A pre-service teacher I was observing asked me this question after one of her lessons did not go the way she had hoped, and it is one I get a lot. Whenever she sets out the materials and tells students to start working, the same thing happens. A few minutes in, hands go up. A line forms by her desk. Students who do start working are uncertain about what they should be measuring or how to use the equipment in front of them. The pattern is familiar, and it is not a student-mot

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.