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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Thanksgiving STEM Project — Thanksgiving Turkey Trap
Explore hands-on STEAM concepts with a Thanksgiving Turkey Trap STEM project for elementary students.
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Landform Diorama Project
Create and display a diorama of a landform with our landform project planning and creation templates.
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All About Me Time Capsule Worksheet Pack
Use this printable All About Me Time Capsule Worksheet Pack as a fun first day of school activity!
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Build a Crayon Box – STEM Activity
Foster critical thinking and problem solving with this back to school STEM activity.
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Goods and Services Advertisement Project
Engage your learners with an end-of-unit Goods and Services project.
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Back to School STEM Challenges – Grades 4-6
Integrate STEM activities into your back-to-school plans by guiding students to create a name badge, cantilever, and school mascot.
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Back to School - Plan a Field Trip Project
Integrate STEM activities into your beginning-of-year math and economics lessons by inviting your students to plan a field trip, calculate costs, and follow a budget.
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Me on the Map - City Map Project
Engage young learners in developing their map skills with a design-your-own map project.
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School Supply Shopping - Upper Grades
Calculate the cost of school supplies and answer questions with this back-to-school math activity.
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Differentiated Geographic Location Project-Primary and Upper Elementary
Uncover how geographic location affects the culture, customs, clothing, food, and overall lifestyle of humans with a differentiated research project.
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Back to School - Desk Nameplate Craftivity Project
Celebrate the first day of school, get to know your students, and learn everyone’s names with a first day name plate craftivity project.
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Back to School STEM Challenge Cards – Primary
Integrate STEM activities into your back-to-school plans by guiding students to create a picture frame, name tag, and pencil cup.
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Nonfiction Text Features – All About Me Project
Implement a text features project with an “All About Me” theme to explore informational text features with your students.
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End of Year- Carnival Planning Project
Integrate STEM activities into your end-of-year lessons by inviting young entrepreneurs to plan, design, and advertise their own carnival!
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World Changing Women 3D Cube Project
Research and record biographical information about 6 historical women and discuss the impacts of their contributions.
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Frida's Fiesta — Cross-Curricular Learning Activity
Bring real‑world learning into your classroom with Frida’s Fiesta, a flexible inquiry resource packed with engaging task cards.
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A Visual Story of ME! - Timeline Template
Apply knowledge of chronological order while students create a personal timeline highlighting important milestones.
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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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Friction Experiment - Sticky Friction
Use this engaging friction experiment when teaching your students about sliding friction and the effect it has on the movement of objects.
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Force and Motion Experiment – Throwing, Dropping, Bouncing, Rolling
Use this hands-on force and motion experiment when teaching your students about how forces influence the movement of objects.
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Magnet Experiment – Magnetic Flux Lines
Use this engaging magnet experiment when teaching your students about magnetic fields and their effect on magnetic objects.
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Science Experiment - Will It Change?
A science investigation in which the students observe changes that occur to various objects over time.
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Kinetic and Potential Energy: Pendulum Experiment
A science experiment to use with your students when learning about kinetic and potential energy and work.
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Density Column Science Experiment
A science experiment to use with your students when learning about density.
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A New Beginning – Island Economy Activity
An activity where students work together to create an economy on a deserted island.
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Celebrating Inspirational Women Inquiry Task
An inquiry task to use in the classroom when learning about inspirational contemporary women.
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Pattern Investigation - Friendship Bracelets
Support early math learning with this pattern investigation, designed to help students recognize and create repeating patterns through a hands-on friendship bracelet activity.
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Capacity Math Investigation - Filling the Fish Tank
A mathematics investigation involving capacity, embedded in a real-world context.
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Volume Investigation - Creating the Land of Cubes
A mathematics investigation involving volume, embedded in a real-world context.
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Electricity Experiment
An experiment to investigate if electricity moves better through different gage wires.
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Celebrations Around The World - Inquiry Task
A four page inquiry task, assessing students' knowledge of cultural celebrations from around the world.
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Mass Investigation - How Heavy Are the Objects in Your Classroom?
Explore the mass of objects in the classroom with this mass mathematics investigation embedded in a real-world context.