Science/Math Notebooks

1. Science Notebook Science/Math Notebooks “Your Key To Success in Science”

2. Quick Write Respond using words and pictures to the following question: What is a science/math notebook?

3. What is a Science Notebook? “Scientists keep notebooks. The scientist’s notebook is a detailed record of his or her engagement with scientific phenomena. It is a personal representation of experiences, observations, and thinking— an integral part of the process of doing scientific work. A scientist’s notebook is a continuously updated history of the development of scientific knowledge and reasoning. FOSS students are young scientists; they are encouraged to incorporate a notebook into their science learning.” FOSS

4. What is a Math Notebook? “Journal writing can be a valuable technique to further develop and enhance your mathematical thinking and communication skills in mathematics. Journal entries in mathematics provide opportunities for individuals to self-assess what they've learned. When one makes an entry into a math journal, it becomes a record of the experience received from the specific math exercise or problem solving activity.”

5. Science/Math Notebook Pros and Cons

6. 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. Science journals are wonderful tools. They offer a glimpse into children’s science understandings, and they are both diagnostic and pedagogically informative to teachers. Daniel P. Shepardson and Susan Jane Britsch

7. 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

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

9. 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

12. Journal Examples

13. Students Benefit….But Do Teachers? “After looking at my students' notebooks for 13 straight hours. I realized two things: they had no idea what was expected of them; I needed to create a rubric for notebook checks.”

14. “After tunnelling my way through sloppily assembled piles of paper encased in hardened plastic, I vowed I'd never do another notebook check again. I put all the notebooks in a pile, doused them with kerosene, and took out a match. Seconds before I blew up the entire school and anything within four blocks, I changed my mind and decided to implement a system that would use a notebook check and rubric to help students organize better.” - Communicate Expectations

15. Rubrics

19. What is a Scientist? - Task Self-Evaulation – Circle what you believe your grade would be for each item below. Your teacher will grade it next, so if you have less than a 3 you may do some more work on that part before she grades it. 3= I did great (I completely did this.) 2= I did ok (I sort of did this.) 1= I did not do well (I did not really do this.) For this task you needed to do the following things: Use pictures and words to show what you think a scientist is. 3 2 1 My picture shows details. 3 2 1 My words explain my picture and my thinking. 3 2 1 I worked well with my partner(s) during small group share. 3 2 1 I drew a line of learning below my drawing/words. 3 2 1 I wrote at least 2 things that others shared. 3 2 1 I wrote what the teacher told us about a scientist. 3 2 1 How do you feel about your work?

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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)

23. 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

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

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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?

29. Entries Vary

30. 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

31. 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

32. 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

33. 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

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

35. Reflections on Notebooking • Reflect on what you have heard or shared today about notebooking. • What new thoughts or questions do you have? • What “ah -ha” are you taking away with you?

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