Inquiry Strategies
for the Journey North Teacher

Asking, "How Do We Know What
We Know?"

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Questions That Help Students Consider Evidence

  • How do you know ___?
  • What did you observe?
  • What patterns or relationships did you notice in the data?
  • How does it support your explanation/conclusion?
  • What can you infer from the data?
  • What generalizations can you make?
  • What evidence led to your explanation?
  • How can you justify your conclusion?
  • How did the scientist use previous knowledge or experiences to support his/her conclusion?
  • What evidence did the scientist use to support his/her explanation?