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  • Is It a Theory?

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the nature of science. The probe is designed to find out if students distinguish scientific theories from the common use of the word theory and if…

  • Doing Science

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about scientific investigations. The probe is designed to find out if students recognize that scientists investigate the natural world in a variety of…

  • What Is a Hypothesis?

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about hypotheses. The probe is designed to find out if students understand what a hypothesis is, when it is used, and how it is developed.

  • Does It Have a Life Cycle?

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about life cycles. The probe can be used to determine whether students recognize that although life cycles vary in length and developmental stages, all…

  • Cells and Size

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the size of cells. The probe can be used to determine whether students recognize how small a cell is relative to other things.

  • Sam’s Puppy

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about growth. The probe can be used to determine whether students recognize that growth occurs as a result of cell division, which increases the number…

  • Respiration

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about respiration. The probe is designed to find out whether students recognize respiration as a process that all living things use in order to obtain…

  • Rotting Apple

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about decay and decomposers. The probe can be used to determine whether students recognize the need for a biological agent to break down once-living…

  • Earth’s Mass

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the cycling of matter. The probe can be used to determine whether students recognize that once-living matter breaks down and cycles through…

  • What Are Clouds Made Of?

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about an everyday object in the sky: clouds. The probe is designed to determine whether students recognize that clouds are made up of tiny droplets of…

  • Where Did the Water Come From?

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about condensation. The probe is designed to determine whether students recognize that condensation comes from the water vapor in the air.

  • Rainfall

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about precipitation. The probe is designed to determine whether students understand what causes the water in clouds to fall as rain.

  • Summer Talk

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about seasons. The probe can be used to determine whether students recognize the effect of the Earth’s tilt on its axis and the resulting intensity of…

  • Me and My Shadow

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about light and shadows. The probe is designed to find out students’ ideas about how shadows change throughout the day.

  • Where Do Stars Go?

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about stars. The probe is designed to examine students’ ideas about the location of stars in the daytime.

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