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  • Pizza Problem

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about researching a problem. The probe is designed to determine the extent to which students are aware of the need to learn as much as possible about how…

  • What Happens When You Bring a Balloon Near Wall

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about electrical interactions. The probe is designed to find out how students visually represent electrical interactions.

  • Apple in a Plane

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about force related to the interaction between inanimate objects. The probe is designed to determine which forces students think act on an object at rest…

  • Is It an Engineering Problem?

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about how to approach a problem. The probe is designed to gain insight into how students think about an engineering design process (EDP) and the kinds of…

  • Is It Affordable?

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about trade-offs. The probe is designed to find out whether students recognize that trade-offs involve sacrificing one or more things in favor of another…

  • Picking the Best Solution

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to provide practice in using a decision matrix. The probe is designed to see if students are able to interpret a decision matrix and to help you determine difficulties they may…

  • Is Engineering Experimental?

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about using experimentation to solve a problem. The probe is designed to see if students recognize that (1) solving a problem in baking is considered…

  • 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…

  • Is It Made of Molecules?

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about molecules. The probe is designed to uncover whether students recognize that objects, materials, and substances of both a biological and physical…

  • What’s the Problem?

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ initial response to an ill-defined problematic situation. The probe is designed to reveal whether students recognize that in a problem situation, there is…

  • Engineering and Nature

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about how engineers use designs from nature. The probe is designed to see if students recognize that designs from nature provide creative ideas for…

  • Is It Melting?

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the physical process of melting. The probe is designed to find out if students recognize melting as a change in state from solid to liquid that…

  • Talking About Gravity

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about gravity. The probe is designed to determine whether students recognize that gravity is a universal force that exists everywhere on Earth and in…

  • Human Body Basics

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about levels of organization in the human body. The probe is designed to find out whether students recognize cells as the basic unit of both structure…

  • Engineers’ Models

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about different types of models commonly developed by engineers. The probe is designed to reveal whether students recognize that just like scientists,…

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