Uncovering Student Ideas Probes

Lesson Plan

Is Engineering Experimental?

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about using experimentation to solve a problem. The probe is designed to see if st...

By Page Keeley, Cary Snider, and Mihir Ravel

Middle School Elementary High School Engineering STEM

Lesson Plan

Is It a Technology?

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about what is and what is not technology. The probe is designed to find out if stu...

By Page Keeley, Cary Snider, and Mihir Ravel

Assessment Engineering STEM

Lesson Plan

Is It Affordable?

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about trade-offs. The probe is designed to find out whether students recognize tha...

By Page Keeley, Cary Snider, and Mihir Ravel

Middle School High School Engineering STEM

Lesson Plan

Is It an Engineering Problem?

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about how to approach a problem. The probe is designed to gain insight into how st...

By Page Keeley, Cary Snider, and Mihir Ravel

Middle School High School Engineering STEM

Lesson Plan

Is It Rocket Science?

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the importance of both engineering and science for creating technology. The ...

By Page Keeley, Cary Snider, and Mihir Ravel

Middle School High School Engineering STEM

Lesson Plan

Making It Better

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about different ways to optimize a design that has been successful in the past, bu...

By Page Keeley, Cary Snider, and Mihir Ravel

Middle School High School Engineering STEM

Lesson Plan

Picking the Best Solution

The purpose of this assessment probe is to provide practice in using a decision matrix. The probe is designed to see if students are able to interpret...

By Page Keeley, Cary Snider, and Mihir Ravel

Middle School High School Engineering STEM

Lesson Plan

Pizza Problem

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about researching a problem. The probe is designed to determine the extent to whic...

By Page Keeley, Cary Snider, and Mihir Ravel

Middle School Elementary High School Engineering STEM

Lesson Plan

Reasons for Success

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the use of evidence and reasoning to support a claim. The probe is designed ...

By Page Keeley, Cary Snider, and Mihir Ravel

Middle School Elementary High School Engineering STEM

Lesson Plan

Surrounded by Technologies

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ understanding of the word technology. The probe is designed to find out if students are ...

By Page Keeley, Cary Snider, and Mihir Ravel

Assessment Engineering STEM