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  • Harboring Hazardous Chemicals and Disposing of Them

    Blog Post |

  • Is It a System?

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about systems. The probe is designed to find out whether students can recognize that things with parts that interact or influence each other are systems.

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Darkness at Night

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the day/night cycle. The probe is designed to determine whether students recognize that Earth’s rotation explains why it is dark at night and light…

  • What’s Inside Our Solar System?

    Lesson Plan |

    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…

  • Is It an Animal?

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about animals. The probe is designed to find out what characteristics students use to determine whether an organism is classified as an animal.

  • 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…

  • The Teaching of the Science of Climate Change

    Position Statement |

  • 'Whoosh Bottle' Demonstration: Accident Waiting to Happen (Again)

    Blog Post |

  • Changing Constellations

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about why the constellations change with the seasons. The probe is designed to find out how students use the Earth’s spin and orbit to explain why…

  • Science Podcasts in the Classroom

    Reports Article |

  • What Do You Know About Volcanoes and Earthquakes?

    Lesson Plan |

    The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about plate tectonic features and events. The probe is designed to uncover commonly held misconceptions about volcanoes and earthquakes.

  • Dealing With Chemical Waste in the Science Instructional Space

    Blog Post |

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