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  • Army Ants and Their Guests

    Journal Article |

  • Ecosystem Cycles

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the transfer of matter and energy in ecosystems. The probe is designed to reveal whether students recognize that only matter is cycled through an…

  • 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…

  • Adaptation

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about biological adaptation. The probe is designed to find out if students think animals intentionally adapt to a change in their environment.

  • New Book from NSTA Press Helps Science Teachers to Empower Students to Use Their Knowledge, Not Just Memorize Facts

    Press Release |

  • Shadow Size

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit children’s ideas about how light interacts with an object to form a shadow. The probe is designed to reveal children’s ideas about the size of a shadow in relation to…

  • Surrounded by Technologies

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ understanding of the word technology. The probe is designed to find out if students are aware that they live in a world composed almost entirely of…

  • Is It a Technology?

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about what is and what is not technology. The probe is designed to find out if students have a broad understanding of technology as defined in the…

  • What’s the Purpose of Technology?

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the purpose of technology. The probe is designed to find out if students recognize that technologies are developed to meet human needs and preserve…

  • How Do Technologies Change?

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about how technologies change. The probe is designed to see if students are aware of the way nearly all technologies change over time.

  • Block Diagrams

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about block diagrams. The probe is designed to examine how students interpret a block diagram, and to determine whether they recognize that technologies…

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