Teachers that promote the use of Leonardo da Vinci’s style science notebooks in their classrooms will be fostering higher order of thinking and increasing comprehension and retention in their students.
1. The Art of Science Learning
Leonardo’s Notebooks
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is the systematic study of the
structure and behavior of the
physical and natural world
through observation and
experimentation!
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For more than 40 years, Leonardo
da Vinci gathered his observations
and ideas in his now famous
“Notebooks”. They include over
100,000 drawings and more than
6,000 pages of notations. Without a
doubt, observation was at the core
of his scientific exploration.!
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Teachers that promote the use of
Leonardo da Vinci’s style science
notebooks in their classrooms will
be fostering higher order of thinking
and increasing comprehension and
retention in their students.
Sketching, labeling, and coloring as
forms of note taking have a radical
impact on creative problem solving
and deep information processing.!
!
These types of notebooks not only
become enabling tools that create
windows to the world and promote
creativity, but they are also an
excellent instrument for tracking
and assessing students’ learning.!
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Science!
3. The purpose of the interactive
notebook is to enable students
to be creative, independent
thinkers and writers. Interactive
notebooks are used for class
notes as well as for other
activities where the student will
be asked to express his/her own
ideas and process the
information presented in class.!
Interactive
Notebooks!
“The noblest pleasure is
the joy of understanding.”
Leonardo da vinci
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Teachers that promote the use of
Leonardo da Vinci’s style science
notebooks in their classrooms will
be fostering higher order of thinking
and increasing comprehension and
retention in their students. !
!
Sketching, labeling, and coloring
as forms of note taking have a
radical impact on creative
problem solving and deep
information processing.!
!
These types of notebooks not only
become enabling tools that create
windows to the world and promote
creativity, but they are also an
excellent instrument for tracking
and assessing students’ learning.!
4. Using interactive science
notebooks on the style of
Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks
help students develop, practice,
and improve their science
observation skills. !
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Students learn to monitor and
take control of their own
learning. Plus, the use of these
notebooks engages students in
real science processes and
techniques. !
!
They have the opportunity to
record data and information
following the steps of the
scientific method. !
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They learn to use sketching as a
powerful form of note taking. !
!
They can compare and analyze
findings while collaborating with
other, just as real professional
scientists do.
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Most of us are familiar with the
modalities in which learners obtain
information. They are visual,
auditory, reading-writing, and
kinesthetic. In order to help
students obtain new information,
teachers have to be able to engage
at least two of those modalities.!
!
Now, if we truly want to help
students internalize information,
while increasing retention, we need
to couple any two of the modalities
with an emotional experience. !
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It is precisely there that lays the
power of using notebooks. When
students are creating these
interactive notebooks by exploring,
observing, sketching, coloring and
labeling, they are engaging all of
the learning modalities
simultaneously with the opportunity
of multiple emotional experiences.
Furthermore, we need to
remember that children love to
draw and color. Therefore, these
activities become a form of play,
which carries a high emotional
charge.!
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Additionally, science notebooks
help students with reading, writing,
math, and communications skills
that are fundamental in the 21st
century workplace. Furthermore,
using these notebooks help
students to develop visual literacy,
while increasing understanding and
retention. !
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This type of science notebooks are
excellent formative assessment tools.
They facilitate learner-centered
assessment with activities that
dynamically involve students in a
constant reflection on what is being
learned, how it is being learned, and
why it is being learned. !
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These notebooks expose students’
thinking and reflect their
understanding. Additionally, notebooks
enable communication with parents
and can be used to show evidence of
student learning.!
6. In order to create an interactive
science notebook students will
need:!
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- A notebook or a sketchpad!
- A pencil and a sharpener!
- Eraser!
- Crayons or color pencils!
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It is important to encourage and
allow students to make it
personal. Although the teacher
should guide the process of
organization and model to the
students how the sketches are
to be created during guided
instruction, students should
feel free to personalize their
notebook.!
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The teacher should model the
creation of each sketch in the
students’ notebooks while being
used during guided instruction.
Always finding ways to connect
to real-life experiences. But at
the same time the teacher
should value students’ unique
style of sketching. Be flexible
with any personal ideas that
could be added to the final
product and celebrate student
work when you see a sketch
that deserves praise.!
A notebook or
a sketchpad!
A pencil and a
sharpener!
Eraser! Crayons or
color pencils!
Science Notebook Kit!
“The painter has the Universe
in his mind and hands.”
Leonardo da vinci
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This document is a sample of the
material received by teachers
participating in the professional
development workshop “The Art of
Science Learning” The full version
includes a detailed instructions on
how to create an interactive science
notebook on the style of Leonardo da
Vinci’s notebooks. !
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Questions or comments about this
article, please write to:!
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info@enablinglearning.com!
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For more information about the
Workshop “The Art of Science
Learning” please visit: !
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www.enablinglearning.com
Phone: +1 800 939 3833
Fax: +1 866 386 2136!