What is a driving question?
A driving question is a question that is elaborated, explored, and answered by the students and the teacher. The driving question encourages students to link together different topic areas and apply knowledge in real-world settings. To use a driving question, you could:

• Post the driving question prominently in the classroom (for example, on the bulletin board) and refer to it often.
• Have students periodically write entries in their science journals explaining the activity they are doing and how it helps them answer the driving question.

What are alternative ideas?

• They are scientifically inaccurate ideas that students hold. Some people call them misconceptions.
• They are based on previous experiences students have had.

Why is it important to know the alternative ideas my students hold?

• Students often hold alternative ideas about science topics (also called misconceptions). These ideas are based on previous experiences they have had with the topic.
• Students tend to hold on very tightly to these ideas. In turn, these ideas greatly influence their learning.
• If alternative ideas are not addressed through instruction, they tend to remain.

How do I obtain information on the alternative ideas my students hold?
Asking questions and listening carefully to students' responses is key to learning about their ideas. Some guidelines for doing this include:

• Try not to indicate which answers are correct and which are not. Students are very good at picking up on these cues.
• Provide a balance between open and closed questions.
• Let students talk as much as possible.
• Allow enough time for students to formulate their answers.
• Follow up unclear answers with probing questions like, Can you tell me more about that? Can you give an example of what you mean? Why do you think that is the case?
• You can also find a summary of potential alternative ideas at: http://www.project2061.org/tools/benchol/bolframe.htm .