The beginning of a new school year is an exciting time. Capture that excitement by engaging your 10th-grade biology students in an inquiry project that demonstrates the nature of science and scientific inquiry. The Next Step Inquiry Project was developed to provide students with an opportunity to design a logical experiment that builds on prior knowledge and inquiry-based activities during the unit. Prior to the project, students begin the school year by exploring the effects of detergent on the digestion of protein in JELL-O. The results of this lab are shared with parents during the school's parents' night.