ABSTRACT
Philosopher Alfred North Whitehead wrote that "the first thing to do with an idea is to prove it." What he meant by "prove" an idea is to "prove its worth." Essentially, he is saying that key ideas have staying power and that they should be carefully chosen and carefully emphasized by teachers. As an assessment strategy, Key Idea Identification asks students to thoughtfully consider a lesson or series of related activities and to specify what they think is the key idea, main theme, or concept. Student discussion, particularly in the form of Think Aloud and Pyramid Discussion, are excellent avenues to reflective thought. Therefore, mixing and matching Key Idea Identification with either Think Aloud or Pyramid Discussion creates a situation in which students are able to dig a little deeper as they share their own thoughts and hear those of others.
