Assessing Science in the Primary Classroom: Practical Tasks

This book describes the development and use of techniques to assess children′s science investigations. The authors believe that science in the primary classroom should, as far as possible, be a practical activity. The advantages and difficulties of assessing investigations in a practical situation are discussed. A general framework for practical assessment is described and illustrated by reference to the Water Sprinkler task, which has been used with several hundred children in the STAR project. Guidelines are indicated for teachers to develop their own classroom-based practical assessment procedures.