JoinAll Resources
Book Chapter
The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the water cycle. The probe is designed to find out what students think a representation of the water cycle should include to show evaporation and transpiration. This probe is b...
Book Chapter
Where Did the Water in the Puddle Go?
The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about evaporation. The probe is designed to find out if students recognize that water goes into the air around us in the form of water vapor. It is best used with grades 3–8, and c...
Book Chapter
The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about weather predictions. The probe is designed to find out if students recognize the limitations of long-term weather forecasting and to help students understand the difference bet...
Book Chapter
In Which Direction Will the Water Swirl?
The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the Coriolis effect, which describes how rotating objects are deflected and helps explain the movement of large fluid masses. The probe is designed to find out whether students...
Book Chapter
Does the Ocean Influence Our Weather or Climate?
The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the connection between the oceans and weather and climate. The probe is designed to reveal how students think the ocean influences atmospheric conditions. Of all the influences...
Book Chapter
The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about weather versus climate. The probe is designed to find out if students distinguish between a one-time weather-related change and a change in climate. Weather and climate are rel...
Book Chapter
Are They Talking About Climate or Weather?
The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about climate. The probe is designed to find out whether students distinguish between weather and climate. It is important that students understand that they are to select statements...
Book Chapter
What Are the Signs of Global Warming?
The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about signs of global warming. The probe is designed to determine whether students think a statement is accurate or complete enough to see direct patterns or draw inferences from dat...
Book Chapter
The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about Earth’s history. The probe is designed to reveal how old students think Earth is. It is important that students include in their explanation the type of evidence they think s...
Book Chapter
Fossils provide evidence about the types of organisms that lived long ago and also about the nature of their environments. The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about fossils. The probe is designed to find out if stude...
Book Chapter
The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about layers of sedimentary rock. The probe is designed to find out how students think about the age of rock layers. It is best used with grades 6–12, and students should be famili...
Book Chapter
The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about erosion. The probe is designed to find out whether students can distinguish between erosion and weathering. When rock material is broken down or changed, but not transported to...
Book Chapter
The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about weathering. The probe is designed to find out whether students recognize that plants, including small plants, can cause weathering of rock. Plant roots as they grow larger can ...
Book Chapter
The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the formation of the Grand Canyon and is specific to the Grand Canyon. The probe is designed to find out if students recognize the role of rivers and flowing water and connect...
Book Chapter
The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about processes that change Earth. The probe is designed to find out if students recognize that the sand on many beaches results from weathering of rock on mountains, erosion, and de...
Book Chapter
The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about rivers. The probe is designed to find out how students think most rivers formed and can be used with grades 3–12. It is helpful to show a photograph of a river when presentin...
Book Chapter
What is the Inside of Earth Like?
The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about Earth’s structure. The probe is designed to find out if students recognize Earth’s interior is made up of layers and is mostly solid. It is best used with grades 6–12. As...
Book Chapter
The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about Earth’s tectonic plates. The probe is designed to uncover commonly held misconceptions about Earth’s plates. Plate tectonics is the unifying theory that explains the past a...
Book Chapter
Where Do You Find the Earth’s Plates?
The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about Earth’s plates. The probe is designed to find out where students think tectonic plates are located. Earth is composed of several major, large tectonic plates and several smal...
Book Chapter
What Do You Know About Volcanoes and Earthquakes?
The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about plate tectonic features and events. The probe is designed to uncover commonly held misconceptions about volcanoes and earthquakes. If students believe that earthquakes usually ...
Book Chapter
The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about Earth’s natural resources. The probe is designed to find out if students can distinguish between renewable and nonrenewable natural resources. It is important students know t...
Book Chapter
The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about pollution. The probe is designed to uncover commonly held ideas about acid rain, which is caused when normal rain combines with things in the air that come from pollution. This...
Book Chapter
The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about watersheds. A watershed is an area of land where all of the water that is under it or drains off of it goes into the same place. They come in all shapes and sizes and include b...
Book Chapter
The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about natural versus human-engineered products. This probe is designed to uncover whether students think natural always means not harmful while some can be quite toxic, not only to i...
Book Chapter
The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the greenhouse effect. The probe is designed to reveal whether students confuse the greenhouse effect with other environmental concerns or lump the concerns together. The green...
Book Chapter
Science Learning in the Early Years (Sample Chapter)
At first glance, you can see the value of Science Learning in the Early Years because it provides you with both 40-plus classroom activities and an understanding of how to use them with young students. The book shows you how to go beyond demonstratio...
eBook
La próxima vez que veas una puesta del sol (e-book)
A 2014 Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12!2014 Winner of the REVERE Award from PreK-12 Learning Group, Association of American Publishers! “Next time you see a sunset, stop and sit down for a while.”...
eBook
La próxima vez que veas una cochinilla (e-book)
A 2014 Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12! Chances are that just under a nearby rock, you’ll spot a roly-poly pill bug. Encourage a child to take a close look, and introduce a fascinating creature. Gently pick it up and watch as i...
NSTA Kids
La próxima vez que veas una puesta del sol
A 2014 Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12!2014 Winner of the REVERE Award from PreK-12 Learning Group, Association of American Publishers! “Next time you see a sunset, stop and sit down for a while.”...
Book Chapter
La próxima vez que veas una puesta del sol (Sample chapter)
A 2014 Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12!2014 Winner of the REVERE Award from PreK-12 Learning Group, Association of American Publishers! “Next time you see a sunset, stop and sit down for a while.”...
Book Chapter
La próxima vez que veas una cochinilla (Sample chapter)
A 2014 Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12! Chances are that just under a nearby rock, you’ll spot a roly-poly pill bug. Encourage a child to take a close look, and introduce a fascinating creature. Gently pick it up and watch as i...
eBook
Problem-Based Learning in the Life Science Classroom, K–12 (e-book)
Problem-Based Learning in the Life Science Classroom, K–12 offers a great new way to ignite your creativity. Authors Tom McConnell, Joyce Parker, and Janet Eberhardt show you how to engage students with scenarios that represent real-world science ...
eBook
Bringing STEM to the Elementary Classroom (e-book)
Many resources help you encourage young children to learn about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). But only this book of quality STEM experiences was curated by the veteran educator who edits Science and Children, NSTA’s award-winni...
eBook
If you work with students who struggle to understand their Earth science texts, this book provides everything you need to boost their skills in both science and reading. Once Upon an Earth Science Book starts with advice on teaching reading comprehen...
eBook
Creative Writing in Science: Activities That Inspire (e-book)
Do you ever feel like your science classes could use a shot of imagination? Boost the creativity quotient by assigning a travel blog about the digestive system, a packing list for the planets, or an interview with an atom. You’ll inspire students t...