Since inquiry is at the core of what it means to be scientifically literate, this study focused
on the promotion and evaluation of inquiry thinking among a wide range of learners.
This research first describes two rather distinct types of classroom populations and learning
environments, then discusses and provides demonstrable evidence of inquiry thinking
among members of both these groups. Inquiry thinking involved in this study includes explanation
building, prediction making, and the integration of conceptual understandings of
foundational scientific ideas with the productive application to naturally occurring problems
in atmospheric science. This investigation of successful inquiry science across two
distinct school contexts suggests the need for an expanded conception of inquiry beyond
one idealized standard.