Does It Have to Touch?

Lesson Plan | June 2021

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit beginning ideas about types of forces. The probe is designed to reveal whether students recognize that forces can act both in direct contact with an object and at a…

Is the Sun a Star?

Lesson Plan | July 2021

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the Sun and stars. The probe is designed to uncover students’ ideas about the nature of stars and their recognition that the Sun is an average star…

Illuminating the Universe

Journal Article | August 2020

What Do You Know About Volcanoes and Earthquakes?

Lesson Plan | July 2021

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about plate tectonic features and events. The probe is designed to uncover commonly held misconceptions about volcanoes and earthquakes.

Apple in a Plane

Lesson Plan | June 2021

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…

Renewable or Nonrenewable?

Lesson Plan | July 2021

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about Earth’s natural resources. The probe is designed to find out if students can distinguish between renewable and nonrenewable natural resources.

Teacher Spotlight: Meghan Mulligan

Journal Article | August 2020

Shadow Size

Lesson Plan | June 2021

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…

Teaching K–8 Teachers About Integrating Science and Engineering

Journal Article | July 2020

We examined the use of an engineering learning cycle (ELC) model and in a course for K–8 inservice teachers for two purposes. First, we were interested in how the ELC would support teachers’ science, mathematics, and…

Who Is Most Affected By COVID-19?

Journal Article | June 2021

Integrating the Concept of Homeostasis Into a First-Semester Anatomy and Physiology Course Through Short Predict-Observe-Explain Activities

Journal Article | November 2022

Historically, undergraduate anatomy and physiology (A&P) has been a challenging course for incorporating conceptual learning techniques due to large class sizes and an emphasis on content and terminology. The…

Habitat Change

Lesson Plan | June 2021

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about adaptation. The probe is designed to reveal whether students think individuals intentionally change their physical characteristics or behaviors in…

NGSS Science and Language Shifts in a Diverse Fourth-Grade Classroom

Journal Article | June 2021

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) offer rich opportunities for both science and language learning. This article presents science and language instructional shifts, grounded in the NGSS and contemporary…

Coldest Winter Ever!

Lesson Plan | June 2021

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about weather versus climate. The probe is designed to find out if students distinguish between a one-time weather-related change and a change in climate…

Pizza Problem

Lesson Plan | August 2020

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…