Cubes and Liquids (C&L) is an educational activity developed by ACASE to assess six capabilities critical to success in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Some of these capabilities have since been shown to be of value in the study of literature and social studies as well. Cubes and Liquids was inspired by the work of master teacher Cindy Sargent and the groundbreaking assessment techniques developed by Barbel Inhelder and Jean Piaget. It grew out of our own research that demonstrated how high school students can discover fundamental scientific concepts through their own investigations of natural phenomena in surprisingly short periods of time. For years we have used C&L as a way to demonstrate the value of practical learning goals in planning, evaluating and improving teaching. More recently we have been using it as a basis for expanding educational science by developing methods of validity and reliability that are directly relevant to teaching practice.  This research will result in an updated and greatly improved version of Cubes and Liquids. See our newest intern Hunter Johns and ACASE Director Paul Zachos experiencing Cubes & Liquids as students would for the first time.