Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, Volume 1

This is the newest book in the bestselling Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series. Like the first edition of volume 1, this book helps pinpoint what your students know (or think they know) so you can monitor their learning and adjust your teaching accordingly. Loaded with classroom-friendly features you can use immediately, the book includes 25 “probes”—brief, easily administered formative assessments designed to understand your students’ thinking about 60 core science concepts. All probes in this new edition are provided in both Spanish and English.

The detailed Teacher Notes that accompany each probe have been updated to include current research summaries, connections to A Framework for K–12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards, new instructional suggestions, and related NSTA resources. These teacher materials also explain science content, present developmental considerations, and suggest instructional approaches for elementary, middle, and high school students. Other books may discuss students’ general misconceptions about scientific ideas. Only this one provides single, reproducible sheets you can use to determine students’ thinking about, for example, Moon phases, conservation of matter, reflection, chemical change, and cells. All probes have been field-tested with hundreds of students across multiple grade levels, so they’re proven effective for helping your students reveal, reexamine, and further develop their understanding of science concepts.