FTCE Pre-K Prekindergarten PK-3 Practice Exam

The most significant advancement that began around the 17th century is the development of the scientific method. This systematic approach to inquiry, which emphasizes observation, experimentation, and the formulation of hypotheses, laid foundational principles for modern science. Thinkers such as Francis Bacon and René Descartes were instrumental in promoting this method, moving away from reliance on tradition and authority toward a more empirical basis for understanding the natural world. While using experiments to verify theories is a practice that evolved with the scientific method, it is part of the broader framework that includes observation, hypothesis formulation, and drawing conclusions based on evidence. The invention of the telescope and the discovery of gravity were indeed notable achievements in science, but these developments are more specific events that benefitted from the overall advancements in scientific thought and methodology that characterized the 17th century.