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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Download certificate (PDF)Student Works
Explore examples from the Inquiry Work Gallery.
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Students painted birds eye view pictures, created maps and illustrated a page for a book. Their target audience was incoming kindergarten families.
Navigating School
Kindergarten
Wall Display
Students painted birds eye view pictures, created maps and illustrated a page for a book. Their target audience was incoming kindergarten families.
Additional Info
Jennie Greene from Skokie District 68: IL, Kindergarten
Winter Counts created by students! Walden School, Deerfield School District 109
Native America
5th Grade
Handout
Winter Counts created by students! Walden School, Deerfield School District 109
Additional Info
Barbara Mastin from Deerfield Public Schools District 109: IL, 5th Grade
Students researched early settlements looking for examples of cooperation and conflict. They created Mind Maps showing what they learned. Walden School, Deerfield School District 109
The Colonial Era
5th Grade
Handout
Students researched early settlements looking for examples of cooperation and conflict. They created Mind Maps showing what they learned. Walden School, Deerfield School District 109
Additional Info
Barbara Mastin from Deerfield Public Schools District 109: IL, 5th Grade
As an Inquiry Project, students created graphic novels focusing on sustainability. South Park School, Deerfield School District 109
Natural Resources of the U.S.
4th Grade
Final Product
As an Inquiry Project, students created graphic novels focusing on sustainability. South Park School, Deerfield School District 109
Additional Info
Barbara Mastin from Deerfield Public Schools District 109: IL, 4th Grade
The students had choice in their product. Some chose to write a letter while others chose to create a slideshow in Seesaw. They wanted to address the "injustice" of not being allowed on one part of our playground or the need for more water fountains in our cafeteria.
Civic Engagement
1st Grade
Final Product
The students had choice in their product. Some chose to write a letter while others chose to create a slideshow in Seesaw. They wanted to address the "injustice" of not being allowed on one part of our playground or the need for more water fountains in our cafeteria.
Additional Info
Beth Caruso from South Brunswick School District: NJ, 1st Grade
This mural was inspired by a group project we completed in the beginning of the year. We reflected on our work and recreated a mural to show how we worked as individuals to create a product as a team.
My Team and Self
Kindergarten
Final Product
This mural was inspired by a group project we completed in the beginning of the year. We reflected on our work and recreated a mural to show how we worked as individuals to create a product as a team.
Additional Info
Paula Walker from Quality Schools International: IT, Kindergarten, 1st Grade
State Scrapbook Page: Western Region
Natural Resources of the U.S.
4th Grade
Other
State Scrapbook Page: Western Region
Additional Info
Nicole Rossi from Dock Mennonite Academy: PA, 4th Grade
Students created replicas of different Native American tribal lands and homes based off of the different regions in North America.
Native America
5th Grade
Final Product
Students created replicas of different Native American tribal lands and homes based off of the different regions in North America.
Additional Info
Amanda Stewart from Pilgrim School: CA, 5th Grade
We created a gameboard of our special location.
Our Special Location
1st Grade
Other
We created a gameboard of our special location.
Additional Info
Faith Lau from San Francisco Unified School District: CA, 1st Grade
Students created a variety of written products in order to inspire the school about saving natural resources.
Natural Resources of the U.S.
4th Grade
Final Product
Students created a variety of written products in order to inspire the school about saving natural resources.
Additional Info
Carla Martinez from Tacoma Public Schools: WA, 4th Grade
Students created comic strips that encourages our community to go and pick up litter and also to reuse thing so that less litter happens.
Natural Resources of the U.S.
4th Grade
Final Product
Students created comic strips that encourages our community to go and pick up litter and also to reuse thing so that less litter happens.
Additional Info
Chelsea Dallman from Iowa City Community School District: IA, 4th Grade
Our Special Location The students used their collaboration skills to create a school mural that had symbols that represented our community and our special location. Students investigate how location, natural features, and climate shape daily life, and how goods and services are produced to address community needs and wants.
Our Special Location
1st Grade
Wall Display
Our Special Location The students used their collaboration skills to create a school mural that had symbols that represented our community and our special location. Students investigate how location, natural features, and climate shape daily life, and how goods and services are produced to address community needs and wants.
Additional Info
Chrissy Milliken from Agnes Irwin School: PA, 1st Grade
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