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.
Outstanding inquiry across every grade
These classrooms were picked for their creativity, depth of questioning, and student engagement.
The Colonial Era
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.
Migration & Movement
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.
My Team & Self
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.
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Explore examples from the Inquiry Work Gallery.
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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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