Traditionally, assessing and grading students in science has been an exercise centered around points and percentages (Feldman, Kropf, and Alibrandi 1989; Prøitz 2013). However, with the introduction of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the need to revisit grading practices stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, an increasing number of…

The "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS Lead States 2013) lay out an ambitious agenda for students to simultaneously engage with disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and scientific practices. This does not just mean new expectations for teaching; it also requires new formative assessments. In contrast to summative…

The ideas students bring to class and their perspectives on what is happening in the classroom change constantly. Keeping track of these changes is useful for adapting lessons, nurturing student self-reflection, increasing student ownership of learning, and building a teaching practice responsive to learners' needs. In this article, the authors…

Most laboratory activities conducted by students involve measurement, and measurement can only be as precise as the instrument with which it is made. When Julia Metz began her teaching career, she assumed most of the 10th grade chemistry students would have previously used common measuring devices such as metric rulers, graduated cylinders,…

School districts across the country have identified priority areas aligned to school improvement plans, such as formative assessment, differentiated instruction, and posted learning targets. Several studies indicate that these areas, coupled with high-quality instruction, may have significant returns in terms of student learning (Marzano 2013;…

When high school students are asked what's the best part of science class, many will say it's the field trips. Students enjoy engaging in authentic, community-based science outside the classroom. To capitalize on this, Patrick Willis created the Bird Box Survey Project for his introductory field biology class. The project takes students…

Which is better--telling high school students they are wrong, or letting them figure it out for themselves? Research supports the latter. In other words, do nit short-circuit students; struggles to achieve understanding as they grapple with their own beliefs. Removing that struggle may deny students the mechanism they need to replace their…