The Knowledge Building Enterprises In Science And Elementary School Science Classrooms

National curriculum policy documents recommend an emphasis on scientific inquiry throughout the K-12 science curriculum. In this vein, the American Association for the Advancement of Science policy document, Benchmarks for Scientific Literacy, contends that students’ conceptualization and responsibility over scientific investigations of their own design is fundamental to their understanding of science as a way of knowing. The National Research Council’s curriculum document, The National Science Education Standards, contends that a focus on inquiry in the teaching of science supports children’s learning of scientific concepts, their understanding of the nature of science, and their ability to pursue inquiry of their own. According to this NRC document, “Science as inquiry is basic to science education and a controlling principle in the ultimate organization and selection of students’ activities” (p. 105).