Objects in the Sky By: Page Keeley, Francis Eberle, and Joyce Tugel A chapter from Uncovering Student Ideas in Science: 25 More Formative Assessment Probes, Volume 2 The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about when objects can be seen in the sky. Students’ explanations reveal their thinking about the role of light and distance in seeing sky objects. The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about when objects can be seen in the sky. Students’ explanations reveal their thinking about the role of light and distance in seeing sky objects. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $2.79 Nonmember Price: $3.49 Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Gravity and Orbits: Gravitational Force Science Object Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the second of three Science Objects in the Gravity and Orbits SciPack. It investigates...  [view full summary] Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the second of three Science Objects in the Gravity and Orbits SciPack. It investigates the variables that influence gravitational forces acting on objects. Mass is a measure of the amount of matter that makes up an object (regardless of where that object is located) and weight is a measure of the gravitational force acting on an object. The strength of the gravitational force between masses is proportional to the product of the masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. Gravity will cause all objects at the same distance from Earth’s surface to fall toward Earth with the same acceleration regardless of their mass. [hide full abstract] Member Price: Free Nonmember Price: Free Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Scope on the Skies: Deep-sky objects By: Bob Riddle Science Scope, Feb 08 Beyond the region of our solar system is the rest of the Milky Way galaxy, and of course the rest of the universe. To the amateur astronomer or casual observer, the phrase deep-sky objects is a reference to those dim celestial objects that are...  [view full summary] Beyond the region of our solar system is the rest of the Milky Way galaxy, and of course the rest of the universe. To the amateur astronomer or casual observer, the phrase deep-sky objects is a reference to those dim celestial objects that are beyond our solar system and either a part of the Milky Way or outside of our home galaxy. These include star clusters, galaxies, and nebulae, and while some may be seen with unaided eyes, many deep-sky objects require binoculars or telescopes to see. [hide full abstract] Member Price: Free Nonmember Price: $0.99 Grade Level: Middle School

Force and Motion: Position and Motion Science Object Average User Rating: Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the first of four Science Objects in the Force and Motion SciPack. It provides an...  [view full summary] Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the first of four Science Objects in the Force and Motion SciPack. It provides an understanding of how changes in position and motion can affect the way objects move, focusing on constant motion (where the direction and speed remain the same) and acceleration (a change in motion due to a change in an object’s direction or speed). The position of an object must be described relative to some other object while the motion of an object can be described by its direction and speed. Velocity is a measure of both an object’s speed and its direction (and can be described by vectors). [hide full abstract] Member Price: Free Nonmember Price: Free Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Force and Motion: Newton's First Law Science Object Average User Rating: Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the second of four Science Objects in the Force and Motion SciPack. It provides...  [view full summary] Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the second of four Science Objects in the Force and Motion SciPack. It provides a conceptual and real-world understanding of Newton’s First Law of Motion. All objects will maintain a constant speed and direction of motion unless an unbalanced outside force acts on it. When an unbalanced force acts on an object, its speed or direction (or both) will change. The tendency of objects to maintain a constant speed and direction of motion (velocity) in the absence of an unbalanced force is known as intertia. Even in the most familiar, every day situations, frictional forces can complicate the analysis of motion, although the basic principles still apply. [hide full abstract] Member Price: Free Nonmember Price: Free Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Properties of Objects and Materials SciGuide Support your students’ natural curiosity by engaging them in observations and manipulations of objects and materials. They should describe attributes of objects. They should subject materials to mixing, heating, freezing, stretching, bending, and...  [view full summary] Support your students’ natural curiosity by engaging them in observations and manipulations of objects and materials. They should describe attributes of objects. They should subject materials to mixing, heating, freezing, stretching, bending, and anything else they can safely do. In the process they will be recognizing differences and similarities and building vocabulary. They will be developing the ability to categorize. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $4.95 Nonmember Price: $5.95 Grade Level: Elementary School

Universe: How We Know What We Know Science Object Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the first of five Science Objects in the Universe SciPack. It explores the methods...  [view full summary] Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the first of five Science Objects in the Universe SciPack. It explores the methods and tools used by astronomers to study the universe and the various objects that make up the known universe. What we know about the universe today is a result of increasingly sophisticated technologies that allow astronomers to capture and study incoming light from the universe across many different wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum, as well as use computers to analyze data. Astronomers study the position and motion of objects, as well as the color and intensity of the light coming from those objects. These observations help determine the distances of those objects, their composition, and the processes at work. [hide full abstract] Member Price: Free Nonmember Price: Free Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Objects and Temperature 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 temperature. The task specifically probes to find out whether students recognize that non-heat-producing objects exposed to the same ambient conditions will have the same temperature,...  [view full summary] The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about temperature. The task specifically probes to find out whether students recognize that non-heat-producing objects exposed to the same ambient conditions will have the same temperature, regardless of the material they are made of. [hide full abstract] Member Price: $2.79 Nonmember Price: $3.49 Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Gravity and Orbits: Universal Gravitational Science Object Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the first of three Science Objects in the Gravity and Orbits SciPack. It provides...  [view full summary] Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the first of three Science Objects in the Gravity and Orbits SciPack. It provides an understanding of gravitational forces associated with all objects that have mass. Every object exerts a gravitational force on every other object. The force is hard to detect unless at least one of the objects has a lot of mass. Any two objects will exert an equal gravitational force (in opposite directions) on one another. Gravity is the force behind the falling rain and flowing rivers, and is responsible for pulling the matter that makes up planets and stars toward their centers to form spheres. [hide full abstract] Member Price: Free Nonmember Price: Free Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Universe: The Universe Beyond our Solar System Science Object Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the fourth of five Science Objects in the Universe SciPack. It explores the more...  [view full summary] Science Objects are two hour on-line interactive inquiry-based content modules that help teachers better understand the science content they teach. This Science Object is the fourth of five Science Objects in the Universe SciPack. It explores the more unknown parts of the universe beyond our solar system and provides an understanding of where and how we fit into the universe as a whole. Astronomers have carefully measured the changing positions of stars, leading them to believe that the Sun is located about half-way out from the center of a disk-shaped galaxy of stars, part of which can be seen as a glowing band of light that spans the sky on a very clear night. Although our Sun is a single star, most stars exist in systems of two or more stars orbiting around one another and are arranged in huge star clusters. Galaxies are isolated collections of billions of gravitationally bound stars and immense clouds of gas and dust. Galaxies are, in turn, grouped into galaxy clusters and super-clusters. The universe contains many billions of galaxies separated by immense distances of mostly empty space. Some of these distant galaxies are so far away that their light takes several billion years to reach Earth. This means that here on Earth we are seeing them as they were that long ago. [hide full abstract] Member Price: Free Nonmember Price: Free Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School