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.
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
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
The students were insightful and open-minded during our unit. They learned all about global connections and how we can be global citizens. It has been an enlightening unit for the kids to see how connected we are to the people and places around the world. A student of mine is learning to read in Mandarin so he read a version of The Hungry Caterpillar, I read it in English, and our ESL teacher read it in Spanish. After we interviewed his mom who was pulled to America from Taiwan after falling in love many years ago. We learned so much! It was a great example of how globalization and cultural diffusion is alive and thriving. It was an incredible experience to have them see how everything we have been learning is a part of who we are as humans. We did a mural for our final product this time and they came up with the idea of a variety of people holding hands to show unity around the world. This is before it was hung up in the school.
Global Connections
3rd Grade
Final Product
The students were insightful and open-minded during our unit. They learned all about global connections and how we can be global citizens. It has been an enlightening unit for the kids to see how connected we are to the people and places around the world. A student of mine is learning to read in Mandarin so he read a version of The Hungry Caterpillar, I read it in English, and our ESL teacher read it in Spanish. After we interviewed his mom who was pulled to America from Taiwan after falling in love many years ago. We learned so much! It was a great example of how globalization and cultural diffusion is alive and thriving. It was an incredible experience to have them see how everything we have been learning is a part of who we are as humans. We did a mural for our final product this time and they came up with the idea of a variety of people holding hands to show unity around the world. This is before it was hung up in the school.
Additional Info
Rachel Dawson from Lisle Community Unit School District 202: IL, 3rd Grade
These posters were made by one of the first grade classrooms. This was their way to demonstrate their understanding of diversity and how it's okay to be different.
Families Near and Far
1st Grade
Other
These posters were made by one of the first grade classrooms. This was their way to demonstrate their understanding of diversity and how it's okay to be different.
Additional Info
Andrea Behm from Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95: IL, 1st Grade
Our steps for this project were inspired by discussing the multi cultural elements of the 2022 Winter Olympics. Games are something we can share and play together regardless of culture or language. Games can also be cultural diffusion. They decided to make posters, but with a comic strip embedded with the directions. We practiced presenting to each other and then took turns on the announcements. That will be an ongoing part of our project that will occur every Monday morning.
Migration and Movement
3rd Grade
Final Product
Our steps for this project were inspired by discussing the multi cultural elements of the 2022 Winter Olympics. Games are something we can share and play together regardless of culture or language. Games can also be cultural diffusion. They decided to make posters, but with a comic strip embedded with the directions. We practiced presenting to each other and then took turns on the announcements. That will be an ongoing part of our project that will occur every Monday morning.
Additional Info
Marissa Carter from Talbot County Public Schools: MD, 3rd Grade
Students made brochures to showcase their special location… West Chester, Ohio!
Our Special Location
1st Grade
Final Product
Students made brochures to showcase their special location… West Chester, Ohio!
Additional Info
Jessica Hickey from Lakota Local School District: OH, 1st Grade
While completing the Navigating School Unit, we used shape blocks to create a map of our school. After creating this hands-on visual, we created picture versions with a few more details than the blocks allowed. Each group of students was in charge of creating a map of each of the main rooms of the school we use (classroom, office, lunchroom, library, gym, music, playground), then we all drew ourselves on one piece of paper labeled "US". We posted these up connecting each picture as well as to a (real) picture of our school building. The students enjoyed creating both versions of our school map and took great pride in having the web on display all unit.
Navigating School
Kindergarten
Inquiry-Long Display
While completing the Navigating School Unit, we used shape blocks to create a map of our school. After creating this hands-on visual, we created picture versions with a few more details than the blocks allowed. Each group of students was in charge of creating a map of each of the main rooms of the school we use (classroom, office, lunchroom, library, gym, music, playground), then we all drew ourselves on one piece of paper labeled "US". We posted these up connecting each picture as well as to a (real) picture of our school building. The students enjoyed creating both versions of our school map and took great pride in having the web on display all unit.
Additional Info
Allison Slater from Iowa City Community School District: IA, Kindergarten
Students really enjoyed working together to create something meaningful.
Families Near and Far
1st Grade
Final Product
Students really enjoyed working together to create something meaningful.
Additional Info
Jeremy Peters from Rochester City School District: NY, 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
This is a display our kindergarten created while discussing how we can help our school community by showing kindness. After completing a kindness page, each student was able to show their ideas and understanding on a wall in the hallway for all of the school to read and enjoy.
Navigating School
Kindergarten
Wall Display
This is a display our kindergarten created while discussing how we can help our school community by showing kindness. After completing a kindness page, each student was able to show their ideas and understanding on a wall in the hallway for all of the school to read and enjoy.
Additional Info
Allison Slater from Iowa City Community School District: IA, Kindergarten
These are samples of the student's letters. Our process was researching and choosing businesses, learning how to write a letter, peer editing and utilizing feedback, creating the rubric together, and writing a final draft.
Global Connections
3rd Grade
Final Product
These are samples of the student's letters. Our process was researching and choosing businesses, learning how to write a letter, peer editing and utilizing feedback, creating the rubric together, and writing a final draft.
Additional Info
Marissa Carter from Talbot County Public Schools: MD, 3rd 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
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