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.



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

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.

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.

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.
Every student who participated in Inquiry Week 2026 deserves recognition. Download the official participation certificate to celebrate their curiosity and hard work.
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Students realized kids were overusing soap and water in the bathrooms. After learning about the importance of using resources responsibly, they created posters to remind students of the expectations.
Natural Resources of the U.S.
4th Grade
Final Product
Students realized kids were overusing soap and water in the bathrooms. After learning about the importance of using resources responsibly, they created posters to remind students of the expectations.
Additional Info
Whitney Duthie from Iowa City Community School District: IA, 4th Grade

This wall displays shows student work from the Our State and Region.
Our State and Region
4th Grade
Wall Display
This wall displays shows student work from the Our State and Region.
Additional Info
Linda Withers from Waukee Community School District: IA, 4th Grade

My students love this unit! There is so much depth and students get to learn multiple perspectives on how Oregon became a state. The Inquiry Wall is something we refer back to all unit long and students love to see their work on the wall.
Our State and Region
4th Grade
Inquiry-Long Display
My students love this unit! There is so much depth and students get to learn multiple perspectives on how Oregon became a state. The Inquiry Wall is something we refer back to all unit long and students love to see their work on the wall.
Additional Info
Amanda Hargadine from Canby School District: OR, 4th Grade

We taught this unit in a 4/5 blend. Students worked in groups and were engaged. Each group focused on a different region and within the group each person created an artifact to represent a different area of the Native American group's life.
Native America
5th Grade
Final Product
We taught this unit in a 4/5 blend. Students worked in groups and were engaged. Each group focused on a different region and within the group each person created an artifact to represent a different area of the Native American group's life.
Additional Info
Angela Kastrava from Canby School District: OR, 5th Grade, 4th Grade

My students also made inquiry products like colonial cook books, posters, presentations, and skits. We had a lot of great discussions during the unit and students were engaged throughout.
The Colonial Era
5th Grade
Final Product
My students also made inquiry products like colonial cook books, posters, presentations, and skits. We had a lot of great discussions during the unit and students were engaged throughout.
Additional Info
Kaberi Banerjee from Lake Washington School District: WA, 5th Grade

For this wall display, the students connected the different ways they could learn from others around the world and show how we are all connected through our global citizenship. Students researched different countries and learned about how goods and raw materials can originate from all over the world before they reach the stores we buy them from.
Global Connections
3rd Grade
Wall Display
For this wall display, the students connected the different ways they could learn from others around the world and show how we are all connected through our global citizenship. Students researched different countries and learned about how goods and raw materials can originate from all over the world before they reach the stores we buy them from.
Additional Info
Joanna Hecker from Lake Washington School District: WA, 3rd Grade

Students painted self portraits and filled in hearts with pictures and words to show themselves on the outside and inside.
My Team and Self
Kindergarten
Wall Display

Every year students present their Native American Cultural Area Museum Exhibits: students build, mold, draw, analyze, and create awesome projects to share based on their role in the group. There is a shelter diorama, story analysis, artifact analysis, food samples presentation, artwork presentation or inspired artwork creation, and clothing presentations for each of the cultural areas. Students are placed in their groups and they then decide who is going to take on which role, so it is an amazing project for student choice and demonstrating mastery in multiple ways.
Native America
5th Grade
Final Product
Every year students present their Native American Cultural Area Museum Exhibits: students build, mold, draw, analyze, and create awesome projects to share based on their role in the group. There is a shelter diorama, story analysis, artifact analysis, food samples presentation, artwork presentation or inspired artwork creation, and clothing presentations for each of the cultural areas. Students are placed in their groups and they then decide who is going to take on which role, so it is an amazing project for student choice and demonstrating mastery in multiple ways.
Additional Info
BAILEY GREENWALD from National Heritage Academies - Parent District: NC, MI, NY, CO, 5th Grade

This was a wonderful, student driven project. The class worked in groups to brainstorm places in several categories including: activities, shopping, restaurants, places to visit, and private lessons available. Students focused on 3 specific activities that had personal meaning to them and explained what the place was and why it was kid friendly. Then they chose other pictures of places from the general list for the middle photos and created a list of other things like schools, (mostly private, including preschools), places to shop, lessons, places to visit, etc. depending upon what was already included in their brochure. The class remained excited throughout the activity and they were all proud of their finished products.
Our Special Location
1st Grade
Final Product
This was a wonderful, student driven project. The class worked in groups to brainstorm places in several categories including: activities, shopping, restaurants, places to visit, and private lessons available. Students focused on 3 specific activities that had personal meaning to them and explained what the place was and why it was kid friendly. Then they chose other pictures of places from the general list for the middle photos and created a list of other things like schools, (mostly private, including preschools), places to shop, lessons, places to visit, etc. depending upon what was already included in their brochure. The class remained excited throughout the activity and they were all proud of their finished products.
Additional Info
Heather Chapman from Quality Schools International: IT, 1st Grade

We created a gameboard of our special location.
Our Special Location
1st Grade
Other

Students illustrated and organized flip book handouts.
Our Special Location
1st Grade
Wall Display

Students researched Indigenous Americans and used Canva to created Infographics to share what they learned. Walden School, Deerfield School District 109
Native America
5th Grade
Final Product
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