Concept-Based Probes: The Justified List

Journal Article | July 2021

Advancing Alloys

Journal Article | April 2020

The manufacture of metal alloys is ubiquitous, yet infrequently discussed in high school coursework as concepts related to them are often too complex or abstract for beginning science students. However, earlier…

Ice Cubes in a Bag

Lesson Plan | August 2020

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about conservation of matter (or mass). The probe is designed to reveal whether students think matter (or mass) is conserved during a change in state.

Is It a Meteorite?

Case Study | March 2018

Science That’s Out of This World

Journal Article | June 2020

Lemonade

Lesson Plan | August 2020

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about conservation of matter. The probe is designed to reveal whether students think matter is conserved when a substance is dissolved in a liquid.

Learning by (seeing) osmosis

Journal Article | March 2020

Patterns, Puzzles, and the Periodic Table

Journal Article | October 2019

Is It Matter?

Lesson Plan | August 2020

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about matter. The probe is designed to reveal the characteristics students use to describe and define matter.

Cookie Crumbles

Lesson Plan | August 2020

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about conservation of matter. The probe is designed to reveal whether students think weight is conserved when a whole object is broken up into small…

Seedlings in a Jar

Lesson Plan | August 2020

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about conservation of matter in a closed system after a transformation of matter from seed to seedling has taken place. The probe is designed to reveal…

The Rusty Nails

Lesson Plan | August 2020

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about a common phenomenon—rusting. The probe is designed to find out what students think happens to the mass of iron nails after a chemical change.

Chicken Eggs

Lesson Plan | June 2021

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about food, transformation of matter, growth and development, conservation of mass, and systems. The concepts underlying this probe are complex. It is…

Freebies for Science Teachers, March 30, 2021

Reports Article | March 2021

The Teaching of Climate Science

Position Statement | June 2020