V. 1. Physical science assessment probes -- Life, Earth, and space science assessment probes.

Author Page Keeley continues to provide KOCo12 teachers with her highly usable and popular formula for uncovering and addressing the preconceptions that students bring to the classroomOCothe formative assessment probeOCoin this first book devoted exclusively to life science in her Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series. Keeley addresses the topics of life and its diversity; structure and function; life processes and needs of living things; ecosystems and change; reproduction, life cycles, and heredity; and human biology."

This is a must-have book if you're going to tackle the challenging concepts of force and motion in your classroom. --

What do your students know-- or think they know-- about what causes night and day, why days are shorter in winter, and how to tell a planet from a star? Find out with this book on astronomy, the latest in NSTA' s popular Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series. The 45 astronomy probes provide situations that will pique your students' interest while helping you understand how your students think about key ideas related to the universe and how it operates. The book is organized into five sections: the Nature of Planet Earth; the Sun-Earth System; Modeling the Moon; Dynamic Solar System; and Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe. As the authors note, it' s not always easy to help students untangle mistaken ideas. Using this powerful set of tools to identify students' preconceptions is an excellent first step to helping your students achieve scientific understanding.

The popular features from Volume 1 are all here. The field-tested probes are short, easy to administer, and ready to reproduce. Teacher materials explain science content and suggest grade-appropriate ways to present information. But Volume 2 covers more life science and Earth and space science probes. Volume 2 also suggests ways to embed the probes throughout your instruction, not just when starting a unit or topic.

2014 Winner of the Distinguished Achievement Award from PreK-12 Learning Group, Association of American Publishers! What ideas do young children bring to their science learning, and how does their thinking change as they engage in “science talk”? Find out using the 25 field-tested probes in the newest volume of Page Keeley’s bestselling Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series, the first targeted to grades K–2. This teacher-friendly book is: • Tailored to your needs. The content is geared specifically for the primary grades, with an emphasis on simple vocabulary as well as drawing and speaking (instead of writing). The format of the student pages uses minimal text and includes visual representations of familiar objects, phenomena, or ideas. • Focused on making your lessons more effective. The assessment probes engage youngsters and encourage “science talk” while letting you identify students’ preconceptions before beginning a lesson or monitor their progress as they develop new scientific explanations. • Applicable to a range of science concepts. This volume offers 8 life science probes, 11 physical science probes, and 6 Earth and space science probes that target K–2 disciplinary core ideas. • Ready to use. The book provides grade-appropriate reproducible pages for your students and detailed teacher notes for you, including clear and concise explanations, relevant research, suggestions for instruction, and connections to national standards. Uncovering Student Ideas in Primary Science is an invaluable resource for classroom and preservice teachers and professional development providers. This age-appropriate book will help you teach more effectively by starting with students’ ideas and adapting instruction to support conceptual change.

If you' re new to formative assessment probes, you' ll love this timely addition to the bestselling Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series. Authors Page Keeley and Laura Tucker give you 32 engaging questions, or probes, that can reveal what your students already know-- or think they know-- about core Earth and environmental science concepts. Armed with those insights, you can use the probes' teacher notes to adjust your approach and present the science in grade-appropriate ways so students will learn the content accurately. If you' re among the thousands of educators who love the Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series and crave probes specifically about Earth and environmental science, you' re in luck. The probes are organized into four sections: land and water; water cycle, weather, and climate; Earth history, weathering and erosion, and plate tectonics; and natural resources, pollution, and human impact. The 10th book in this wildly popular, award-winning series offers field-tested teacher materials that provide science background and link to national standards, including the Next Generation Science Standards. The new probes are short, ready to reproduce, and easy to use. Why wait? It' s time to help your students demystify why the ocean is salty, how old the Earth is, and which direction water swirls when it goes down the drain.

Formative assessment informs the design of learning opportunities that take students from their existing ideas of science to the scientific ideas and practices that support conceptual understanding. Science Formative Assessment shows K-12 educators how to weave formative assessment into daily instruction. Discover 75 assessment techniques linked to the Next Generation Science Standards and give classroom practices a boost with: Descriptions of how each technique promotes learning Charts linking core concepts at each grade level to scientific practices Implementation guidance, such as required materials and student grouping Modifications for different learning styles Ideas for adapting techniques to other content areas

"Uncovering Student Thinking in Mathematics shows us ways to listen and observe children and their mathematical understandings so we can find better ways to help them take their next learning steps. This book is a gift to educators who ′seek to understand before being understood.′" —From the Foreword by Anne Davies "A fresh and unique resource for mathematics teachers who recognize the importance of carefully establishing the starting points of instruction in terms of what students already know. The collection of assessment probes is inventive, engaging for students, and invaluable for teachers." —Richard H. Audet, Associate Professor, Roger Williams University Use formative assessment probes to take the guesswork out of mathematics instruction and improve learning! Students learn at varying rates, and if a misconception in mathematics develops early, it may be carried from year to year and obstruct a student′s progress. To identify fallacies in students′ preconceived ideas, Uncovering Student Thinking in Mathematics offers educators a powerful diagnostic technique in the form of field-tested assessment probes—brief, easily administered activities to determine students′ thinking on core mathematical concepts. Designed to question students′ conceptual knowledge and reveal common understandings and misunderstandings, the probes generate targeted information for modifying mathematics instruction, allowing teachers to build on students′ existing knowledge and individually address their identified difficulties. Linked to National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards, this invaluable handbook assists educators with: 25 ready-to-use mathematical probes Teacher guides for implementing each probe at any grade level Examples of typical obstacles and faulty thinking demonstrated by students This rich resource combines standards, educational research findings, and practical craft knowledge to help teachers deliver informed instruction that strengthens all students′ learning and achievement in mathematics.

′Without question, this book will be of great value to the profession of science teaching. Given today′s educational landscape of standards and high-stakes testing, curriculum topic study is an essential piece of the puzzle′ - Cary Sneider, Vice President for Educator Programs, Museum of Science, Boston Discover the "missing link" between science standards, teacher practice, and improved student achievement! Becoming an accomplished science teacher not only requires a thorough understanding of science content, but also a familiarity with science standards and research on student learning. However, a comprehensive strategy for translating standards and research into instructional, practice has been lacking since the advent of standards-based education reform. Science Curriculum Topic Study provides a systematic professional development strategy that links science standards and research to curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Developed by author Page Keeley of the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance, the Curriculum Topic Study (CTS) process can help teachers align curriculum, instruction, and assessment with specific, research-based ideas and skills. The CTS process will help teachers: - Improve their understanding of science content - Clarify a hierarchy of content and skills in a learning goal from state or local standards - Define formative and summative assessment goals and strategies - Learn to recognize and address learning difficulties - Increase opportunities for students of all backgrounds to achieve science literacy - Design or utilize instructional materials effectively Containing 147 separate curriculum topic study guides arranged in eleven categories that represent the major domains of science, this book provides the tools to both positively impact student learning and develop the knowledge and skills that distinguish expert science teachers from novices.