This material is a group of classroom-based assessment strategies to supplement existing middle school science curricula. It consists of one packet of general assessment strategies and six specific resource booklets that address topics typically covered in the middle school science curriculum.

According to the authors, "the purpose of these materials is to help other middle school science teachers develop their skills in using assessment as an integral part of instruction" (p. i). The materials are intended to assist new and experienced teachers in conducting on-going assessment "while instruction is in progress" (p. i) in order to best meet students' needs.

This material is made up of two distinct parts. The first part is the packet of assessment strategies, which consists of descriptions and detailed examples of several assessment tools. These include journal writing, mind stretchers, peer analysis, concept mapping, role playing, and several others.

The second part is made up of the six booklets that are content-specific units on Structure of Matter, Force and Motion, Astronomy, Ecology, Forces that Shape the Earth (Geology), and Human Body Systems. The booklets are organized into five to seven key ideas that were selected based on reform documents, commonly used texts, and contemporary curriculum guides. Each key idea contains a list of difficulties students often encounter when learning that idea, a set of teaching-assessment activities, assessment criteria for each activity, and examples of students' work along with teachers' interpretation of their work.

The booklets could be used to augment a workshop on embedded (formative) assessment. The assessment strategies packet could be examined by both pre-service and in-service teachers as a concise source of various assessment methods. The sections that relate to intended understanding and difficulties students often encounter would be a useful starting point for discussion of student misconceptions.

While this set of resources meets its intended purpose, users should be aware of some limitations. One reviewer noted that the readability of the text is sometimes difficult because of lapses in editing. For example, page numbers skip around and some student responses are difficult to read. In some cases, efforts to make the text more accessible may have created science content inaccuracies or confusion. One reviewer, for example, quotes that in the Ecology booklet, "niche" is defined as "the organism's profession" (p. 17), an analogy which could lead to misconceptions. Similarly, in Forces and Motion, "heat energy" is used instead of thermal energy, (p. 44) and in Force and Motion, the term "the Law of Inertia" (p. 1) was used instead of Newton's First Law of Motion.