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  • Whale and Shrew

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about cell size. The probe is designed to reveal whether students think animal cell size is determined by the size of the animal.

  • Cookie Crumbles

    Lesson Plan |

    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…

  • Where Does Oil Come From?

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about an important fossil fuel used by humans. The probe is designed to reveal how students trace oil back to its original source of material.

  • Sugar Water

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about dissolving. The probe is designed to find out what students think happens to sugar when it dissolves in water.

  • Turning Tests Into Tasks

    Journal Article |

    Learn how to build a summative performance assessment from a standardized test question.

  • Mixing Water

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about temperature change in a system. The probe is designed to find out whether students recognize that heat moves from the warm water to the cool water…

  • Classroom Management Strategies

    Reports Article |

  • Is It a Plant?

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the concept of a plant. The probe is designed to find out how students determine whether a living thing is considered to be a plant.

  • Floating High and Low

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about density and buoyancy. The probe is designed to find out how students think an object can be changed to make it float differently.

  • Ice Water

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about temperature in the context of phases of matter. The probe is designed to find out if students recognize that the temperature of a substance does…

  • Moonlight

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about light and the Moon. The probe is designed to find out what students think is the source of a full Moon’s light.

  • Digestive System

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the digestive system. The probe is designed to find out whether students realize a main function of the digestive system is to break food down into…

  • Standing On One Foot

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about weight and pressure. The probe is designed to determine whether students think their weight changes when the force exerted per unit area (pressure…

  • Global Warming

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about global warming. The probe is designed to find out what students think contributes to global warming.

  • First-Time Conference Attendees Reflect on Experiences in Denver

    Blog Post |

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