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Introductory-level science courses introduce students to the discoveries of a particular field and ostensibly promote science literacy. However, the lecture-lab paradigm does not lend itself well to the development of the latter because students do not actually practice applying the scientific process in the classroom or lab setting. One possible method for improving science literacy outcomes is to better define the scientific process. Our simplified definition includes: Observations, Assumptions (ie, placeholder observations), and Models (observation-assumption constructs). Models can range from assumption-dominated (" hypothesis") to observation-dominated (" theory"). Assumptions are tested and eliminated or replaced by new observations, leading to models with better predictive capabilities over time. This conceptualization of the scientific process was taught at Arizona State University (Habitable Worlds) and at …