“Science is not a list of facts and principles to learn by rote; it is a way of looking at the world and asking questions.” 

F. James Rutherford

SCIENCE AS INQUIRY

In the vision presented by the National Science Education Standards, inquiry is a step beyond "science as a process," in which students learn skills, such as observation, inference, and experimentation. The new vision includes the "processes of science" and requires that students combine processes and scientific knowledge as they use scientific reasoning and critical thinking to develop their understanding of science. Engaging students in inquiry helps students develop:

• Understanding of scientific concepts.

• An appreciation of "how we know" what we know in science.

• Understanding of the nature of science.

• Skills necessary to become independent inquirers about the natural world.

• The dispositions to use the skills, abilities, and attitudes associated with science.