Seamless Assessment in Science: A Guide for Elementary and Middle School Teachers

Seamless Assessment in Science . . . is the kind of book one reads and thinks, "I wish I would have done that." Well, Sandra Abell and Mark Volkmann did, and both elementary and middle school teachers and their students are better because they did.
- Rodger Bybee, Executive Director, BSCS

When you open your science classroom to inquiry-based learning you must align your curriculum to assessment strategies that mirror the investigatory spirit, rather than rely solely on traditional, end-of-unit tests that eschew process for product. It's time for new ways of assessment that parallel inquiry-driven instruction and offer a variety of options and entry points. It's time for Seamless Assessment in Science.

Seamless Assessment in Science is your one-stop guide for assessing students' learning. Working with the popular 5E model as an instructional framework, Sandra Abell and Mark Volkmann have designed accompanying methods for embedding formative and summative assessment throughout any science unit. They've tested their ideas in real classrooms. Seamless Assessment in Science includes thirteen vignettes, written by practicing teachers in a variety of settings where assessment isn't merely a test, but an opportunity for students to share what they've learned. You'll observe inquiry-driven classrooms in action as primary, intermediate, and middle level students tackle topics in the life, physical, and earth sciences.

Aligned with the National Science Education Standards, full of research-based strategies, and ready to work in your science classroom, Seamless Assessment in Science is so practical it will find a permanent home next to your planning book. Read Seamless Assessment in Science and find great ideas for assessment that complement inquiry-based instruction.