The minutes are  provided below, with a link to a PDF file suitable for downloading. You'll need the free viewer Acrobat Reader to open this file. Here is the PDF version (suitable for printing) of the information below. The work submitted here is for inspection, critique, and reversionary comments. An attempt has been made to aggregate the collective work of NLIST thus far.

Table Of Contents 

INTRODUCTION
After a careful review of the Standards, the work of the Advisory Committee and the work of the Science as Inquiry group, the staff is proposing the following four attributes as the essential elements of Science as Inquiry.

These attributes are put forward with some strong rationale. You are asked to carefully and critically examine as a way to move forward the work of the Science as Inquiry in a more focused and effective manner.

Look at these four attributes and critically examine each to see whether you see them being contrary to the intent of the Standards and/or the preliminary work of the Advisory and Science as Inquiry committees.   We will ask you to look further at these four attributes in terms of the research reports assigned to you, very soon.   Each of you will be given a specific area to address.

These attributes have been separated into categories for the purpose of more specific definition. You should consider these attributes as inseparable in terms of our attempt to operationally define Science as Inquiry.   Recall the end of our discussion in Nashville and Tricia Kerr's "definition of a chair". If an essential part is missing, it is not a chair.

If we can come to some agreement on the essential attributes, then we will be able to "design backwards" to effectively apply the richness of the existing documents in our program implementation process and the critical look at the systemic elements, such as instructional resources.

BRINGING CONSENSUS FROM THE NATIONAL STANDARDS, THE RESEARCH, AND EXPERIENCE OF THE TEAM TO OPERATIONALLY DEFINE SCIENCE AS INQUIRY

NOTE: While the four areas below are separated for the purpose of explanation, all four are integral to the operational definition of Science as Inquiry and must not be separated in the   application to learning.

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