Although the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS) have three dimensions, the crosscutting concepts are often the forgotten dimension. One reason teachers may not emphasize the crosscutting concepts might be because they are broad, domain-general constructs that can be difficult to conceptualize in a meaningful way. Yet, when taught well, crosscutting concepts can "bridge the engineering, physical, life, and earth/space sciences" because these concepts can help students understand science as a way of knowing. A prerequisite to teaching nature of science is to have students act like scientists. Teaching science through inquiry promotes student decision making, curiosity, and critical-thinking skills that scientists frequently use in their work. While inquiry experiences set the stage for nature of science, teachers need to explicitly teach nature of science concepts and help them reflect on their experiences. This article describes a three-day lesson on structure and properties of matter in which the authors help students understand how patterns of properties can be used to help sort and identify materials. These activities give students an inquiry experience from which the educators can explicitly discuss patterns and nature of science ideas.