NSES: Science as Inquiry: 5 Recognize and analyze alternative explanations and models
5 Recognize and analyze alternative explanations and models. This aspect of the standard emphasizes the critical abilities of analyzing an argument by reviewing current scientific understanding, weighing the evidence, and examining the logic so as to decide which explanations and models are best. In other words, although there may be several plausible explanations, they do not all have equal . Students should be able to use scientific criteria to find the preferred explanations.