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.
We created this map of the school after we did a tour of the special places in our school and discussed the expectations/norms in each area. We had a blast!
Navigating School
Kindergarten
Wall Display
We created this map of the school after we did a tour of the special places in our school and discussed the expectations/norms in each area. We had a blast!
Additional Info
Anne -Levy from Alameda Unified School District: CA, Kindergarten
This is a family quilt my first grade scholars made about why their families are special. We also included each students fingerprint to show they are unique.
Families Near and Far
1st Grade
Handout
This is a family quilt my first grade scholars made about why their families are special. We also included each students fingerprint to show they are unique.
Additional Info
from , 1st Grade
Students practiced financial literacy skills by recognizing that saving helps people meet their needs and wants over time. The lesson also encouraged personal reflection and goal-setting, helping students connect the economic concept of saving to their own lives.
Meeting Needs and Wants
2nd Grade
Handout
Students practiced financial literacy skills by recognizing that saving helps people meet their needs and wants over time. The lesson also encouraged personal reflection and goal-setting, helping students connect the economic concept of saving to their own lives.
Additional Info
Amanda Surmann from National Heritage Academies - Parent District: NC, MI, NY, CO, 2nd Grade
This is my third year using InquirEd and it always amazes me just how much 9 and 10 year olds already know about economics. For example, they might not call their economic choices "opportunity cost," but they are well aware that by making a choice, they are giving up something else.
Economic Choices
4th Grade
Wall Display
This is my third year using InquirEd and it always amazes me just how much 9 and 10 year olds already know about economics. For example, they might not call their economic choices "opportunity cost," but they are well aware that by making a choice, they are giving up something else.
Additional Info
Tanya Scarpato from Cheltenham School District: PA, 4th Grade
In this activity, students completed the Changemakers Footsteps handout as part of the 3rd-grade 20th-century Civil Rights Movement unit. The students have been highly engaged and have had thoughtful discussions throughout the lessons. They are beginning to make connections between key events and recognize the patterns of unfairness that people faced during this time. It’s been inspiring to see their empathy and understanding grow as they explore how individuals worked together to create change.
The 20th Century Civil Rights Movement
3rd Grade
In this activity, students completed the Changemakers Footsteps handout as part of the 3rd-grade 20th-century Civil Rights Movement unit. The students have been highly engaged and have had thoughtful discussions throughout the lessons. They are beginning to make connections between key events and recognize the patterns of unfairness that people faced during this time. It’s been inspiring to see their empathy and understanding grow as they explore how individuals worked together to create change.
Additional Info
from , 3rd Grade
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