Scientific Inquiry

Asking questions, observing, predicting, testing ideas, and distinguishing evidence from belief.

K–12 objective ladder

• K D06.S1.K.01 Ask "why" and "how" questions about things in the world and offer their own ideas.
• 1 D06.S1.01.01 Use the five senses to observe and describe objects, plants, animals, and weather.
• 1 D06.S1.01.02 Ask a question about something they notice and offer a guess they can check.
• 2 D06.S1.02.01 Make a prediction, test it by doing, and tell whether the result matched the prediction.
• 2 D06.S1.02.02 Sort and group objects or events by one or more features and explain how they grouped them.
• 3 D06.S1.03.01 Plan and carry out a simple fair test by changing one thing and keeping the rest the same.
• 3 D06.S1.03.02 Record observations using drawings, words, or simple tables, and describe what the data show.
• 4 D06.S1.04.01 Use simple tools (such as a ruler, scale, thermometer, or magnifier) to measure and record observations with units.
• 4 D06.S1.04.02 Compare results across repeated trials and explain why repeating a test matters.
• 5 D06.S1.05.01 Form a testable question, design an investigation, and identify what stays the same and what changes.
• 5 D06.S1.05.02 Explain the difference between evidence, inference, and opinion using a simple example.
• 6 D06.S1.06.01 Collect and organize data in tables and graphs, and use them to support or revise a claim.
• 6 D06.S1.06.02 Identify sources of error or bias in a simple investigation and suggest how to reduce them.
• 7 D06.S1.07.01 Distinguish correlation from causation and explain why a pattern alone does not prove a cause.
• 7 D06.S1.07.02 Evaluate whether a claim is supported by evidence and identify what further evidence would help.
• 8 D06.S1.08.01 Design a controlled experiment with a clear hypothesis, variables, and a plan for repeated trials and controls.
• 8 D06.S1.08.02 Explain how scientific models are revised when new evidence appears, using a historical example.
• 9 D06.S1.09.01 Construct an evidence-based explanation that links data to a claim and states its limits and uncertainties.
• 9 D06.S1.09.02 Critically evaluate a source of scientific information for reliability, bias, and conflicts of interest.
• 10 D06.S1.10.01 Analyze data using basic statistics (mean, range, and trend) and assess how well the data support a conclusion.
• 10 D06.S1.10.02 Explain how peer review, replication, and open sharing make scientific knowledge trustworthy, and where they fall short.
• 11 D06.S1.11.01 Design and defend an investigation that controls variables, includes controls and replicates, and reports uncertainty.
• 11 D06.S1.11.02 Compare how different ways of knowing (scientific, indigenous, and artistic) generate and test knowledge, and what each offers.
• 12 D06.S1.12.01 Evaluate competing scientific explanations of the same phenomenon using criteria of evidence, coherence, and falsifiability.
• 12 D06.S1.12.02 Reflect on the ethics of scientific practice — who asks the questions, who benefits, and how knowledge is used — and propose a more just practice.

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