Elementary

The concepts of energy and heat are challenging for elementary students. Because young students are not ready to delve into kinetic theory and molecular motion, much of the explanation of heat and energy transfer is inaccessible to them. In addition, the use of the word "energy" in popular culture may interfere with the development of scientific understanding. Nevertheless, elementary students are capable of exploring heat through observations and qualitative, developmentally appropriate explanations.

The significance of inquiry skills is widely acknowledged in science practice across many areas.  Unlike experimentation, another form of inquiry skill, observational investigation has been much ignored in science education and thus science assessment.  Drawing on reserach development in assessment design, this report provides a design pattern to help assessment designers create tasks assessing students' complex scientific reasoning skills in observational investigation.  The design pattern lays out considerations regarding targeted knowledge and skills in this inquiry proces

The significance of inquiry skills is widely acknowledged in science practice across many areas.  Carrying out experimental investigations is an indispensable element of scientific inquiry and, therefore, an important capability to assess.