All Science Scope resources

Journal Article

Formative Assessment Probes: Uncovering Students' Ideas in Science

Formative assessment probes can help teachers find out what students' ideas are before teaching lessons and use the information to adjust instructional strategies. This article defines formative assessment probes, provides examples of probes, and des...

Journal Article

Editor's roundtable: Standard-izing test items (January 2005)

American Association for the Advancement of Science's Project 2061, one of the first organizations to focus on content standards and their role in curriculum, instruction, and assessment, is launching a new effort funded by the National Science Foun...

Journal Article

Science Sampler: Assessment for All

There are many ways of assessing students and the work they do, and many ways of getting them ready for those assessments. Special needs students provide an extra challenge to educators because they have difficulty communicating what they know. This ...

Journal Article

Tech Trek: A different phase change

In physical science, we often use water to demonstrate change of state. However, this teacher demonstration will expose students to unfamiliar substances whose phase changes can be compared to those of water. Subsequently, a phase change that is in r...

Journal Article

Science Sampler: On the shoulders of giants

To help students understand that what they learn in science class is the product of the hard work of those who have come before them, and to encourage them to be future contributors to our understanding of how nature works, the author developed The G...

Journal Article

After the Bell: Mapping for geographic awareness -- Part I

Maps and mapping are of great importance in the field of education because mapping concepts are linked to the development of students’ thinking and cognitive structures. In addition, mapping concepts are based on students’ experiences and learni...

Journal Article

Science Sampler: Making an impact -- Shatter cones

In this geology activity, students visited the Beaverhead, Montana site of a meteor impact and mapped the locations of shatter cones, which are geologic formations characteristic of an impact site. Using a global positioning (GPS) device and the proc...

Journal Article

Tried and True: Sensations of sound

"The hills are alive with the sound of music," and now your classroom can be too! This series of tried and true activities explore the nature of sound. They can be set up as stations around the room, which students should be able to cycle through in ...

Journal Article

Bands to Books: Connecting Literature to Experimental Design

This interdisciplinary unit of study on the inquiry process and experimental design that seamlessly integrates math, science, and reading using a rubber band cannon. The authors begin by describing a series of interrelated curricular engagements that...