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  • How Can Plants Break Rocks?

    Lesson Plan |

  • Why Do They Visit the Flower?

    Lesson Plan |

  • How Do Living Things Choose a Home?

    Lesson Plan |

  • How Are They Similar and Different?

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  • Why Does a Part's Shape Matter?

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  • Is It a Rock? (Version 2)

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about an Earth material, rocks. The probe is designed to determine whether students can distinguish between humanmade, “rocklike” materials and…

  • Is It “Fitter”?

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    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about natural selection. The probe is designed to find out how students interpret the commonly used phrase “survival of the fittest.”

  • What’s the Problem?

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    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ initial response to an ill-defined problematic situation. The probe is designed to reveal whether students recognize that in a problem situation, there is…

  • Pizza Problem

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    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…

  • Brainstorming

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    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about brainstorming. The probe is designed to determine the extent to which students understand the norms of good teamwork during the brainstorming…

  • Testing for Success

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    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ initial ideas and attitudes about the procedure that should be followed when testing models to determine if a design solves the problem. The probe is designed…

  • Why Is Cancer So Rare in Elephants?

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  • Plants in the Dark and Light

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    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about plant growth. The probe is designed to find out whether students recognize that plants use their stored food to grow in the absence of light.

  • Habitat Change

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    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…

  • Ecosystem Cycles

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    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the transfer of matter and energy in ecosystems. The probe is designed to reveal whether students recognize that only matter is cycled through an…

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