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What Happens to Atoms During a Chemical Reaction?

Book Chapter

What Happens to Atoms During a Chemical Reaction?

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about chemical change. The probe is designed to find out whether students recognize that the same kinds and numbers of atoms are present before and after a chemical reaction. It is b...

Is It a Chemical Change?

Book Chapter

Is It a Chemical Change?

Observations provide evidence of a chemical change. The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about chemical change. The probe is designed to find out what changes students use as evidence of a chemical change. It is best us...

Does It Have New Properties?

Book Chapter

Does It Have New Properties?

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about changes that result in new properties. The probe is designed to find out whether students recognize that some things mixed together will retain their properties and others will...

Are They Safe to Eat?

Book Chapter

Are They Safe to Eat?

This assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about radiation and is designed to reveal whether students distinguish between something that had been exposed to radiation (irradiated) versus something that is radioactive. It is best used with s...

Radish Seeds

Book Chapter

Radish Seeds

This assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about radiation and is designed to reveal how students distinguish between irradiated and radioactive material. It is best used with grades 9–12 and should be followed up with opportunities for d...

Describing Energy

Book Chapter

Describing Energy

Energy is difficult to define. The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about energy and is designed to reveal how students define or describe energy. This probe is best used with students in grades 4–12. When used with ...

Matter and Energy

Book Chapter

Matter and Energy

This assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about matter and energy and is designed to uncover students’ ideas about the similarities and differences between the crosscutting concepts of matter and energy. This probe is best used with stud...

Energy and Chemical Bonds

Book Chapter

Energy and Chemical Bonds

This assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about energy and chemical bonds and is designed to find out how students think about the release of energy involved in chemical bonding. It is best used with grades 9–12, and it may help to provi...

Hot Soup

Book Chapter

Hot Soup

This assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about transfer of energy. It is designed to reveal whether students recognize that whenever there is a decrease in energy of a system, there is an increase in energy somewhere else. It is best used...

Cold Spoons

Book Chapter

Cold Spoons

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about transfer of energy. The probe is designed to reveal whether students recognize heat can only move from warmer objects to cooler objects. It is best used with grades 6–12, and...

How Can I Keep It Cold?

Book Chapter

How Can I Keep It Cold?

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about transfer of energy and is designed to reveal how students think about insulators. This probe is best used with grades 4–12, and if used with elementary students, the emphasis...

Which Has More Energy?

Book Chapter

Which Has More Energy?

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about thermal energy. The probe is designed to reveal whether students distinguish between temperature and thermal energy. It is best used with grades 6–12. The probe is provided i...

Shifting to the NGSS: Professional Book Study for Elementary School Teachers

Virtual Conference

Shifting to the NGSS: Professional Book Study for Elementary School Teachers

Are you an elementary school teacher working to enhance your knowledge and understanding of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)? Register to participate in the Shifting to the NGSS: Professional Book Study, taking place in May, 2019!...

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