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In my case, I have always loved science so it was a natural progression for me. Whatever we read in ELA, I can usually find a science tie in for it. I also look for vocabulary in science that may tie in with ELA and math. For instance in math when learning about volume, we can memorize the formula or we can actually measure some real items. I did an experiment with what floats or sinks using bars of soap. We measured the volume of the box the soap came in and discussed whether or not that was an accurate measurement. (It's not.) Here is the link to that: https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/blog-posts/alycia-zimmerman/experimenting-exploding-soap-volume-density-teamwork/
Anytime students are able to use their hands to touch things and their brains to figure out things, they are engaged. Especially when they ask a question and I answer it with another question to try to guide their thinking.
I choose to integrate science with other subject areas because it becomes more meaningful when they can see science applied in other areas instead of being isolated. Yes, I always tie the lesson to NGSS and my state standards.
Incorporating inquiry is easy when using their own questions about a phenomena. I keep asking questions in a way that builds off of what they are asking, then I ask them to explain it to their team and then their team explains it to the whole class.
Did I start off my first year teaching this way? No, because I thought I had to have all of the answers. Now, I know it's more powerful when I can set up a learning situation where the students feel empowered to take risks and ask their own questions, then they can look for their own solutions.
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