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  • Measuring Mass

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about mass. It is designed to find out if students understand the difference between mass and other properties. The probe is best used with students in…

  • Do They Have the Same Properties?

    Book Chapter |

    This assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about microscopic and macroscopic properties of matter and is designed to find out if students attribute the same properties of a substance to the particles that make…

  • Are They the Same Substance?

    Book Chapter |

    This assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about characteristic properties of matter. It is designed to find out if students recognize some properties can be used to identify a substance. The probe is best used…

  • Classifying Water

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about elements and compounds. It is designed to find out how students classify a common substance, water. The probe is best used with students in grades…

  • Graphite and Diamonds

    Book Chapter |

    Graphite is the material in a pencil tip, and diamonds are precious jewels. They are both made of carbon. This assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about two seemingly different substances that are composed of…

  • Neutral Atoms

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about neutral atoms. The probe is designed to reveal how students think about the relationship between fundamental particles inside the nucleus of an…

  • What is a Substance?

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about substances. The probe is designed to determine whether students distinguish between the everyday use of the word substance and how chemists use the…

  • Will It Form a New Substance?

    Book Chapter |

    When matter changes, sometimes a new substance is formed. The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about chemical change. The probe is designed to find out how students determine whether a new…

  • What Is the Result of a Chemical Change?

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about chemical change. The probe is designed to find out whether students recognize that substances change chemically as a result of a chemical reaction…

  • What Happens to Atoms During a Chemical Reaction?

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about chemical change. The probe is designed to find out whether students recognize that the same kinds and numbers of atoms are present before and after…

  • Is It a Chemical Change?

    Book Chapter |

    Observations provide evidence of a chemical change. The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about chemical change. The probe is designed to find out what changes students use as evidence of a…

  • Does It Have New Properties?

    Book Chapter |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about changes that result in new properties. The probe is designed to find out whether students recognize that some things mixed together will retain…

  • Are They Safe to Eat?

    Book Chapter |

    This assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about radiation and is designed to reveal whether students distinguish between something that had been exposed to radiation (irradiated) versus something that is…

  • Radish Seeds

    Book Chapter |

    This assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about radiation and is designed to reveal how students distinguish between irradiated and radioactive material. It is best used with grades 9–12 and should be followed…

  • Describing Energy

    Book Chapter |

    Energy is difficult to define. The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about energy and is designed to reveal how students define or describe energy. This probe is best used with students in…

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