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.

1st place Inquiry Week Winner

Students doing the thinking

Entries were scored on how clearly the work shows students investigating a question, building evidence and sharing their own thinking.

🥇 grand prize

Telling the story of 6th grade through cave art

The Human Story

Lakota Local School District, OH · Grade 6

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.

🥇 Best Video

Sorting artifacts to uncover their stories

Native America

Flemington-Raritan Regional School District, NJ · Grade 5

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.

K-2 winner

Interviewing the grown-ups who help our school

Navigating School

East Haven Public Schools, CT · Kindergarten

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.

Middle school winner

Comic strips on the Agricultural Revolution

The Human Story

Elmhurst CUSD 205, IL · Grade 6

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.

Honorable mentions

More standout classrooms

These classrooms will also be featured in this year's showcase.

3rd place Inquiry Week Winner

Star student bookmarks

My Team and Self

Tacoma Public Schools, WA · Kindergarten

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

Bannockburn School, IL · Grade 5

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

St. John Catholic School, KS · Grade 5

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

Stevenson School, CA · Grade 2

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.

National Heritage Academies · Grade 4

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.

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The students in our classroom chose to call their village Stitch Village as they wanted the village to reflect the theme within our classroom. I deliberately did not provide any structure for this village. They chose where the streets, parking lots and intersections should be. It was an engaging activity which they kept on adding to whenever they had free time.

Unit

Meeting Needs and Wants

Grade

2nd Grade

Example Type

Wall Display

The students in our classroom chose to call their village Stitch Village as they wanted the village to reflect the theme within our classroom. I deliberately did not provide any structure for this village. They chose where the streets, parking lots and intersections should be. It was an engaging activity which they kept on adding to whenever they had free time.

Additional Info

from , 2nd Grade

Unit

Meeting Needs and Wants

Grade

2nd Grade

Example Type

Wall Display

Students taking a closer look at the immigrant experience by examining Ellis Island and furthering their understanding of the 3rd wave of immigration. They are also analyzing primary and secondary sources through media and photographs, as well as drawing conclusions about the impacts of immigration in the US.

Unit

Migration and Movement

Grade

3rd Grade

Example Type

Students taking a closer look at the immigrant experience by examining Ellis Island and furthering their understanding of the 3rd wave of immigration. They are also analyzing primary and secondary sources through media and photographs, as well as drawing conclusions about the impacts of immigration in the US.

Additional Info

Yolanda Lee from San Francisco Unified School District: CA, 3rd Grade

Unit

Migration and Movement

Grade

3rd Grade

Example Type

At my school, we are beginning to create class books about Navigating School. There are 5 K2 classes and each is going to be doing a different part of the school. (classroom, hallway, cafeteria, specials, and playground) My class is going to be navigating the hallway so I created the cover page for the book. Each student if going to create a page about how they can navigate the hallway. Some ideas we brainstormed included lining up, quiet voices, eyes forward, safe bodies, and hands by our sides. I included a rough draft from one of my students in the picture. The next step will be to revise and create our final drafts. We can't wait to read our book as a class!

Unit

Navigating School

Grade

Kindergarten

Example Type

At my school, we are beginning to create class books about Navigating School. There are 5 K2 classes and each is going to be doing a different part of the school. (classroom, hallway, cafeteria, specials, and playground) My class is going to be navigating the hallway so I created the cover page for the book. Each student if going to create a page about how they can navigate the hallway. Some ideas we brainstormed included lining up, quiet voices, eyes forward, safe bodies, and hands by our sides. I included a rough draft from one of my students in the picture. The next step will be to revise and create our final drafts. We can't wait to read our book as a class!

Additional Info

Colleen Saia from Lawrence Family Development Charter: MA, Kindergarten

Unit

Navigating School

Grade

Kindergarten

Example Type

We are a Tk-8 Dual Immersion Academy and our 6th grade students learn social science/studies in Spanish. We are enjoying InquirEd en Español!

Unit

The Human Story

Grade

6th Grade

Example Type

Anchor Chart

We are a Tk-8 Dual Immersion Academy and our 6th grade students learn social science/studies in Spanish. We are enjoying InquirEd en Español!

Additional Info

from , 6th Grade

Unit

The Human Story

Grade

6th Grade

Example Type

Anchor Chart

I created a road using thin strips of black paper and craypas. Students were given a half-sheet of paper and told to create a place in our community where our needs were met. I went to the workroom and got some scraps so they could make windows and other shapes for their buildings. Some students made the same building and we put them together to make a two story building. It has been a great conversation piece for when new places come up (could we add that to "Our Community?" Do we have ______ in our community already? Where in the community would you go to meet this need or want?

Unit

Meeting Needs and Wants

Grade

2nd Grade

Example Type

Wall Display

I created a road using thin strips of black paper and craypas. Students were given a half-sheet of paper and told to create a place in our community where our needs were met. I went to the workroom and got some scraps so they could make windows and other shapes for their buildings. Some students made the same building and we put them together to make a two story building. It has been a great conversation piece for when new places come up (could we add that to "Our Community?" Do we have ______ in our community already? Where in the community would you go to meet this need or want?

Additional Info

from , 2nd Grade

Unit

Meeting Needs and Wants

Grade

2nd Grade

Example Type

Wall Display

We started with the QFT and got 4 big pages of questions! Students loved learning about all the different members of our community and interviewing them. We also learned a lot about norms when we toured our school and shared what each norm would be in different places in our school.

Unit

Navigating School

Grade

Kindergarten

Example Type

Investigation Questions Anchor Chart

We started with the QFT and got 4 big pages of questions! Students loved learning about all the different members of our community and interviewing them. We also learned a lot about norms when we toured our school and shared what each norm would be in different places in our school.

Additional Info

Mamie Pepper from Alta Vista School: CA, Kindergarten

Unit

Navigating School

Grade

Kindergarten

Example Type

Investigation Questions Anchor Chart

While I teach a transitional bilingual class, Social Science is explicitly taught in Spanish. The students have become experts in their respective regions and provided information to their peers regarding plants, climate, and different characteristics. Students really enjoy exploring the regions outlined by the inquiry questions and I’ve seen a shift in student accountability. When students ask questions like, “Which tribes are located in the Subartic?” I am not being asked. Students go up to the experts and ask them directly. I’m fortunate to have such an inquisitive group, but the resources and structure provide an outstanding way to encourage thoughtful discourse about the rich history of the native groups of the Americas. I can see that my students care about the information they’re presenting.

Unit

Native America

Grade

5th Grade

Example Type

While I teach a transitional bilingual class, Social Science is explicitly taught in Spanish. The students have become experts in their respective regions and provided information to their peers regarding plants, climate, and different characteristics. Students really enjoy exploring the regions outlined by the inquiry questions and I’ve seen a shift in student accountability. When students ask questions like, “Which tribes are located in the Subartic?” I am not being asked. Students go up to the experts and ask them directly. I’m fortunate to have such an inquisitive group, but the resources and structure provide an outstanding way to encourage thoughtful discourse about the rich history of the native groups of the Americas. I can see that my students care about the information they’re presenting.

Additional Info

from , 5th Grade

Unit

Native America

Grade

5th Grade

Example Type

This was the beginning of the unit and I am so excited for the connections that will be made as we progress through modules.

Unit

The American Revolution

Grade

5th Grade

Example Type

Other

This was the beginning of the unit and I am so excited for the connections that will be made as we progress through modules.

Additional Info

Maribel Moon from Cherry Creek Schools: CO, 5th Grade

Unit

The American Revolution

Grade

5th Grade

Example Type

Other

Inquiry Statement - In order to ensure sustainability of natural resources in the future, changes need to be made to the way we live. Action Statement - We will create a sustainable city that we would love to live in one day. The students have been learning about natural resources and sustainability in social studies since November. After reading the interview with Lancaster's new mayor, Jaime Arroyo, in the LNP in early February, I thought the students would enjoy the challenge of making a model walkable city that also included sustainable energy sources. Each part of the city was created and built out the learning and imagination of the 4th graders. Lots of tape, glue, and love went into this, and I couldn’t be prouder. The cherry of top was that Mayor Arroyo actually came to visit our school and saw the students’ creations!

Unit

Natural Resources of the U.S.

Grade

4th Grade

Example Type

Final Product

Inquiry Statement - In order to ensure sustainability of natural resources in the future, changes need to be made to the way we live. Action Statement - We will create a sustainable city that we would love to live in one day. The students have been learning about natural resources and sustainability in social studies since November. After reading the interview with Lancaster's new mayor, Jaime Arroyo, in the LNP in early February, I thought the students would enjoy the challenge of making a model walkable city that also included sustainable energy sources. Each part of the city was created and built out the learning and imagination of the 4th graders. Lots of tape, glue, and love went into this, and I couldn’t be prouder. The cherry of top was that Mayor Arroyo actually came to visit our school and saw the students’ creations!

Additional Info

Heather Jenkins from School District of Lancaster: PA, 4th Grade

Unit

Natural Resources of the U.S.

Grade

4th Grade

Example Type

Final Product

Students were actively engaged in the lessons about families. They enjoyed sharing about their families and discussing how their families are similar and different. The stories were relatable and engaging. I really appreciated having slides to guide the lessons and the printed worksheets. The quilt turned out very nice. My students' families got to see the quilt during back to school night and loved it.

Unit

Families Near and Far

Grade

1st Grade

Example Type

Handout

Students were actively engaged in the lessons about families. They enjoyed sharing about their families and discussing how their families are similar and different. The stories were relatable and engaging. I really appreciated having slides to guide the lessons and the printed worksheets. The quilt turned out very nice. My students' families got to see the quilt during back to school night and loved it.

Additional Info

from , 1st Grade

Unit

Families Near and Far

Grade

1st Grade

Example Type

Handout

Students really took ownership and put their own ideas into this massive mural!

Unit

Navigating School

Grade

Kindergarten

Example Type

Wall Display

Students really took ownership and put their own ideas into this massive mural!

Additional Info

Emma Stewart from Quality Schools International: IT, Kindergarten

Unit

Navigating School

Grade

Kindergarten

Example Type

Wall Display

This is our InquirED wall from the beginning of the school year! We created and posted our quilt squares with words to describe ourselves, hung some of the read-aloud books we loved, and added a couple maps of our country and world! We even put post-it notes on where our students and their families are from so we could see just how diverse and unique we all are. It was a great activity to start the year off right!

Unit

Families Near and Far

Grade

1st Grade

Example Type

Wall Display

This is our InquirED wall from the beginning of the school year! We created and posted our quilt squares with words to describe ourselves, hung some of the read-aloud books we loved, and added a couple maps of our country and world! We even put post-it notes on where our students and their families are from so we could see just how diverse and unique we all are. It was a great activity to start the year off right!

Additional Info

from , 1st Grade

Unit

Families Near and Far

Grade

1st Grade

Example Type

Wall Display

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