;
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4. Learners evaluate their explanations in light of alternative explanations,
particularly those reflecting scientific understanding
5. Learners communicate and justify their proposed explanations (NRC,
2000, p. 25)
The clear emphasis is on the construction of knowledge through asking
questions and developing answers from evidence. A more recent document,
A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts,
and Core Ideas, (NRC, 2012) catalogues a revised set of inquiry elements
called Scientific and Engineering Practices:
1. Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
2. Developing and using models
3. Planning and carrying out investigations
4. Analyzing and interpreting data
5. Using mathematics and computational thinking
6. Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for
engineering)
7. Engaging in argument from evidence
8. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information (NRC, 2012, p
42)
These practices form the basis for applying inquiry in The Next Generation
Science Standards (NGSS) (Achieve, 2013), which were released in April,
2013. The chief difference between the two sets of elements is that
the
Practices include engineering, an applied science, and delineate a broader
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