The difference between a curious thought and a scientific question
In short: Not all questions are created equal in the world of science. This lesson explores how to transform general curiosity into testable inquiries that can actually be investigated.
To conduct valid science, a question must be 'investigative'—meaning it can be tested through specific actions to obtain facts. The NRC's 'A Framework for K-12 Science Education' provides the Science and Engineering Practices that underpin this differentiation.
A true scientific question focuses on patterns, specifically cause-and-effect relationships. By moving from a simple inquiry to a testable one, researchers can predict reasonable outcomes based on observed evidence.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Testable Questions
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