how people can take part in a democracy. They decided which layer should support the ones above it, from knowing how government works and using your rights to staying informed, volunteering and voting.
Comic strips on the Agricultural Revolution
The Human Story
6th graders created two-part comic strips about the Agricultural Revolution. First, they illustrated the changes it brought, like farming in place of hunting and gathering and people taking on different jobs. Then they showed the impact on daily life and weighed the tradeoffs, such as a steadier food supply against crop failures and disease from domesticated animals.
More standout classrooms
These classrooms will also be featured in this year's showcase.
Star student bookmarks
My Team and Self
Students designed bookmarks about being a star student, and the winning designs are printed in color and handed out with library books.
A colonial regions quilt
The Colonial Era
Students researched how culture, geography and economics shaped each colonial region, then designed quilt blocks based on historical regional patterns that came together as a bulletin-board-sized quilt.
Native America inquiry wall
Native America
Students turned their research into large posters connected to each region on a hallway map that families explored during conferences.
Mapping a community's needs and wants
Meeting Needs and Wants
Students built a class community called Sunset California and created a word splash connecting their vocabulary, with many placing scarcity at the center.
Vocabulary anchor chart challenge
Natural Resources of the U.S.
Students reviewed unit vocabulary by racing to place each term on the correct anchor chart.
Student Works
Explore examples from the Inquiry Work Gallery.
Click on a thumbnail below to expand and view more images.
The 8-year-old students at Kyiv International School explored global connections and cultural identity to understand how they are linked to the wider world. The students’ final hands-on projects showcase the diverse cultures of people from around the globe. They learned that one meaningful way to recognize and express culture is through many different symbols, and among them are toys - especially dolls – that play a vital role in reflecting traditions, values, and identities across different societies. It was an interesting project that required research to understand the values of our world. Our students had a lot of fun and radiated enthusiasm throughout the doll-making process.
Global Connections
3rd Grade
Other
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The 8-year-old students at Kyiv International School explored global connections and cultural identity to understand how they are linked to the wider world. The students’ final hands-on projects showcase the diverse cultures of people from around the globe. They learned that one meaningful way to recognize and express culture is through many different symbols, and among them are toys - especially dolls – that play a vital role in reflecting traditions, values, and identities across different societies. It was an interesting project that required research to understand the values of our world. Our students had a lot of fun and radiated enthusiasm throughout the doll-making process.
Additional Info
Julia Prima from Quality Schools International: IT, 3rd Grade
This has been such a fun project that I have been adding to all year. Students started with stamping where they were from, and as we learn about different places, cultures, etc they get to add how they are connected to that part of the world. We also added on and linked it to our Literacy curriculum that makes world connections.
Global Connections
3rd Grade
Wall Display
This has been such a fun project that I have been adding to all year. Students started with stamping where they were from, and as we learn about different places, cultures, etc they get to add how they are connected to that part of the world. We also added on and linked it to our Literacy curriculum that makes world connections.
Additional Info
Crystal Bucio from Roaring Fork School District: CO, 3rd Grade
Teacher Unit Anchor charts
The American Revolution
5th Grade
Wall Display
Teacher Unit Anchor charts
Additional Info
from , 5th Grade
Written products about revolutionaries and why they were revolutionary.
The American Revolution
5th Grade
Final Product
Written products about revolutionaries and why they were revolutionary.
Additional Info
Dominika Romano from Community Consolidated School District 93: IL, 5th Grade
Students created a class quilt to display for families to view when visiting our classroom! The school loved how we came together as a class family.
Families Near and Far
1st Grade
Handout
Students created a class quilt to display for families to view when visiting our classroom! The school loved how we came together as a class family.
Additional Info
KRISTAL DANA DAUZ from YOUTHFUL OFFENDER PROGRAM AT HIGH DESERT STATE PRI: NV, ELBERT B EDWARDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: NV, CLARK COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT: NV, 1st Grade
My 2nd graders have been LOVING this social studies unit and are totally engaged! I guess I just want to say a big thank you for everyone who came together to create this inquiry and how user friendly it is coming from a busy teacher! Good luck to everyone else out there! Thank you again!
Meeting Needs and Wants
2nd Grade
Wall Display
My 2nd graders have been LOVING this social studies unit and are totally engaged! I guess I just want to say a big thank you for everyone who came together to create this inquiry and how user friendly it is coming from a busy teacher! Good luck to everyone else out there! Thank you again!
Additional Info
from , 2nd Grade
Students interviewed family members to learn where they immigrated from. Then they researched that country and its culture.
Migration and Movement
3rd Grade
Final Product
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Students interviewed family members to learn where they immigrated from. Then they researched that country and its culture.
Additional Info
Hregnier from The Cornerstone School: FL, 3rd Grade
1. We took the mini-poster display idea from the lesson, and I added the visuals to support what the students learned to create really eye catching posters. 2. Students color coded their notes to allow them to know which resource to back to for reference.
Native America
5th Grade
Handout
.jpeg)
1. We took the mini-poster display idea from the lesson, and I added the visuals to support what the students learned to create really eye catching posters. 2. Students color coded their notes to allow them to know which resource to back to for reference.
Additional Info
JENNIFER Baker from dpsk12.net: CO, 5th Grade
Students conducted research on the Native peoples of different regions of North America. Students also created the map!
Native America
5th Grade
Wall Display
Students conducted research on the Native peoples of different regions of North America. Students also created the map!
Additional Info
Natalie Taylor from IMAGO DEI MIDDLE SCHOOL: AZ, 5th Grade
After completing our investigation in the unit, students were presented with these different options to showcase their work.
Native America
5th Grade
Final Product
After completing our investigation in the unit, students were presented with these different options to showcase their work.
Additional Info
Hannah Azofeifa-Urena from Flemington-Raritan School District: NJ, 5th Grade
in progress American Revolution inquiry wall
The American Revolution
5th Grade
Wall Display
in progress American Revolution inquiry wall
Additional Info
from , 5th Grade
This is an end of unit project for the Colonial America unit. Students chose an important event or aspect of colonial America and illustrated (in medium of their choice) and wrote a caption with the perspective of all groups that we learned about on the chosen event or aspect.
The Colonial Era
5th Grade
Final Product
This is an end of unit project for the Colonial America unit. Students chose an important event or aspect of colonial America and illustrated (in medium of their choice) and wrote a caption with the perspective of all groups that we learned about on the chosen event or aspect.
Additional Info
from , 5th Grade
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