Science Beyond the Curriculum: Projects and Challenges By: Frances V. Figarella-García, Lizzette M. Velázquez-Rivera, and Teresita Santiago-Rivera Edited by: Linda Froschauer A chapter from Science Beyond the Classroom Average User Rating: The National Science Education Standards and Benchmarks for Science Literacy stress the importance of creating science experiences that are linked to the real world, something that is familiar to students. Projects and challenges hold the potential for...  [view full summary] The National Science Education Standards and Benchmarks for Science Literacy stress the importance of creating science experiences that are linked to the real world, something that is familiar to students. Projects and challenges hold the potential for fostering curiosity and motivating students. If we want to consider science for all, then we must seek ways to engage students in interests that go beyond the curriculum. This free selection includes the Table of Contents, Introduction, and Index. As a special bonus, an additional chapter featuring a problem-based learning (PBL) experience related to mass and volume is included. [hide full abstract] Member Price: Free Nonmember Price: Free Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, Informal Education

Sounds of Science By: Emily Morgan and Karen Ansberry A chapter from Picture-Perfect Science Lessons: Using Children's Books to Guide Inquiry Average User Rating: Learners explore how sound is produced by vibrations. They make a straw instrument and investigate how to vary its pitch. Learners also design and build an instrument that produces a high pitch and a low pitch and explain how it works. Learners explore how sound is produced by vibrations. They make a straw instrument and investigate how to vary its pitch. Learners also design and build an instrument that produces a high pitch and a low pitch and explain how it works. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $2.79 Nonmember Price: $3.49 Grade Level: Elementary School

Human Body Basics By: Page Keeley, Francis Eberle, and Lynn Farrin A chapter from Uncovering Student Ideas in Science: 25 Formative Assessment Probes, Volume 1 The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about levels of organization in living organisms. The probe is designed to determine whether students recognize cells as the basic unit of both structure and function for carrying out basic...  [view full summary] The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about levels of organization in living organisms. The probe is designed to determine whether students recognize cells as the basic unit of both structure and function for carrying out basic life processes. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $2.79 Nonmember Price: $3.49 Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Is It Made of Cells? By: Page Keeley, Francis Eberle, and Lynn Farrin A chapter from Uncovering Student Ideas in Science: 25 Formative Assessment Probes, Volume 1 The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about objects and materials that are made up of cells. The probe is designed to find out how students decide whether something is or was once made up of cells by providing a variety of...  [view full summary] The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about objects and materials that are made up of cells. The probe is designed to find out how students decide whether something is or was once made up of cells by providing a variety of examples, including living and once-living things, materials that are manufactured by cells but are not composed of cells, parts of a cell, inorganic substances that did not originate from cells, and building blocks of all matter. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $2.79 Nonmember Price: $3.49 Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Is It Living? By: Page Keeley, Francis Eberle, and Lynn Farrin A chapter from Uncovering Student Ideas in Science: 25 Formative Assessment Probes, Volume 1 The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about living and nonliving things. The probe is designed to find out what attributes children focus on when considering if something is or was once living. The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about living and nonliving things. The probe is designed to find out what attributes children focus on when considering if something is or was once living. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $2.79 Nonmember Price: $3.49 Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Wet Jeans By: Page Keeley, Francis Eberle, and Lynn Farrin A chapter from Uncovering Student Ideas in Science: 25 Formative Assessment Probes, Volume 1 The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about where water goes right after it evaporates. It is designed to determine if students recognize that water exists in the air around us in the form of water vapor. Since students often...  [view full summary] The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about where water goes right after it evaporates. It is designed to determine if students recognize that water exists in the air around us in the form of water vapor. Since students often use the terminology of the water cycle with little understanding of actual phenomena, this probe intentionally avoids use of technical words such as evaporation and water vapor in order to examine how students think about evaporation and the water cycle. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $2.79 Nonmember Price: $3.49 Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Functions of Living Things By: Page Keeley, Francis Eberle, and Lynn Farrin A chapter from Uncovering Student Ideas in Science: 25 Formative Assessment Probes, Volume 1 The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the functions carried out by plants and animals for maintaining life. The task specifically seeks to find out if students recognize that plants and animals share several common life...  [view full summary] The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the functions carried out by plants and animals for maintaining life. The task specifically seeks to find out if students recognize that plants and animals share several common life functions, even though they are seemingly very different organisms. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $2.79 Nonmember Price: $3.49 Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Apple in the Dark By: Page Keeley, Francis Eberle, and Lynn Farrin A chapter from Uncovering Student Ideas in Science: 25 Formative Assessment Probes, Volume 1 The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about how we see objects. The probe is designed to find out if students know that light must be reflected off an object and enter the eye in order for a non-light-emitting object to be...  [view full summary] The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about how we see objects. The probe is designed to find out if students know that light must be reflected off an object and enter the eye in order for a non-light-emitting object to be visible. The probe helps teachers identify various conceptual models students use to link the role of light to vision. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $2.79 Nonmember Price: $3.49 Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Talking About Gravity By: Page Keeley and Francis Eberle A chapter from Uncovering Student Ideas in Science: 25 Formative Assessment Probes, Volume 1 The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about gravity. The probe is designed to determine whether students recognize that gravity is a universal force that exists everywhere in space, regardless of whether air is present. The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about gravity. The probe is designed to determine whether students recognize that gravity is a universal force that exists everywhere in space, regardless of whether air is present. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $2.79 Nonmember Price: $3.49 Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

The Rusty Nails By: Page Keeley, Francis Eberle, and Lynn Farrin A chapter from Uncovering Student Ideas in Science: 25 Formative Assessment Probes, Volume 1 The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about a common chemical change. The task is designed to find out if students think rusting is a change in which mass decreases, due to an intuitive notion of rusting as being similar to...  [view full summary] The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about a common chemical change. The task is designed to find out if students think rusting is a change in which mass decreases, due to an intuitive notion of rusting as being similar to a decay process. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $2.79 Nonmember Price: $3.49 Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School