NSES Content Standard A  Science as Inquiry: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry   Grades K-4, page 122   Ask a question about objects, organisms, and events in the environment. This aspect of the standard emphasizes students asking questions that they can answer with scientific knowledge, combined with their own observations. Students should answer their questions by seeking information from reliable sources of scientific information and from their own observations and investigations.

 
Benchmark 1B The Nature of Science: Scientific Inquiry
Grades K-2, page 10
People can often learn about things around them by just observing those things carefully, but sometimes they can learn more by doing something to the things and noting what happens.

Benchmark 1B The Nature of Science: Scientific Inquiry
Grades 3-5, page 11
Scientific investigations may take many different forms, including observing what things are like or what is happening somewhere, collecting specimens for analysis, and doing experiments. Investigations can focus on physical, biological, and social questions.

Benchmark 12A Habits of Mind: Values and Attitudes
Grades K-2, page 285
Raise questions about the world around them and be willing to seek answers to some of them by making careful observations and trying things out.

Benchmark 12E Habits of Mind: Critical-Response Skills
Grades 3-5, page 299
Buttress their statements with facts found in books, articles, and databases, and identify the sources used and expect others to do the same.

Benchmark 12E Habits of Mind: Critical-Response Skills
Grades 3-5, page 299
Seek better reasons for believing something than "Everybody knows that . . ." or "I just know" and discount such reasons when given by others.