Interactive Science Notebooks explained

Interactive Science Notebooks
Adam Geller

Agenda

You may NOT,NOT , NOT take my notebooks
Please respect the supplies. I have to pay to replace them.
Please ask questions… this session is for you to be successful.
Sorry in advance, we’re moving fast… only 55 minutes.
Ground Rules

Agenda

Scientists use notebooks in “real life”
Research-based method for higher student achievement
Notebooks allow development of ideas over time and in sequence
Notebooks let each student work on his or her own level
Ongoing formative assessment tool
They’re FUN!!
Why Science Notebooks?

Notebook assignments hit multiple learning styles
Uses both structural and creative processing of student brain
Multiple points of processing (this is key)
The more they hear it, look at it, write it, the more likely they are to retain it
Very impersonal science topics become personalized for student immediately
Basic Theory

Agenda

My format is standardized for all students
Some teachers take a laissez faire approach to organization and structure… your choice (however, not recommended)
Organizing a notebook

Easy to tell at a glance what is missing
Simple way for any student to find out what was done when absent (there are X other students with same notebook)
Faster to grade… they’re all the same
Teacher’s copy can be general template without any answers
Side benefit: teaches organization, planning and structure
Benefits of standardizing

Nearly impossible to coordinate purchase and selling of an excellent quality notebook
Free when reproduced at copy shop
Copy shop will produce, staple and deliver to your door!
Template files are production-ready
Need cover colors and quantity in email
Coordinate by school to expedite
Notebooks free-for-all
Note bene: Buy a heavy-duty stapler to reinforce the copier staples

In order to make notebooks a seamless part of class… supply your students with what they need
Publication kits
Scissors
Crayons/markers/colored pencils
Glue
Optional:
Post-it notes
Pencils
Pens
Highlighter
Plastic tubs are only real investment. Most other supplies can be gathered free from KidSmart (DonorsChoose.org for nice scissors)
Publication kits

Agenda

Collecting notebooks would be a horrible idea because it would take horribly long to grade
Develop your own assessment strategy
Decide what the notebook represents
Decide how much weight it will have in the grade
Determine whether completing an assignment fulfills the purpose of the notebook for your class
Please, no more work!

Students grade each other’s notebooks
Rubric based point system
Teacher controls who grades which notebook
Any student can ask teacher for regrade
How to prevent grade cheating… really dramatic explanation of spot checks of the notebooks. They know it’s possible because grader’s name is on grade sheet.
My less-work strategy

Example rubric
Bonus of having kids grade… they
discover before the grades are entered
that you’ve tallied up the total points
wrong!
Walk students through each assignment
Grading values completion…
Correct/wrong feedback given during homework check

Grade all notebooks in minutes
Students understand that the notebook completion really matters and affects grade
Students use poor notebook check performance as motivation to get caught up
Have insight on any students’ amount of work/effort for a parent conference without needing the work at hand
This really works?

Agenda

You need
Publication kit nearby
One of each handout
We’re limited by time, so our focus will be to cover the different types of set-up activities
Making a science notebook

Remember that we must TEACH our students about the notebooks just like any other system or procedure in the classroom
Time spent at the beginning of the year on teaching the method and system will save countless time throughout the year
Tip for Success

Manage the little pieces
Photocopy multi-up on a sheet
Cut as much as possible with paper-cutter
Glue little pieces into notebook
Store extras in numbered hanging folders
Tips for success

Sample sheets to copy
See the picture-frame method demonstrated at http://scienceclass.blip.tv

On top line, PRINT your first and last name then put the period
In space below, decorate using guidelines:
Must say “Name’s Science Notebook”
(like Mr. Geller’s Science Notebook)
Use at least four colors
Have at least three pictures that describe you
One picture about science
Example Cover Assignment

Right hand side = odd
Left hand side = even
Number in top, outside corners
Start with 1, go to 10
(With students, have them label in chunks, too)
When finished, check your table partner
Number your pages

We’re skipping…
Page 1 is class expectations and syllabus
Page 2 for me was a “poster” on class rules/procedure that they thought would be important for them
Page 3 Signed Science Lab Rules contract
Page 1, 2, and 3

Must model this for students before it will be a procedure and ultimately a habit.
Students learn to take the topic from the notes, or from somewhere on board/PowerPoint
Table of Contents

Table of Contents
2. Class Rules Poster
4. Left Side Info
6. Notebook Sides Poster
8. Levels of Questions
10. Observations Practice
12. Procedure practice
1. Class Syllabus
3. Safety contract
5. Right Side Info
7. Assignment ideas
9. Grandma’s House
11. Qualitative and Quantitative Observations
13. Writing a procedure

Find the sheets that say “Left side” and “right side”
Cut off the outsides – like a picture frame – for both at the same time
Four-corner glue
A dot of glue on all four corners
Left on page 4
Right on page 5
Page 4 and 5

Example of a processing assignment for homework:
Create a poster to illustrate the difference between a left and right side page of the notebook
Must use at least four colors
(Generally speaking, I always required at least four colors for credit)
Page 6

was a handout of different types of assignments we might do on left side (i.e. haiku, acrostic poem, pictionaries, etc)
Page 7

Take out Grandma’s house
Cut the house apart from the words and the title
Four-corner glue the words in the middle of the page
Flip-chart the house on top of the words
Put the title anywhere it will fit
Page 9 – Student Instructions

The words list is pasted under the house.
The house “flips” up.

Divide the page into three areas (horizontally)
Number them
Page 8

On page 9, write these words in the appropriate box (Intro to new material)
Output: Book + Brain + Extra info (DOK 3)
Process: Book + Brain (DOK 2)
Input: Book (DOK 1)
DOK 4 is
Projects
Extended Output
Not daily.
Not needed on this page!!!
Levels of questioning (a.k.a. DOK)

This is how students were prompted during guided practice:
Level 1 requires “only your book” to answer a question.
Pick one of the words in Level 1 and then write a statement about Grandma’s house
Don’t worry, it won’t be a question.
Page 8 – Level 1

Instructions for independent practice:
Write at least three more Level 1 questions
Check your table partner’s Level 1 questions
(FYI: this is a cooperative learning structure)
Share out in X minutes
Level 1

Students should use this page when trying to make up questions
Assign how many of which type you’d like to see
i.e. Two level 2 and one level 3 question about today’s lesson
These are “Cornell questions”

Seriously, Cornell notes are good for kids
You can incorporate them into any of your lessons with same note-taking strategies
I have personally switched lessons from guided notes worksheets to Cornell notes in the notebook
Faster prep
Saves paper
Builds note-taking skills for kids
Cornell Notes, minus the headache

This would be first formal notes
Qualitative and quantitative observations
We’ll just practice using STAR
S = Set it up (title, date)
T = Take notes
A = Ask questions
R = Review and summarize*
*once per lesson, not page
Page 11

Example processing activity:
Cut out any picture from a magazine
Make a T-chart under the picture
Qualitative – left side
Quantitative – right side
5 observations for each column
Page 10

Each student has ownership
Each assignment is not able to be copied from another student
Even if the students help each other, they still have individualized product
E A S Y to spot check homework and provide feedback within seconds (I have a system that can help)
About that processing

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Interactive Science Notebooks explained

by Adam Geller on Aug 11, 2009

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