This is the second book in the Uncovering Student Ideas series. The first edition was published in 2007 and the second edition is updated with Spanish student pages, new research and instructional suggestions, some revisions to the probes, and links to the disciplinary core idea uncovered by the probe. Click on the button for the NSTA Press description of the book and free downloadable Introductory chapter and a sample probe with teachers notes (What’s in the Bubbles?). The Introductory chapter for this volume provides an overview of the link between assessment and instruction.
Probes, Suggested Grade Levels, Concepts, Related Disciplinary Core Ideas, and Purpose of the Probe:
PHYSICAL SCIENCE PROBES
1- Comparing Cubes (6-12); atoms, properties of matter, extensive properties, intensive properties, mass, volume, density, melting point; PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about properties of matter. The probe is designed to uncover which properties students think will change when the size of an object made of the same material changes. Type of Probe: Descriptor Justified List Probe (Concept-Based)
2- Floating Logs (3-12); properties of matter, intensive properties, density, sinking and floating; PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about floating and sinking. The probe is designed to uncover whether students think changing the size of an object affects how it floats. Type of Probe: Familiar Phenomenon Probe, P-E-O Probe (Phenomenon-Based)
3- Floating High and Low (3-8); properties of matter, buoyancy, density, floating and sinking; PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about density and buoyancy. The probe is designed to uncover how students think an object can be changed to make it float differently. Type of Probe: Familiar Phenomenon Probe, P-E-O Probe (Phenomenon-Based)
4- Solids and Holes (6-12); properties of matter, density, mass, volume; PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about about the density of a solid object. The probe is designed to uncover whether students recognize the difference between a mixed density phenomenon versus a phenomenon in which the material is the same throughout. Type of Probe: Familiar Phenomenon Probe, P-E-O Probe (Phenomenon-Based)
5- Turning the Dial (6-12); boiling point, characteristic property, intensive property, temperature, properties of matter; PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the boiling point of water. The probe is designed to uncover whether students realize the boiling point stays the same regardless of the temperature setting on a heating device. Type of Probe: Familiar Phenomenon Probe, P-E-O Probe (Concept and Phenomenon-Based)
6- Boiling Time and Temperature (6-12); properties of matter, boiling point, temperature, characteristic property, intensive property; PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about boiling point. The probe is designed to uncover whether students think the boiling temperature changes over time. Type of Probe: Familiar Phenomenon Probe, P-E-O Probe (Concept and Phenomenon-Based)
7- Freezing Ice (6-12); freezing point, melting point, characteristic property, intensive property, temperature; PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the freezing point of water. The probe is designed to uncover whether students recognize that freezing point is independent of volume. Type of Probe: Familiar Phenomenon Probe, P-E-O Probe (Concept and Phenomenon-Based)
8- What’s in the Bubbles? (3-12); phase change, boiling, water vapor, gas; PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about particles during a phase change. The probe is designed to uncover what students think the bubbles are in boiling water. Type of Probe: Friendly Talk Probe (Phenomenon-Based)
9- Chemical Bonds (6-12); atoms, molecules, chemical bond; PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about chemical bonds. The probe is designed to uncover how students interpret molecular models. Type of Probe: Talk Probe (Concept-Based)
10- Ice Cold Lemonade (6-12); heat, transfer of energy, thermal energy, thermodynamics; PS3.A: Definition of Energy; 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 uncover which direction students think heat flows. Type of Probe: Familiar Phenomenon Probe (Phenomenon-Based)
11- Mixing Water (5-8); heat, transfer of energy, thermal equilibrium, temperature; PS3.A: Definition of Energy; 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 uncover how students quantitatively think about mixing equal volumes of hot and cold water. Type of Probe: Familiar Phenomenon Probe, P-E-O Probe (Phenomenon-Based)
LIFE SCIENCE PROBES
12- Is It a Plant? (3-8); plant, fungi, biological classification; pre-requite to LS1.A, LS1.B, and LS1.C; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the concept of a plant. The probe is designed to uncover characteristics students use to decide if an organism is a plant. Type of Probe: Example/Non-Example Justified List Probe (Concept-Based)
13- Needs of Seeds (3-8); life cycle, germination, growth, seeds; LS1.A: Structure and Function; LS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about seeds. The probe is designed to uncover what students think seeds need to germinate. Type of Probe: Example/Non-Example Justified List Probe (Concept and Phenomenon-Based)
14- Plants in the Light and Dark (3-12); growth, behavioral response, tropism, phototropism, food; LS1.A: Structure and Function; LS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about plant growth. The probe is designed to uncover whether students recognize plants use stored food for growth. Type of Probe: Phenomenon-Based Friendly Talk Probe (Phenomenon-Based)
15- Is It Food for Plants (6-12); food, sugar, glucose, photosynthesis, nutrients; LS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms; PS3.D: Energy in Chemical Processes and Everyday Life; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the product of photosynthesis. The probe is designed to uncover whether students recognize the food plants make is their only source of food. Type of Probe: Example/Non-Example Justified List Probe (Concept-Based)
16- Giant Sequoia Tree (6-12); transformation of matter; photosynthesis, carbon cycle; LS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms; PS3.D: Energy in Chemical Processes and Everyday Life; LS2.B: Cycles of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the transformation of matter that occurs in plants. The probe is designed to uncover where students think most of the matter of a large tree comes from. Type of Probe: Familiar Phenomenon Probe (Phenomenon-Based)
17- Baby Mice (5-12); Inherited traits; genes, sexual reproduction; LS3.A: Inheritance of Traits; LS3.B: Variation of Traits; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about traits of offspring. The probe is designed to uncover how students think about inherited traits. Type of Probe: Friendly Talk Probe (Phenomenon-Based)
18- Whale and Shrew (6-12); cells, growth, cell division, mitosis; LS1.A: Structure and Function; LS1.B: Growth and Development of Organisms; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about cell size. The probe is designed to uncover whether students think the size of an organism determines the size of cells. Type of Probe: Puzzling Phenomenon Probe (Phenomenon-Based)
19- Habitat Change (3-12); adaptation, behavioral response, ecosystem change; interdependence; LS4.C: Adaptation; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about adaptation. The probe is designed to uncover whether students think an organism intentionally adapts to a change in the environment. Type of Probe: Imaginary Phenomenon Probe (Phenomenon-Based)
Earth and Space Science Probes
20- Is It a Rock? Version 1 (3-8); rock, mineral, Earth materials, grain size; ESS2.A: Earth Materials and Systems; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas the concept of a rock. The probe is designed to uncover whether students think a rock is determined by size. Type of Probe: Example/Non-Example Justified List Probe (Concept-Based)
21- Is It a Rock- Version 2 (3-8); rock, mineral, natural resources, Earth materials; ESS2.A: Earth Materials and Systems; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about rocks. The probe is designed to uncover whether students can distinguish between geologically formed rocks and rock-like human-made materials. Type of Probe: Example/Non-Example Justified List Probe (Concept-Based)
22- Mountaintop Fossil (3-12); fossil, uplift, mountain formation, plate tectonics; ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth; ESS2.B: Plate Tectonics and Large Scale System Interactions; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about earth history. The probe is designed to uncover how students think about marine fossils found atop mountains. Type of Probe: Puzzling Phenomenon Probe (Phenomenon-Based)
23- Darkness at Night (3-8); day/night cycle, rotation; ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the Earth-Sun system. The probe is designed to uncover how students think about the day-night cycle. Type of Probe: Friendly Talk Probe (Phenomenon-Based)
24- Emmy’s Moon and Stars (3-8); Earth-Moon system; stars, solar system, relative distance in the universe; ESS1.A: The Universe and Its Stars; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the relative positions of objects in the night sky. The probe is designed to uncover how students think about the distance of stars in relation to other objects. Type of Probe: Familiar Phenomenon Probe (Phenomenon-Based)
25- Objects in the Sky (3-8); light, day time sky, night time sky, stars, planet, moon; ESS1.A: The Universe and Its Stars; ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System; The purpose of this probe is to elicit students’ ideas about familiar objects in the sky. The probe is designed to uncover whether objects are seen at night, day, or both. Type of Probe: Example/Non-Example Justified List Probe (Phenomenon-Based)