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 a cultural cookbook, where students made global connections about where their ingredients came from and how they come together and connect us with different parts of the world. Students took home a copy of all of their peers´ recipes!
Global Connections
3rd Grade
Final Product
We created a cultural cookbook, where students made global connections about where their ingredients came from and how they come together and connect us with different parts of the world. Students took home a copy of all of their peers´ recipes!
Additional Info
Crystal Bucio from Roaring Fork School District: CO, 3rd Grade
We are recreating and honoring the steps that people needed to take towards equality!
The 20th Century Civil Rights Movement
3rd Grade
Wall Display
We are recreating and honoring the steps that people needed to take towards equality!
Additional Info
Crystal Bucio from Roaring Fork School District: CO, 3rd Grade
Our 3rd Grade students, after reading articles about the different waves of immigration, created posters to present the information they learned to the class about their group of immigrants. It provided for a great discussion about the pushes and pulls of immigration. Students really began to realize the difficulties immigrants faced in other countries before coming to the US but were more shocked to find out that life was just as difficult, if not more, when they arrived here.
Migration and Movement
3rd Grade
Wall Display
Our 3rd Grade students, after reading articles about the different waves of immigration, created posters to present the information they learned to the class about their group of immigrants. It provided for a great discussion about the pushes and pulls of immigration. Students really began to realize the difficulties immigrants faced in other countries before coming to the US but were more shocked to find out that life was just as difficult, if not more, when they arrived here.
Additional Info
Jennifer Duzinskas from Maywood School District 89: IL, 3rd Grade
Students used the Pixton app to create these comics.
Natural Resources of the U.S.
4th Grade
Final Product
Students used the Pixton app to create these comics.
Additional Info
Kerry Nowicki from Kildeer Countryside Community Consolidated School District 96: IL, 4th Grade
Our student loved learning about the origins-development-and impact of agriculture!
The Human Story
6th Grade
Inquiry-Long Display
Our student loved learning about the origins-development-and impact of agriculture!
Additional Info
from , 6th Grade
This is an end of unit project for the Colonial America unit. Students chose an important event or aspect of colonial America and illustrated (in medium of their choice) and wrote a caption with the perspective of all groups that we learned about on the chosen event or aspect.
The Colonial Era
5th Grade
Final Product
This is an end of unit project for the Colonial America unit. Students chose an important event or aspect of colonial America and illustrated (in medium of their choice) and wrote a caption with the perspective of all groups that we learned about on the chosen event or aspect.
Additional Info
from , 5th Grade
Anchor chart from Module 2
The Colonial Era
5th Grade
Anchor Chart
Anchor chart from Module 2
Additional Info
Sarah Garcia from Maywood School District 89: IL, 5th Grade
My students loved the hexagonal activity from our Colonial Era unit. After they completed the card sort for Natural Resources, they asked if they could try to connect them like the hexagonal activity. They did a fantastic job and I liked hearing their explanation of the connections.
Natural Resources of the U.S.
5th Grade
Other
My students loved the hexagonal activity from our Colonial Era unit. After they completed the card sort for Natural Resources, they asked if they could try to connect them like the hexagonal activity. They did a fantastic job and I liked hearing their explanation of the connections.
Additional Info
Abby Brewer from Mason City Schools: OH, 5th Grade
We moved from economics (wants and needs) into natural resources! The students completed an inquiry chart of what they know and what they want to know and completed observations with a partner through pictures of natural resources!
Meeting Needs and Wants
1st Grade
Anchor Chart
We moved from economics (wants and needs) into natural resources! The students completed an inquiry chart of what they know and what they want to know and completed observations with a partner through pictures of natural resources!
Additional Info
from , 1st Grade
Students sorted groups and individuals that displayed colonial resistance.
The Colonial Era
5th Grade
Other
Students sorted groups and individuals that displayed colonial resistance.
Additional Info
from , 5th Grade
Our class wrote and drew about their favorite foods they eat for special celebrations. We were joined by our Big Buddy Volunteers from Clearwater Retirement Community who shared some of their traditions too! Our class loves listening to their perspectives and stories, and the volunteers enjoyed helping students create their quilt square. We posted everyone's square on our wall as we compared and contrasted everyone's unique traditions.
Families Near and Far
1st Grade
Handout
Our class wrote and drew about their favorite foods they eat for special celebrations. We were joined by our Big Buddy Volunteers from Clearwater Retirement Community who shared some of their traditions too! Our class loves listening to their perspectives and stories, and the volunteers enjoyed helping students create their quilt square. We posted everyone's square on our wall as we compared and contrasted everyone's unique traditions.
Additional Info
from , 1st Grade
We love making these infographics on Jamestown and Plymouth. It is a great way for students to practice making a claim and supporting it using specific evidence which we do in both reading and writing.
The Colonial Era
5th Grade
Other
We love making these infographics on Jamestown and Plymouth. It is a great way for students to practice making a claim and supporting it using specific evidence which we do in both reading and writing.
Additional Info
Ashley Bestor from Kettle Moraine SD: WI, 5th Grade
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