Inquiry Based Learning Activities for Teachers
Explore inquiry-based learning activities created by teachers to launch students into open-ended investigations and tasks that encourage them to think critically and logically to complete tasks.
The projects in this teaching resource collection were created by the teachers on the Teach Starter team to encourage independence and self-management while empowering students!
Curious about adding inquiry based learning to your classroom? Read on for a primer from our teacher team!
What Is Inquiry-Based Learning?
Inquiry-based learning is a pedagogical approach that focuses on active student engagement and exploration by asking questions, investigating and seeking answers.
Whew. That was a mouthful!
Essentially, this approach encourages students to become more independent learners by letting kids be curious and question!
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American Hero Triorama Project
Identify and encourage research into notable American and Texan heroes with a triorama project.
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All About Me Time Capsule
Build a self-portrait time capsule as a fun first day of school activity!
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End of Year Project- Design a Summer Camp
Plan, design, and organize a Summer Camp Program with a fun end of year art and STEM project for elementary students.
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Food Truck Frenzy! End-of-Year Project Based STEM Learning Activity
Introduce your students to the world of Food Trucks as they master math, STEM, and art to design and run their own food truck.
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Let's Research! Digital and Print Poster Project Templates
Conduct, organize, and display research about books, people, planets, animals, states, and countries with a versatile set of printable and digital poster templates.
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Buoyancy Experiment – Sink or Swim
Use this practical buoyancy experiment when teaching your students about why some objects float in water while others sink.
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Liquid Volume Math Investigation - Bath Time at the Farm!
A mathematics investigation involving liquid volume, embedded in a real-world context.
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Financial Planning Math Investigation - My Day at Leisure Land!
A mathematics investigation involving financial planning embedded in a real-world context.
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Pirate Ship Building STEM Challenge (5-6)
Challenge upper grade students to build a pirate ship with a fun (and engaging) STEM Building challenge created by teachers, for teachers.
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Build a Pizza Box Oven - Solar Energy STEM Project
Build a pizza box solar oven to demonstrate the power of thermal energy with an exciting Solar Oven Stem Project
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Shelter Building STEM Challenge (1-2)
Discove rhow shelters protect living things by challenging your students to build an animal shelter in this Shelter Building Stem Activity.
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Evaporation Experiment - Cover to Conserve
Investigate if evaporation can be reduced by covering a body of water with a hands on Evaporation Experiment.
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Changing Matter Experiment – How Long Will It Take to Melt?
Explore how solids change into liquids with an exciting hands-on Matter science experiment.
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Science Experiment - Observing a Chemical Reaction
A science experiment that investigates chemical changes and the law of conservation of mass.
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2nd Grade - Properties of Matter Investigation
Investigate properties of matter, including temperature, state, flexibility and texture, with a hands-on Matter Activity for 2nd Grade.
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Science Experiment - Changing States of Matter
Investigates how a substance's state of matter can be changed with a hands-on science experiment.
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Does Air Have Mass? Matter Science Experiments
Explore the physical properties of gases and discover that air has mass with a set of 4 matter experiments for kids.
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Going, Going, Gone! - Changing States of Matter Experiment
Explore the changing states of matter due to temperature with an engaging science lab activity.
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Design a Conservation T-Shirt – Inquiry-Based Project
Use this conservation project to teach your students about how to ignite positive change in the face of a global environmental crisis.
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Can You Save Fred? Activity
Can You Save Fred? Encourage teamwork and resilience with a fun, hands-on problem-solving and team-building STEM activity.
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Monster Mashup - Inherited Traits Activity
Introduce your students to inherited traits and learned behaviors through an exciting Monster Mashup Inherited Traits Activity!
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Bird Beak Lab Activity
Discover how birds’ beaks help them find food and survive in the wild with a hands-on Bird Beak Adaptation Lab.
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Human Inherited Traits Activity - Science Experiment
Engage your students in learning about the traits inherited from their parents with a fun Human Inherited Traits Lab activity.
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Animal Blubber Experiment - Polar Adaptations Activity
Explores the structural adaptation of blubber with an Arctic Animal Adaptation experiment..
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Animals That Adapt - Research Project & Report
Strengthen your students' understanding of conducting research with an Animal Adaptations research project.
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Adapting, Migrating, & Hibernating Animals Research Project
Set this classroom project for students to explore the topic of how seasons affect animals, and develop a species-specific profile on a chosen animal.
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Wheel of Heat Transfer Project
Explore the process of heat transfer with this engaging wheel of heat project.
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Sound Energy Project (Buzzing Balloons)
Engage your class with this sound energy exploration! This simple experiment will show students how sound is produced by a source and can be sensed.
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Plant Growth in Soils – Science Experiment
Explore how plants grow in different types of soil with this science experiment perfect for elementary school science lessons.
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Water Retention in Soils – Science Experiment
Explore the water retention capabilities of sand, silt, loam and clay with this science experiment for kids.
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Food Webs - Research Project
Explore the food webs that exist in various biomes around the world with this student-centered inquiry task.
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Creating Oxygen - Experiment
Investigate how oxygen is made with a hands on plant experiment.