Uncovering Student Ideas in Astronomy: 45 Formative Assessment Probes

What do your students know or think they know about what causes night and day, whether the Moon orbits the Earth, and why the Sun keeps glowing? 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 evaluate their understanding (or misunderstanding) of how the universe operates. The book is organised into four broad sections: the Earth and gravity; the Earth, Sun, and Moon system; the solar system and gravity in space; 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.