Evidence+Discussion

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Notes from discussion about evidence (student work) from Spring Meeting 2010 in Atlanta:

__**Andree** Context:__ Assessment questions given to 9th graders in a conceptual physics class. NSTA pre-assessment probe given to all 105 students across four classes.

__Notes from Discussion:__ About verbal responses: Sweating - water on the skin, feel cooler when you're wet: on the right track, made a connection to a different situation that is related Student who linked losing water to feeling cool - do they realize what ideas they are linking? Smelly bar of soap - know they are smelling something (scent, chemical) that gets into their noses Student describes diffusion - have the right idea of the process without naming it One student names the temperature (100) that water boils, doesn't over think it One student really thinks through the physical process of what is going on with boiling - small bubbles at first, then larger bubbles Cooling down - losing energy: can't articulate that it is energy and where it is going

About NSTA probe: "Invisible form of water" - do students interpret that as non-existent? Does the word "invisible" make students think it's a trick? Surprised, and also not, about students choosing hydrogen and oxygen answer Students admit to picking answers because it sounds the most scientific - making value judgments when they don't know Do the people who say the different responses influence what the students will pick - issue with Grandma? Emotional response to questions Maybe leaving this as open-ended would provided more information? Students know that there is stuff in the bubbles Student think that heat is a thing


 * __Tracy__ **

Context: I have 11th grade students. They have taken biology (9th grade) and physical science (10th grade). They will take physics next year. I have a wide spread of students. Describe what they noticed:
 * Sweating as a cooling process:
 * Students had just listened to a lecture on phase change and energy.
 * They received completion points for this free response question.
 * videos:
 * These questions were asked at the beginning of the year.
 * videos
 * a lot of students talked about molecules
 * discussion of things in motion
 * gas in the smell
 * "liquid is suspended in air", "liquid diffuses"...
 * some students got the fact that it was a different state of matter, especially the girl with the solid bar of soap
 * idea: molecules that move, what we smell is something
 * sweating as a cooling process
 * theme: energy loss or movement
 * question: what causes it?
 * "sweating makes us use our energy inside of our bodies..."
 * //energy transferred to water... would have liked to know more about what happens to the water/energy given to water//

**Ivy** __Context:__ This was a pre-assessment on changes of state. The question on the motion of molecules in solid, liquid, and gas had previously been taught in this class; the other questions were novel. Students were asked to do their best and were told that they would be given bonus points for giving a valiant attempt. Thes

__Notes from Discussion:__

Question 4. Students know that matter is made of molecules. How to get at the differences between solids and liquids. Not clear from most that solids are moving.

Most students know that leaving a glass of water out--will evaporate. But no evidence that they know at the molecular level what evaporation actually is.

Water boiling--cold water drops and hot water rises until gets to the same temperature. (Many ideas mixed up?)

Water boils temperature--many answers. Like 32C, 100F,--they know that these numbers are important. Some students think increases or did not answer question. So some confusion as to what boiling point means.

Cold water on a hot day--evaporation caused droplets. Do they know what evaporation means?

Slushy ice water---most said it will freeze

There is stuff in bubbles, but there is confusion as to what it is--CO2, O2, etc.

Frozen chemicals--no one got it--"we're in the wrong kind of room for that"