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 students answered the question, "How can we persuade others to travel and make connections based on their interests?" Because we did the lesson as a pilot and we still and to do the rest of our curriculum, we ended up combining this with our persuasive letters. The students created an imaginary person, or used a real person, and identified the interests of the person. Based on that knowledge they had to write a letter persuading him/her to travel to a certain location. The class used their country research to provide support for their arguments. This activity reinforced the idea of making connections both between a person and their interests and encouraging someone to travel to make personal connections with a new location. The class understood that travel is one way to make the world a smaller place. The above is one example of a letter.
Global Connections
3rd Grade
Final Product
The students answered the question, "How can we persuade others to travel and make connections based on their interests?" Because we did the lesson as a pilot and we still and to do the rest of our curriculum, we ended up combining this with our persuasive letters. The students created an imaginary person, or used a real person, and identified the interests of the person. Based on that knowledge they had to write a letter persuading him/her to travel to a certain location. The class used their country research to provide support for their arguments. This activity reinforced the idea of making connections both between a person and their interests and encouraging someone to travel to make personal connections with a new location. The class understood that travel is one way to make the world a smaller place. The above is one example of a letter.
Additional Info
Heather Chapman from Quality Schools International: IT, 3rd Grade
This is the "1st Grade Community Quilt" (Module 1) that we created after reading "THE WALL" and creating our "WHAT AM I?" quilt squares. Our whole grade made the quilt together - everyone in the grade is represented on the quilt, students and teachers alike. This quilt hangs in our first grade hallway on what was previously, a blank wall! (Just like the book!)
Families Near and Far
1st Grade
Final Product
This is the "1st Grade Community Quilt" (Module 1) that we created after reading "THE WALL" and creating our "WHAT AM I?" quilt squares. Our whole grade made the quilt together - everyone in the grade is represented on the quilt, students and teachers alike. This quilt hangs in our first grade hallway on what was previously, a blank wall! (Just like the book!)
Additional Info
Andrea Behm from Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95: IL, 1st Grade
Our Changing Landscape
2nd Grade
Other
Additional Info
Jackie Share from Community Consolidated School District 21: IL, 2nd Grade
Students created replicas of artifacts during the Native America Unit. They used only recyclable materials and chose an artifact from their assigned Native Tribe. They re-created the artifact and had to imagine what resources native americans had to use to create such intricate designs. Students also created end of unit brochures and posters to help squash common misconceptions about Native American Culture in hopes to help our community better be able to "honor them."
Native America
5th Grade
Final Product
Students created replicas of artifacts during the Native America Unit. They used only recyclable materials and chose an artifact from their assigned Native Tribe. They re-created the artifact and had to imagine what resources native americans had to use to create such intricate designs. Students also created end of unit brochures and posters to help squash common misconceptions about Native American Culture in hopes to help our community better be able to "honor them."
Additional Info
Stephanie Starkopf from East Maine School District 63: IL, 5th Grade
These products were generated for their like grade level to continue their learning in order to expand their knowledge about Ancient Egypt.
Ancient Egypt
6th Grade
Final Product
These products were generated for their like grade level to continue their learning in order to expand their knowledge about Ancient Egypt.
Additional Info
Jen Renner from Janesville Community School District: IA, 6th Grade
Ancient China
6th Grade
Other
Additional Info
Suzanne Fraser from Iowa City Community School District: IA, 6th Grade
Native America
5th Grade
Handout
Additional Info
Tricia Cunningham-Barnes from Detroit Public Schools Community - Parent District: MI, 5th Grade
This is the infographic students create in Module 3, Lesson 4.
The Colonial Era
5th Grade
Other
This is the infographic students create in Module 3, Lesson 4.
Additional Info
Danielle Ozanich from Berkley Schools: MI, 5th Grade
Students were in a quest to create instruments in Cubism style. These instruments involve creating a unique an inventive artwork. Stuedents had to do reserach on Picasso's instruments and assemble a work that is a unique invention.
Innovation
4th Grade
Inquiry-Long Display
Students were in a quest to create instruments in Cubism style. These instruments involve creating a unique an inventive artwork. Stuedents had to do reserach on Picasso's instruments and assemble a work that is a unique invention.
Additional Info
from , 4th Grade, 5th Grade
Our Special Location
1st Grade
Final Product
Additional Info
Ledra Bugg from Lakota Local School District: OH, 1st Grade
This is the "Our Families" quilt that we made for our classroom from Module 2. Each student completed a quilt square showing how their family is special. We learned that families are similar and different. This quilt hangs in our first grade classroom.
Families Near and Far
1st Grade
Final Product
This is the "Our Families" quilt that we made for our classroom from Module 2. Each student completed a quilt square showing how their family is special. We learned that families are similar and different. This quilt hangs in our first grade classroom.
Additional Info
Andrea Behm from Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95: IL, 1st Grade
These products were generated for their like grade level to continue their learning in order to expand their knowledge about Ancient Egypt.
Ancient Egypt
6th Grade
Final Product
These products were generated for their like grade level to continue their learning in order to expand their knowledge about Ancient Egypt.
Additional Info
Jen Renner from Janesville Community School District: IA, 6th Grade
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