Science Notebooks Ppt

Science Notebooks Laura Chambless St. Clair RESA Math/Science Consultant

Why Use Notebooks?
Build Enduring Understanding
Students use notebooks as a tools to make greater meaning from their science investigations and to communicate their learning.

Major Benefits
An Organized Record
Centralizes student’s data
Useful reference document
Learning to trust previous discoveries and knowledge
Constructing Concepts and Explanations
Draw conclusions
Form relationships from experiences and observations
Writing stimulates active reasoning
Direct relationship between formation of concepts and expressing them in words

By writing explanations, students clarify what they know and expose what they don’t know.
Write to Learn

Student Benefit
Think critically about their thinking
Builds reflective thinking
Opportunities for self-assessment
Rethink and restate their scientific understanding
Clarify their understanding of concepts and investigations

Notebook Formats
Composition Notebooks
Loose-leaf 3 prong paper folder
Blank or grid-paged lab book
Blank or lined sheets of paper stapled together
Flip Books

Organizing Notebooks
Table of Contents
Page Numbering
Documentation to Begin Each Entry
Date – very minimum
Time
Day of Week
Team Members
Weather conditions – if appropriate

Organizing Notebooks
Vocabulary
Glossary/Index at the end of your notebook
Separate section within the journal entry
Appendix
To keep quizzes (if using 3 prong/2 pocket folder)

Essential Components of Notebook
Question, Problem, Purpose
Prediction
Developing a Plan
Observations, Data, Charts, Graphs, Drawings and Illustrations
Claims and Evidence
Making Meaning Conference
Drawing Conclusions
Reflection- Next Steps and New Questions
Learning Line

Getting Started
Take it slow and remember that this is a learning process for both you and your students.
Start Small & Build

Questions, Problem, Purpose
What do I want to find out?
Today I (or we) want to find out ___________ (Problem)
What will be the main question that will guide your learning?
How many?, How long?, How often? (quantitative)
How much longer is ___ than ____ ?, How are ____ and ___ the same? (quantitative/comparison)
What would happen if _____? (create investigations)
How can we ____? (create investigations)
Question Prompts

Prediction
I think _____ will happen because ….
If _____ then _____ because ….
The predictions students write should activate prior knowledge, relate to their focus questions, be conditional statements, and provide an explanation or reason.
Question Prompts

Planning
Scaffolds can be used to assist students in two stages of planning.
Stage 1- Developing a general plan
Stage 2- Developing an operational plan of action
See page 38-39: Using Science Notebooks
Planning Step General Plan Operational Plan
What should be changed?
2. What should be kept the same? 3. How will differences be observed or measured?

Observations, Data, Charts, Graphs, Drawings and Illustrations
Essential elements for students. They must record in their science notebooks in order to make meaning from their investigations. This data forms their evidence .
Question Prompts:
From the types of graphs you know, which one is the most appropriate to show your data?
What is the best way to show your data: scale, intervals…
Where is your dependent and independent variable?

Claims and Evidence “ These T-charts with class discussion and practice in their use, will greatly assist students in developing the skill necessary to write evidence-based explanations regarding their evidence or observations, and not simply what they did during their investigation. This shift is a prerequisite for students to develop a deeper understanding of the science content.” From: Using Science Notebooks, Klentschy Claims Evidence I claim that….. I claim this because … I know that …. I know this because …

Making Meaning Conference
After the students have collected data and made their claims with evidence, they need to come together and discuss results through purposeful conversation.
Essential to the meaning-making process and central to learning
Students gain understanding through social situation

Drawing Conclusions
Today I learned …
I know this because …
Question Prompts A conclusion is the final answer Restates the question with data as the evidence Comparing initial ideas with new evidence “ What” Questions & Predictions “ How” Plan “ So What” Data, Claims, Evidence, Making Meaning

Reflection- Next Steps New Questions
What new thoughts or questions do you have?
What went wrong?
Describe a “wow” factor
Question Prompts

Learning Line
“ One technique many teachers find useful in the reflective process is the line of learning. After students enter their initial explanation, followed by discussion, assessment, reading, and teacher feedback, they draw and date a line under their original work. They make a new entry under the line of learning, adding to or revising their original thinking.” from: FOSS
Reminder to students that learning is ongoing

Books Used for Reference Using Science Notebooks in Elementary Classrooms By: Michael P. Klentschy

Science Notebooks Ppt

by Laura Chambless on Nov 24, 2008

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