Probes, Suggested Grade Levels, Concepts, and Related Disciplinary Core Ideas:

CONCEPT OF MATTER AND PARTICLE MODEL OF MATTER

1- Matter or Not Matter? (3-8); concept of matter; PS1.A. Structure and Properties of Matter; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the concept of matter . The probe is designed to reveal whether students recognize that all materials and substances, both of living and nonliving origin are matter. Type of Probe: Concept-Based Friendly Talk Probe

2- Solids, Liquids, and Gases (3-8); concept of matter, solids, liquid, gas, states of matter; PS1.A. Structure and Properties of Matter; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the concept of matter. The probe is designed to find out how students define matter. Type of Probe: Concept Cartoon

3- What Do You Know About Atoms and Molecules? (6-12); atom, molecule, particle model; PS1.A. Structure and Properties of Matter; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about atoms and molecules. The probe is designed to reveal commonly held ideas about the structure and properties of atoms and molecules . Type of Probe: Ideas Inventory Justified List Probe

4- Atoms and Apples (6-12); atom, relative size, scale; PS1.A. Structure and Properties of Matter; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the size of atoms . The probe is designed to reveal how student compare relative sizes. Type of Probe: Concept-Based Friendly Talk Probe

5- Model of Air Inside a Jar (5-12); gas, air, particle model; PS1.A. Structure and Properties of Matter; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the particle model of gases. The probe is designed to reveal how students think about the arrangement of particles and the empty spaces between them. Type of Probe: Representation Probe

6- What If You Could Remove All the Atoms? (5-12); atom, solid, particle model; PS1.A. Structure and Properties of Matter; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the particle model of matter. The probe is designed to reveal whether students recognize that there is empty space between the atoms that make up an object. Type of Probe: Imaginary Phenomenon Probe

PROPERTIES OF MATTER

7- Do They Have Weight and Take Up Space? (3-8); extensive property, solid, liquid, gas, states of matter, weight, volume; PS1.A. Structure and Properties of Matter; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about weight and volume. The probe is designed to reveal whether students recognize that all three states of matter have weight and take up space. Type of Probe: Concept Cartoon Probe

8- What Does “Conservation of Matter” Mean? (5-12); conservation of matter, conservation of mass; PS1.A. Structure and Properties of Matter; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ interpretation of the phrase, conservation of matter. The probe is designed to reveal students’ meaning of the phrase. Type of Probe: Word Use Probe; Concept Cartoon Probe

9- Salt in Water (3-12); conservation of matter; dissolving; PS1.A. Structure and Properties of Matter; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about conservation of matter. The probe is designed to reveal whether students recognize that matter is conserved when salt is dissolved in water. Type of Probe: P-E-O Probe

10- Squished Bread (6-12); density, volume, mass; PS1.A. Structure and Properties of Matter; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about density. The probe is designed to reveal whether students recognize that density changes when th volume changes and th mass stays the same. Type of Probe: Concept-Based Friendly Talk Probe

11- Mass, Volume, and Density (6-12); density, mass, volume; extensive property, intensive property; PS1.A. Structure and Properties of Matter; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about density. The probe is designed to reveal commonly held ideas about mass, volume, density, and their relationships. Type of Probe: Ideas Inventory Justified List Probe

12- Measuring Mass (6-12); mass, extensive property; PS1.A. Structure and Properties of Matter; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the concept of mass. The probe is designed to reveal whether students understand the difference between mass and other properties. Type of Probe: Concept Cartoon Probe

13- Do They Have the Same Properties? (6-12); substance, properties of a substance, atoms, molecules; PS1.A. Structure and Properties of Matter; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about substances. The probe is designed to reveal whether students attribute microscopic properties of particles to macroscopic properties of substances. Type of Probe: Concept-Based Opposing Views Probe

14- Are They the Same Substance? (6-12); characteristic property, mass, volume, density, melting point, extensive property, intensive property; PS1.A. Structure and Properties of Matter; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about characteristic properties of matter. The probe is designed to reveal whether students recognize that some properties can be used to identify a substance. Type of Probe: Data Analysis Probe

CLASSIFYING MATTER, CHEMICAL PROPERTIES, AND CHEMICAL REACTIONS

15- Classifying Water (5-12); element, compound; PS1.A. Structure and Properties of Matter; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about elements and compounds. The probe is designed to reveal how students classify water. Type of Probe: Concept-Based Friendly Talk Probe

16- Graphite and Diamonds (9-12); allotrope, isotope, atom, element, periodic table; PS1.A. Structure and Properties of Matter; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about isotopes and allotropes. The probe is designed to reveal how students think about substances made of the same element that have different properties . Type of Probe: Descriptor Justified List Probe

17- Neutral Atoms (9-12); atoms, neutrons, protons, electrons, atomic number, mass number; PS1.A. Structure and Properties of Matter; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about neutral atoms. The probe is designed to reveal how students think about the relationship between fundamental particles inside the nucleus of an atom. Type of Probe: Opposing Views Concept Cartoon Probe

18- What Is a Substance? (6-12); substance, element, compound, mixture, homogeneous matter; PS1.A. Structure and Properties of Matter; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about substances. The probe is designed to reveal whether students distinguish between the everyday use of the word, substance, and the way chemists use the word, substance. Type of Probe: Word Use Friendly Talk Probe

19- Will It Form a New Substance? (3-12); chemical change, physical change, chemical reaction; PS1.B: Chemical Reactions; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about chemical change. The probe is designed to reveal how students determine whether a change results in a new substance. Type of Probe: Example/Non-Example Justified List Probe

20-What Is the Result of a Chemical Change? (5-12); chemical change, chemical reaction, substance; PS1.B: Chemical Reactions; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about chemical change. The probe is designed to reveal how students think a substance changes during a chemical reaction. Type of Probe: Concept Cartoon Probe

21- What Happens to Atoms During a Chemical Reaction? (6-12); atoms, chemical reaction, conservation of matter; PS1.B: Chemical Reactions; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about chemical reactions. The probe is designed to reveal what students think happens to atoms during a chemical reaction. Type of Probe: Concept Cartoon Probe

22- Is It a Chemical Change? (3-12); chemical change, chemical reaction, physical change; PS1.B: Chemical Reactions; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about a chemical change. The probe is designed to reveal what students use as evidence to determine whether matter changes chemically. Type of Probe: Example/Non-Example Justified List Probe

23- Does It Have New Properties? (3-12); chemical change, chemical reaction, mixture, physical change; PS1.B: Chemical Reactions; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about changes that happen when substances are mixed together.. The probe is designed to reveal that sometimes a chemical changes results in new properties and sometimes a mixture forms where the substances retain their properties . Type of Probe: Always-SOmetimes-Never Probe

NUCLEAR PROCESSES AND ENERGY

24- Are They Safe to Eat? (8-12); radiation, irradiation, radioactivity; PS1.C: Nuclear Processes; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about radiation. The probe is designed to reveal whether students distinguish between something that has been exposed to radiation (irradiated) versus something that is radioactive. Type of Probe: Opposing Views Friendly Talk Probe

25- Radish Seeds (9-12); radiation, irradiation, radioactivity, cells; PS1.C: Nuclear Processes; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about radiation. The probe is designed to reveal whether students distinguish between something that has been exposed to radiation (irradiated) versus something that is radioactive. Type of Probe: Phenomenon-Based Friendly Talk Probe

26- Describing Energy (5-12); concept of energy; PS3.A: Definitions of Energy; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about energy. The probe is designed to reveal how students define or describe energy. Type of Probe: Concept-Based Friendly Talk Probe

27- Matter and Energy (6-12); concept of energy, definition of energy, conservation, energy, matter, transfer of energy; PS3.A: Definitions of Energy; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about matter and energy. The probe is designed to reveal how students think about the similarities and difference between matter and energy. Type of Probe: Ideas Inventory Justified List Probe

28- Energy and Chemical Bonds (9-12); energy, chemical bond, bond energy, potential energy, chemical energy; PS1.B: Chemical Reactions; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about energy and chemical bonds. The probe is designed to reveal how students think about the release of energy involved in chemical bonding. Type of Probe: Opposing Views Concept Cartoon Probe

29- Hot Soup (5-12); heat, temperature, conservation of energy, transfer of energy, kinetic molecular theory; PS3.B: Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the transfer of energy. The probe is designed to reveal whether students use the concept of scale to explain a heat phenomenon. Type of Probe: Familiar Phenomenon Probe

30- Cold Spoons (5-12); conduction, heat, second law of thermodynamics, thermal energy, transfer of energy; PS3.B: Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about transfer of energy. The probe is designed to reveal whether students recognize heat can only move from warmer to cooler. Type of Probe: Phenomenon-Based Friendly Talk Probe

31- How Can I Keep It Cold? (5-12); heat, thermal energy; transfer of energy, insulator; PS3.B: Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about transfer of energy. The probe is designed to reveal how students think about insulators. Type of Probe: Familiar Phenomenon Probe

32- Which Has More Energy? (6-12); temperature, thermal energy; PS3.B: Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about thermal energy. The probe is designed to reveal whether students distinguish between temperature and thermal energy. Type of Probe: Opposing Views Friendly Talk Probe