Inquiry Week 2026

Celebrating inquiry in every classroom

Teachers across the country shared photos of students in the thick of inquiry — asking questions, testing ideas, and discovering something new. Here are the classrooms that stood out.

1st place Inquiry Week Winner
1st place Inquiry Week Winner
1st place Inquiry Week Winner
This Year’s Winners

Outstanding inquiry across every grade

These classrooms were picked for their creativity, depth of questioning, and student engagement.

1st place Inquiry Week Winner
🥇 First Place

The Colonial Era

Jefferson County Public Schools, KY · Grade 5

This end of unit project for the Colonial America unit asks students to explore an important event or aspect of colonial life. Students chose a topic and created an illustration in the medium of their choice. They also wrote a caption that explains the event from the perspectives of the different groups they studied, helping them consider how people experienced the same moment in different ways.

2nd place Inquiry Week Winner
🥈 Second Place

Migration & Movement

Maywood School District 89, IL · Grade 3

After reading about different waves of immigration, third grade students created posters about a specific immigrant group and presented what they learned to the class. The activity sparked discussion about push and pull factors and helped students understand the challenges immigrants faced before and after arriving in the United States.

3rd place Inquiry Week Winner
🥉 Third Place

My Team & Self

Alta Vista School, CA · Kindergarten

In the My Team and Self inquiry unit, students reflected on their own strengths and then identified the strengths of their classmates. They shared and celebrated these qualities as a class while learning how each person contributes to a team. The experience helped students understand the importance of teamwork and appreciating one another.

For Participants

Download your certificate

Every student who participated in Inquiry Week 2026 deserves recognition. Download the official participation certificate to celebrate their curiosity and hard work.

Download certificate (PDF)

Student Works

Explore examples from the Inquiry Work Gallery.

Click on a thumbnail below to expand and view more images.

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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.

Unit

Families Near and Far

Grade

1st Grade

Example Type

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

Unit

Families Near and Far

Grade

1st Grade

Example Type

Handout

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.

Unit

The Colonial Era

Grade

5th Grade

Example Type

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

Unit

The Colonial Era

Grade

5th Grade

Example Type

Other

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

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.

Unit

Economic Choices

Grade

4th Grade

Example Type

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

Unit

Economic Choices

Grade

4th Grade

Example Type

Wall Display

In Module 2/Lessons 4-5, small groups present "mini posters" of the research they have done on their assigned cultural area. My students really wanted to add more color and artwork, so we decided to make more traditionally sized posters to capture what they learned. Posters are on display in their social studies classroom as well as the hallway. Kids enjoyed their classmates' presentations, and also liked the chance to see what other classes created as well. Posters will stay on display through the conclusion of the inquiry in November.

Unit

Native America

Grade

5th Grade

Example Type

Wall Display

In Module 2/Lessons 4-5, small groups present "mini posters" of the research they have done on their assigned cultural area. My students really wanted to add more color and artwork, so we decided to make more traditionally sized posters to capture what they learned. Posters are on display in their social studies classroom as well as the hallway. Kids enjoyed their classmates' presentations, and also liked the chance to see what other classes created as well. Posters will stay on display through the conclusion of the inquiry in November.

Additional Info

Yasmin Dalal from The Frances Xavier Warde School: IL, 5th Grade

Unit

Native America

Grade

5th Grade

Example Type

Wall Display

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.

Unit

Meeting Needs and Wants

Grade

2nd Grade

Example Type

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

Unit

Meeting Needs and Wants

Grade

2nd Grade

Example Type

Handout

Our Inquiry Unit - 4th Grade California: The Diverse Geography of California After student groups studied a particular region of California, they used their annotated articles to pull ideas/descriptive words to help them write a haiku about that region. We created an interactive bulletin board where students passing by in the hallway could guess what region was being described in the haiku and then check their answer by flipping the card. Students also created illustrations to go along with their answer.

Unit

Our State and Region

Grade

4th Grade

Example Type

Wall Display

Our Inquiry Unit - 4th Grade California: The Diverse Geography of California After student groups studied a particular region of California, they used their annotated articles to pull ideas/descriptive words to help them write a haiku about that region. We created an interactive bulletin board where students passing by in the hallway could guess what region was being described in the haiku and then check their answer by flipping the card. Students also created illustrations to go along with their answer.

Additional Info

Wendee Lipnick from Walnut Creek Elementary School District: CA, 4th Grade

Unit

Our State and Region

Grade

4th Grade

Example Type

Wall Display

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.

Unit

The 20th Century Civil Rights Movement

Grade

3rd Grade

Example Type

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

Unit

The 20th Century Civil Rights Movement

Grade

3rd Grade

Example Type

This unit was a fantastic opportunity for my students because they researched their nations and proudly prepared presentations to share essential data, and made genuine connections with other countries.

Unit

Global Connections

Grade

3rd Grade

Example Type

Other

This unit was a fantastic opportunity for my students because they researched their nations and proudly prepared presentations to share essential data, and made genuine connections with other countries.

Additional Info

Gloria Navarrete Rodriguez from dpsk12.net: CO, 3rd Grade

Unit

Global Connections

Grade

3rd Grade

Example Type

Other

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.

Unit

Families Near and Far

Grade

1st Grade

Example Type

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

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

1. We took the mini-poster display idea from the lesson, and I added the visuals to support what the students learned to create really eye catching posters. 2. Students color coded their notes to allow them to know which resource to back to for reference.

Unit

Native America

Grade

5th Grade

Example Type

Handout

1. We took the mini-poster display idea from the lesson, and I added the visuals to support what the students learned to create really eye catching posters. 2. Students color coded their notes to allow them to know which resource to back to for reference.

Additional Info

JENNIFER Baker from dpsk12.net: CO, 5th Grade

Unit

Native America

Grade

5th Grade

Example Type

Handout

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