This document discusses the benefits of using science notebooks in elementary classrooms. Science notebooks allow students to organize their work, draw conclusions from investigations, and develop conceptual understanding. Key components of effective notebooks include posing questions, making predictions, planning investigations, recording observations and data, stating claims with evidence, drawing conclusions, and reflecting on learning. Notebooks support students' critical thinking skills and help teachers assess student understanding over time.

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

2. 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.

3. 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

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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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)

9. 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

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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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?

14. 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?

15. 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 …

16. 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

17. 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

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

19. 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

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