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  • Does the Earth Go Through Phases?

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about “Earth phases” and “Earth sets.” The probe is designed to find out if students understand the Earth-Sun-Moon system well enough to imagine how the…

  • Is the Moon Falling?

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about gravity. The probe is designed to determine whether students understand the role of gravity in maintaining the Moon in its orbit.

  • What’s Inside Our Solar System?

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the solar system. The probe is designed to find out if students can distinguish between objects in the solar system and objects outside of the…

  • How Do Planets Orbit the Sun?

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about representations of the solar system. The probe is designed to reveal students’ ideas about the overall shape of the solar system and the planets…

  • Human Space Travel

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about space travel. The probe is designed to reveal how far students think humans have traveled in space since the year 2000. The probe also gives a…

  • Where Do You Find Gravity?

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about gravity. The probe is designed to see if students recognize that gravity exists everywhere in space, not just on Earth.

  • Gravity in Other Planetary Systems

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about gravity. The probe is designed to find out if students recognize the effect of mass on gravitational attraction, and that neither a planet’s spin…

  • Shooting Star

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about objects in the night sky. The probe is designed to uncover students’ understanding of the nature of meteors, comets, and stars.

  • Where Are the Stars in Orion?

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ understanding of stars in constellations. The probe is designed to find out whether students recognize that stars are distributed in space, that some stars are…

  • Which Is Bigger?

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the size of objects in the sky. The probe is designed to see if students recognize that the Sun and other stars are much bigger than the Earth,…

  • What Are Stars Made Of?

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about how astronomers investigate the composition of stars. The probe is designed to see if students recognize that the colors from the light given off…

  • What Happens to Stars When They Die?

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about stars’ life cycle. The probe is designed to reveal what students think occurs at the end of a star’s life.

  • What Causes Night and Day?

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the day-night cycle. The probe is designed to find out if students can relate the shape of the Earth and its spin to why we have day and night.

  • Do Stars Change?

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about what happens to stars over time. The probe is designed to reveal whether students recognize that occasionally new stars are “born,” change over…

  • Are We Made of Star Stuff?

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about stars and the origin of the chemical elements. The probe is designed to reveal their thinking about the role of stars in transforming hydrogen and…

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