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  • Writing for Science

    Book Chapter |

    Writing, as we all know, is an integral part of any discipline. And, because of the important role that writing up lab reports and research plays in the field of science, you must help your students work on writing…

  • Adapting Labs and Troubleshooting

    Book Chapter |

    A great deal of information is available on how children learn—brain research, multiple intelligence aspects, concrete versus abstract thinking, environmental stimuli, and so on—but one key feature can be gleaned from…

  • Modeling and Demonstrations

    Book Chapter |

    One common misconception in the middle school science classroom is that students magically will know how to do many of the seemingly easy tasks teachers assign. In reality, even the simple direction of using written…

  • Metrics and Measurement

    Book Chapter |

    One of the most challenging activities in the middle school science lab is taking measurements. A simple ruler can send students into a questioning mob around a teacher, not unlike a shark-feeding frenzy. Student…

  • Tests and Forms

    Book Chapter |

    This section includes resources that any new teacher would want to have at their fingertips. It offers reproducible lists, quizzes, and forms. These resources will assist in making the first year of teaching a smooth…

  • Recipes

    Book Chapter |

    This section offers practical resources that will be quite valuable during those first few months of teaching middle school science. Here you will find recipes that include salt crystals, culture medium, fun putty, and…

  • The Importance of Everyday Assessment

    Book Chapter |

    Assessment for learning is set in the context of conflicts and synergies with the other purposes of assessments. The core ideas are that it is characterized by the day-to-day use of evidence to guide students’ learning…

  • Reflections on Assessment

    Book Chapter |

    As a context for thinking about the claims made in this book, some of the circumstances that have influenced the demand for and character of assessment in general are noted. The argument is then made that the…

  • Learning Through Assessment: Assessment for Learning in the Science Classroom

    Book Chapter |

    This chapter presents an extended example from a middle school science classroom of what assessment that supports learning looks like. In the example, the teacher models assessment for learning by talking about learning…

  • Examining Students’ Work

    Book Chapter |

    Examining student work is an essential aspect of teaching, yet it is easy to miss opportunities to learn about how students are interpreting—or misinterpreting—the lessons we present to them. In this chapter the author…

  • Assessment of Inquiry

    Book Chapter |

    This chapter provides an overview of frameworks that teachers can use to conduct assessments of students’ engagement in scientific inquiry. The author examines two factors that are central to such assessment. One factor…

  • Using Questioning to Assess and Foster Student Thinking

    Book Chapter |

    Questioning can be used to probe for understanding, to initiate inquiry, and to promote development of understanding. The results from questioning, listening, and assessment also can be used by teachers to promote their…

  • Involving Students in Assessment

    Book Chapter |

    While much of the responsibility for classroom assessment lies with teachers, students also play an important role in meaningful assessment activity. Bringing students into the assessment process is a critical dimension…

  • Reporting Progress to Parents and Others: Beyond Grades

    Book Chapter |

    As science education moves increasingly in the direction of teaching to standards, teachers call for classroom assessment techniques that provide a richer source of “rigorous and wise diagnostic information.” Student-to…

  • Working with Teachers in Assessment-Related Professional Development

    Book Chapter |

    Professional development related to everyday classroom interactions can require a shift in the teacher’s priorities in the classroom from a focus on managing activity and behavior to a mind-set of managing learning…

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