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.
Students created a poster to educate others on the imports of conserving natural recourses.
Natural Resources of the U.S.
4th Grade
Final Product
Students created a poster to educate others on the imports of conserving natural recourses.
Additional Info
Hayes, Keyjahjna from Little Rock School District: AR, 4th Grade
We took our study of innovation one step further. We brainstormed future innovation ideas and then created models.
Innovation
2nd Grade
Other
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We took our study of innovation one step further. We brainstormed future innovation ideas and then created models.
Additional Info
Melissa Riehle from Lakota Local School District: OH, 2nd Grade
I teach two classes, and we both created our challenge statement which was "We will create a game to teach our buddy class about meeting needs and wants." I created a game idea sheet where a couple of students suggested candy land. I chose one idea that is pictured above which took the idea of candy land but changed it to include places in our community. I split the classes into teams and each team was in charge of a different community producer. They had to come up with a producer symbol for their game board, a description of their place, and a picture for the game board. We will be delivering these to our Kindergarten buddy classes this week!
Meeting Needs and Wants
2nd Grade
Final Product
I teach two classes, and we both created our challenge statement which was "We will create a game to teach our buddy class about meeting needs and wants." I created a game idea sheet where a couple of students suggested candy land. I chose one idea that is pictured above which took the idea of candy land but changed it to include places in our community. I split the classes into teams and each team was in charge of a different community producer. They had to come up with a producer symbol for their game board, a description of their place, and a picture for the game board. We will be delivering these to our Kindergarten buddy classes this week!
Additional Info
from , 2nd Grade
We interviewed innovators to learn what it means to innovate. We interviewed a professor, a P&G employee and three parents working in manufacturing, video communication and e-commerce.
Past, Present, and Future
2nd Grade
Other
We interviewed innovators to learn what it means to innovate. We interviewed a professor, a P&G employee and three parents working in manufacturing, video communication and e-commerce.
Additional Info
Melissa Riehle from Lakota Local School District: OH, 2nd Grade
These are anchor charts, handouts, and wall displays aligned to the Our Special Location inquiry.
Our Special Location
1st Grade
Anchor Chart
These are anchor charts, handouts, and wall displays aligned to the Our Special Location inquiry.
Additional Info
Raegen Autry from Winston-Salem /Forsyth County Schools: NC, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade
Students created a Team and Family Mural. We are sharing our results with the preschool department to inspire them.
My Team and Self
Kindergarten
Final Product
Students created a Team and Family Mural. We are sharing our results with the preschool department to inspire them.
Additional Info
Paula Walker from Quality Schools International: IT, Kindergarten, 1st Grade
Students created a good or service to sell and then made a poster to advertise their product.
Economic Choices
4th Grade
Final Product
Students created a good or service to sell and then made a poster to advertise their product.
Additional Info
Amanda Hargadine from Canby School District: OR, 4th Grade
Our Changing Landscape
2nd Grade
Inquiry-Long Display
Additional Info
Erin Cogan from Alameda Unified School District: CA, 2nd Grade
Global Connections
3rd Grade
Final Product
Additional Info
Stacey Chu from Quality Schools International: IT, 3rd Grade
The fourth grade class used recyclables to create new pieces. When finished, they set up a display for all students in the school to view. They also took pictures to create a powerpoint for families and classes to view when able.
Natural Resources of the U.S.
4th Grade
Final Product
The fourth grade class used recyclables to create new pieces. When finished, they set up a display for all students in the school to view. They also took pictures to create a powerpoint for families and classes to view when able.
Additional Info
Allison Slater from Iowa City Community School District: IA, 4th Grade
Students write one word/short phrases on index cards that describe what contributes to a healthy democracy and add to poster throughout unit.
Rights and Responsibilities
5th Grade
Wall Display
Students write one word/short phrases on index cards that describe what contributes to a healthy democracy and add to poster throughout unit.
Additional Info
Angela Kastrava from Canby School District: OR, 5th Grade
My 5th grade class read and annotated the "Trouble is Brewing" article together. We then split up into small groups to reread and focus on the events in the article. Students prepared slips of paper in a "jigsaw" fashion which focused on the causes and effects of each event. They presented to the class and facilitated discussion around that event.
The American Revolution
5th Grade
Inquiry-Long Display
My 5th grade class read and annotated the "Trouble is Brewing" article together. We then split up into small groups to reread and focus on the events in the article. Students prepared slips of paper in a "jigsaw" fashion which focused on the causes and effects of each event. They presented to the class and facilitated discussion around that event.
Additional Info
Elizabeth Nielsen from Skokie District 68: IL, 5th Grade
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