Assessment in the middle level can be thought of as a puzzle. In a puzzle, each piece provides specific information about the puzzle picture. It takes all of the pieces to make a complete picture. As with the puzzle, it takes several different "pieces" of information to give a complete picture of student understanding. So, it is important to use a variety of assessments in order to have a complete picture of what a student knows and can do. Exemplary science curricula have addressed this by supplying a variety of assessment tasks that provide teachers with the data and information they need to determine how well their students use inquiry skills and the level and nature of their understanding of the science concepts that are presented in a given unit.
Click on the assessment type listed below to learn more about it and to view specific examples of how these assessments are integrated into middle school science curricula.
Observations, Interviews, & Discussions
