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.
Families Near and Far
1st Grade
Handout
Additional Info
Jessica Hickey from Lakota Local School District: OH, 1st 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 created these flip books from Module 2/Lesson1: “Mapping our Location.” It took quite a few days to complete all the pages, but students loved learning about all the different places that they live. The song/video “Here I Am” is now a classroom favorite!
Our Special Location
1st Grade
Final Product
Students created these flip books from Module 2/Lesson1: “Mapping our Location.” It took quite a few days to complete all the pages, but students loved learning about all the different places that they live. The song/video “Here I Am” is now a classroom favorite!
Additional Info
Andrea Behm from Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95: IL, 1st 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
For the Needs and Wants lesson, we co-created an anchor chart, then the students sorted, cut and glued the needs and wants pictures. They discussed the items with their table groups. Most students said you need “love” to survive. ❤️❤️
Families Near and Far
1st Grade
Anchor Chart
For the Needs and Wants lesson, we co-created an anchor chart, then the students sorted, cut and glued the needs and wants pictures. They discussed the items with their table groups. Most students said you need “love” to survive. ❤️❤️
Additional Info
Andrea Behm from Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95: IL, 1st Grade
Families Near and Far
Kindergarten
Final Product
Additional Info
Emily Friend from North Park Elementary School: IL, Kindergarten
These are first graders' awesome end of the unit projects! They had SO much fun teaching others about our special location, our Lakota community!
Our Special Location
1st Grade
Final Product
These are first graders' awesome end of the unit projects! They had SO much fun teaching others about our special location, our Lakota community!
Additional Info
Ledra Bugg from Lakota Local School District: OH, 1st Grade
Although it is a bit difficult to see, our class timeline was on display across our windows. The students became SO excited to add things to our timeline and continuously referred back to activities posted on it. We used a large paper print out of the tri-arrow (past, present, future) to move along above the timeline as we went.
Past, Present, and Future
Kindergarten
Inquiry-Long Display
Although it is a bit difficult to see, our class timeline was on display across our windows. The students became SO excited to add things to our timeline and continuously referred back to activities posted on it. We used a large paper print out of the tri-arrow (past, present, future) to move along above the timeline as we went.
Additional Info
Allison Slater from Iowa City Community School District: IA, Kindergarten
Students loved learning about map skills so we made our own maps. Students had to include a map key and the compass rose. The finished work was amazing!
Our Special Location
1st Grade
Wall Display
Students loved learning about map skills so we made our own maps. Students had to include a map key and the compass rose. The finished work was amazing!
Additional Info
Andrea Behm from Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95: IL, 1st Grade
Students loved learning about map skills so we made our own maps. Students had to include a map key and the compass rose. The finished work was amazing!
Our Special Location
1st Grade
Wall Display
Students loved learning about map skills so we made our own maps. Students had to include a map key and the compass rose. The finished work was amazing!
Additional Info
Andrea Behm from Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95: IL, 1st Grade
Native America
5th Grade
Final Product
Additional Info
Marissa Thomas from Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95: IL, 5th Grade
Students loved learning about map skills so we made our own maps. Students had to include a map key and the compass rose. The finished work was amazing!
Our Special Location
1st Grade
Wall Display
Students loved learning about map skills so we made our own maps. Students had to include a map key and the compass rose. The finished work was amazing!
Additional Info
Andrea Behm from Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95: IL, 1st Grade
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