Preconceptions About Condensation

Formative assessment can be used in many ways. This particular one addresses scientific and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas about condensation. Th... See More

Formative assessment can be used in many ways. This particular one addresses scientific and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas about condensation. This article explains how this probe can be used to create activities that alter student’s concepts and help guide instruction to a clearer understanding of the concept. Assessment is not just used to see what the students know. They can be used to guide instruction.

Probing Students’ Understanding of Water

Best practices demand that we uncover our students’ naïve understandings and misunderstandings in order to bridge prior to new knowledge. Page Keeley’s probes do just that. She shares her ... See More

Best practices demand that we uncover our students’ naïve understandings and misunderstandings in order to bridge prior to new knowledge. Page Keeley’s probes do just that. She shares her probe entitled “Where Did the Water Come From” to help teachers determine whether students understand the concept of condensation as well as provide students with practice engaging in the scientific practice of argumentation using claims and evidence. The NSTA Learning Center has many of Ms. Keeley’s probes available as book chapters. This reviewer has used several of them and finds them effective activities that initiate rich discussions and uncover student ideas about important science concepts.