Celebrate your students!

Inquiry Week is also about celebrating students and the questions they bring to learning.

We’re sharing a student Inquiry Week certificate you can use to recognize students for their curiosity, questioning, and thinking. It’s a simple way to celebrate inquiry, whether your work feels finished or still in progress.

Contest FAQs

Do submissions need to be perfect?

No. We’re interested in the learning process, not polished final products.

Inquiry work might include student work, vocabulary, anchor charts, images, or other artifacts that show thinking over time. If it reflects real student questions and learning, it counts.

How will winners be chosen?

Submissions are reviewed for creativity, clarity, and how well they represent the inquiry process. Winning submissions may be featured in an Inquiry Work Gallery to help other educators see what inquiry can look like in real classrooms.

What file types can I submit?

You can submit:

  • Images (JPG or PNG)
  • Videos (MP4 or MOV) Files should be under 100 MB.

Do I need to submit physical copies of student work?

No. Digital submissions work great.

If space is limited, feel free to share smaller pieces of student work or snapshots that capture student thinking, reading, or writing in social studies.

Any tips for taking photos or videos of my inquiry work?

A few simple tips:

  • Take more than one photo.
  • Include at least one full view, plus a few close-ups.
  • Make sure the image is bright and easy to read.

Clear photos help us see student thinking more clearly.

Looking for inspiration?

Explore examples from the Inquiry Work Gallery.

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

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Co-created Sparks of a Revolution anchor chart

Unit

The American Revolution

Grade

5th Grade

Example Type

Anchor Chart

Co-created Sparks of a Revolution anchor chart

Additional Info

from , 5th Grade

Unit

The American Revolution

Grade

5th Grade

Example Type

Anchor Chart

Co-created anchor chart about the success factors of the American Revolution.

Unit

The American Revolution

Grade

5th Grade

Example Type

Anchor Chart

Co-created anchor chart about the success factors of the American Revolution.

Additional Info

from , 5th Grade

Unit

The American Revolution

Grade

5th Grade

Example Type

Anchor Chart

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 School District - Added Books: CA, 4th Grade

Unit

Our State and Region

Grade

4th Grade

Example Type

Wall Display

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

My students worked in collaborative groups after completing module one to brainstorm ways to be global citizens. They created posters and presented them to the class.

Unit

Global Connections

Grade

3rd Grade

Example Type

Wall Display

My students worked in collaborative groups after completing module one to brainstorm ways to be global citizens. They created posters and presented them to the class.

Additional Info

from , 3rd Grade

Unit

Global Connections

Grade

3rd Grade

Example Type

Wall Display

The bulletin board shows a cross curricular connection between ELA and Social Studies. We studied poetry in ELA and Natural Resources in Social Studies. Students wrote poems to describe the uses, challenges, and solutions of using natural resources.

Unit

Natural Resources of the U.S.

Grade

4th Grade

Example Type

Inquiry-Long Display

The bulletin board shows a cross curricular connection between ELA and Social Studies. We studied poetry in ELA and Natural Resources in Social Studies. Students wrote poems to describe the uses, challenges, and solutions of using natural resources.

Additional Info

Ronye Craft from Detroit Public Schools Community - Parent District: MI, 4th Grade

Unit

Natural Resources of the U.S.

Grade

4th Grade

Example Type

Inquiry-Long Display

We created a connections wall utilizing our individual maps to show how we are all connected!

Unit

Global Connections

Grade

3rd Grade

Example Type

Inquiry-Long Display

We created a connections wall utilizing our individual maps to show how we are all connected!

Additional Info

from , 3rd Grade, 4th Grade

Unit

Global Connections

Grade

3rd Grade

Example Type

Inquiry-Long Display

After working through the modules, the children really wanted to show off their learning and take action in a hands on way. They were very eager to create something specifically about the people and places that make our school a great place to learn. This final product is their model of the school learning spaces and all the children and school helpers that are special to them!

Unit

Navigating School

Grade

Kindergarten

Example Type

Final Product

After working through the modules, the children really wanted to show off their learning and take action in a hands on way. They were very eager to create something specifically about the people and places that make our school a great place to learn. This final product is their model of the school learning spaces and all the children and school helpers that are special to them!

Additional Info

from , Kindergarten

Unit

Navigating School

Grade

Kindergarten

Example Type

Final Product

This is our inquiry wall that we build throughout the American Revolution. There is a timeline on the bottom with the events. The students made portraits of revolutionaries on one side (quick sketches).

Unit

The American Revolution

Grade

5th Grade

Example Type

Inquiry-Long Display

This is our inquiry wall that we build throughout the American Revolution. There is a timeline on the bottom with the events. The students made portraits of revolutionaries on one side (quick sketches).

Additional Info

Kkish from Hover: PA, 5th Grade

Unit

The American Revolution

Grade

5th Grade

Example Type

Inquiry-Long Display

Inquiry Question Chart for Colonial Era

Unit

The Colonial Era

Grade

5th Grade

Example Type

Investigation Questions Anchor Chart

Inquiry Question Chart for Colonial Era

Additional Info

Sarah Garcia from Maywood School District 89: IL, 5th Grade

Unit

The Colonial Era

Grade

5th Grade

Example Type

Investigation Questions Anchor Chart

My students participated in a jigsaw activity where they explored various historical events connected to our state’s story. Each student became an “expert” on one event, then worked to explain why that event is important to include in the broader story of our state’s history. This module encouraged teamwork, critical thinking, and pride in our local heritage. The students did a fantastic job making meaningful connections and expressing why these moments matter to our shared story!

Unit

Our State and Region

Grade

4th Grade

Example Type

Handout

My students participated in a jigsaw activity where they explored various historical events connected to our state’s story. Each student became an “expert” on one event, then worked to explain why that event is important to include in the broader story of our state’s history. This module encouraged teamwork, critical thinking, and pride in our local heritage. The students did a fantastic job making meaningful connections and expressing why these moments matter to our shared story!

Additional Info

from , 4th Grade

Unit

Our State and Region

Grade

4th Grade

Example Type

Handout

Students wrote non-fiction texts about Native American groups.

Unit

Native America

Grade

5th Grade

Example Type

Other

Students wrote non-fiction texts about Native American groups.

Additional Info

from , 5th Grade

Unit

Native America

Grade

5th Grade

Example Type

Other

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Experience a Lesson

K-2 core ELA and social studies in one block

Inkwell is a K-2 core curriculum that integrates ELA and social studies into one cohesive instructional block. Experience a lesson live with the team behind the curriculum, see exactly how it runs, and bring the questions you'd ask if you were piloting it in your district next year.

Request more information

About Inkwell

K-2 core ELA and social studies in one, 70-minute instructional block.

Inkwell is an inquiry-based HQIM for both ELA and social studies, designed so each subject strengthens the other. Students develop their literacy by reading, writing, and discussing within sustained social studies investigations.

  • Supports mastery of ELA and social studies standards in one block
  • Grounded in the Science of Reading
  • Embeds explicit writing instruction in daily lessons
  • Builds knowledge through content-rich social studies investigations
  • Connects and deepens learning through inquiry

Learn more >>

Save time

Inkwell’s 70-minute block replaces two separate ELA and social studies blocks. Teachers no longer have to choose between ELA and social studies, and the time they get back goes to foundational skills, math, and intervention.

Deepen comprehension

Inkwell’s integrated design develops the background knowledge and academic vocabulary comprehension depends on. And, each unit students apply that knowledge to a new text, task or idea to deepen comprehension and extend their learning.

Give writing purpose

Inkwell writing starts with explicit daily instruction and asks students to use writing to make meaning of texts. Then, it asks students to go one step further and use the knowledge they’ve built as evidence for a broader disciplinary idea.

"Students actually are engaged, actually have a smile. It brought tears to my eyes because I'm like, this is what school looks like."

Yasmin, First Grade Inkwell Teacher, NJ

"I think that's the first time I've ever seen everyone — including my [multilingual] kids — understand every single part of a book from a whole-class read-aloud, the first time, without extra prompting."

Talia, First Grade Inkwell Teacher, NJ

What happens in this session

01

One lesson we'll go through from start to finish.

Watch how an integrated ELA and social studies block lets students read, write, and discuss around a single anchor idea.

02

Where the integration happens.

See what makes this different from a traditional ELA program that only adds in social studies topics: the texts, the writing tasks, the social studies and ELA standards that build comprehension and knowledge at the same time.

03

The K-2 design choices.

We'll walk through language comprehension, vocabulary development, and structured discussion behind the lesson, and explain the K-2 design choices we made and why.

FAQ

Who is this session for?

Curriculum leaders, instructional coaches, principals, and teachers evaluating an elementary ELA and/or social studies curriculum. We designed these sessions for leaders making purchasing decisions, but classroom teachers are welcome.

How long is the session?

60 minutes: 30 minutes inside the lesson, 20 minutes of debrief, and 10 minutes for Q&A.

Do I need to prep anything?

No. Show up with a notebook (paper or digital) and a willingness to be a student for a half hour.

Will my district's content be shared?

No. Other registrants will see your name and district in the participant list. We don't record sessions.

Is there a recording if I can't make it?

We don't record — the value is in the live experience. If none of the dates work, request a 1:1 walkthrough and we'll set one up with your team.

Contact us

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