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!
- Plus Plan
Christmas STEM Project - Elf Trap
Experience hands-on STEM concepts with an engaging Elf Trap Project!
- Plus Plan
Thanksgiving STEM Project — Thanksgiving Turkey Trap
Explore hands-on STEAM concepts with a Thanksgiving Turkey Trap STEM project for elementary students.
- Plus Plan
Write With Your Senses: Daily Descriptive Writing Prompts
Inspire your students to write descriptively using our 20 daily descriptive writing prompts slide deck and graphic organizer.
- Plus Plan
Mapping Our Classroom - Mapmaking Project
Develop primary grade map skills with a classroom mapping project.
- Plus Plan
Landform Diorama Project
Create and display a diorama of a landform with our landform project planning and creation templates.
- Plus Plan
Goods and Services Advertisement Project
Engage your learners with an end-of-unit Goods and Services project.
- Plus Plan
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.
- Plus Plan
Me on the Map - City Map Project
Engage young learners in developing their map skills with a design-your-own map project.
- Plus Plan
School Supply Shopping - Upper Grades
Calculate the cost of school supplies and answer questions with this back-to-school math activity.
- Plus Plan
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.
- Plus Plan
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.
- Plus Plan
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!
- Plus Plan
STEM Activity — Ice Cream Shop Design Project
Use reading, writing, math, and STEM skills to plan, design, and advertise an Ice Cream Shop with a STEM education project for elementary students.
- Free Plan
End of Year Project - Lemonade Stand Design
Reap the benefits of STEM education by inviting young entrepreneurs to develop a Lemonade Stand with a STEM education project.
- Plus Plan
Plan Your Dream Vacation PDF / Slides Project
Prepare for a summer vacation with an end-of-the-year STEM activity.
- Plus Plan
End of Year - Build a Board Game Project
Build critical thinking, writing, and reading skills by engaging your students with an end-of-year S.T.E.M activity.
- Plus Plan
Design a Food Truck Math Project
Introduce your students to the world of Food Trucks as they master math, STEM, and art to design and run their own food truck.
- Plus Plan
World Changing Women 3D Cube Project
Research and record biographical information about 6 historical women and discuss the impacts of their contributions.
- Plus Plan
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.
- Plus Plan
A Visual Story of ME! - Timeline Template
Apply knowledge of chronological order while students create a personal timeline highlighting important milestones.
- Plus Plan
Buoyancy Experiment – Sink or Swim
Use this practical buoyancy experiment when teaching your students about why some objects float in water while others sink.
- Plus Plan
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.
- Plus Plan
Magnet Experiment – Magnetic Flux Lines
Use this engaging magnet experiment when teaching your students about magnetic fields and their effect on magnetic objects.
- Plus Plan
Science Experiment - Will It Change?
A science investigation in which the students observe changes that occur to various objects over time.
- Free Plan
Geography Flip Book
A flip book to use when learning about geography.
- Plus Plan
Kinetic and Potential Energy: Pendulum Experiment
A science experiment to use with your students when learning about kinetic and potential energy and work.
- Plus Plan
Density Column Science Experiment
A science experiment to use with your students when learning about density.
- Plus Plan
A New Beginning – Island Economy Activity
An activity where students work together to create an economy on a deserted island.
- Plus Plan
Balloon Car Experiment – Speed Racer
Use this hands-on balloon car experiment when teaching your 5th grade students about thrust force and its effect on the speed of objects.
- Free Plan
Celebrating Inspirational Women Inquiry Task
An inquiry task to use in the classroom when learning about inspirational contemporary women.
- Plus Plan
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.
- Plus Plan
Volume Investigation - Creating the Land of Cubes
A mathematics investigation involving volume, embedded in a real-world context.