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Open educational resources like OpenSciEd offer powerful storylines, but many teachers struggle with pacing and student engagement. Argument-Driven Inquiry (ADI) provides a practical jumping-off point—ready-to-use, hands-on investigations that fit naturally into OER units. Learn how ADI can serve as a benchmark or mid-unit checkpoint, giving students a complete cycle of questioning, data collection, and argumentation while keeping your NGSS instruction on track.

When Round Rock ISD first encountered Argument-Driven Inquiry (ADI), they saw a vision for what inquiry-based science instruction could look like: authentic, student-centered, and aligned with rigorous standards. By training a Science Cadre, piloting investigations, and scaling through PLCs, the district built teacher leadership and transformed classrooms. Today, ADI helps RRISD teachers engage every student in doing real science while also strengthening literacy and critical

Crosscutting concepts help students see connections across science disciplines, from patterns and cause-and-effect to systems and stability. In ADI investigations, these concepts are woven into every stage of inquiry, giving students the tools to think more deeply, make sense of complex phenomena, and apply their learning in meaningful ways.

Critical thinking in inquiry encourages students to question, analyze, and evaluate information. It pushes them beyond passive learning to active discovery.