The authors combined content-driven and inquiry-based lessons into the framework of problem-based learning (PBL). They did this in eight third- through sixth-grade classrooms--two each from grades 3-5, one from sixth grade, and one mixed-grade special education. These older elementary students explored a local problem of lobsters infected by lobster shell disease. This method included activities that directly addressed science standards while allowing students to delve into scientific questions and become comfortable with the scientific process and lingo. Although structured, the lessons were not simply a series of instructions with questions included as inquiry. Instead, students generated their own questions through guided research and hands-on labs that were used to develop subsequent lessons. Students were exposed to the required content through their own curiosity, making them more engaged while they simultaneously discovered the connections between science and the world around them. (Contains 5 figures.)