Interactive Science NotebooksPresented by: Michele Allen, Katie Dove, Patricia Duke, and Pam Naylor

Portions adopted from: Annette Holder, M. Wells, Deborah Brendel, and Region 13

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What are Interactive Science Notebooks?

• A student thinking tool• An organizer for what the student learns• A way to access and process the learning

utilizing various modalities (writing, drawing, and discussion)

• A place for writing rough drafts based on hands-on learning

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Why Use Interactive Science Notebooks?

• Improves critical thinking skills• Students become actively engaged in thinking and

communicating• Students use both their visual and linguistic

intelligences• Notebooks help students to systematically organize

as they learn• Note taking becomes an active process

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Why do Interactive Science Notebooks work?

• Interactive Science Notebooks use both the right and left brain hemispheres to help sort, categorize, remember, and creatively interact with new knowledge

• Students have a place to record data, study for tests, and communicate in a variety of ways

• Research shows that student understanding and literacy skills improve when students do hands-on minds-on science and use science notebooks to make sense of their science investigations

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Science Notebook Setup

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Science Notebook Supplies

Bound Journal

Crayons Glue or Glue Stick

Map Colors Scissors

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Sample Science Notebook Cover

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Right Side? Left Side?What Goes Where?

Left SideStudent OutputLots of Color

The brain remembers things in color better.

• Concept Maps• Drawings• Reflective Writing• Questions about what you’re learning• Data and Graphs• Songs• Poems• Data from Experiments• Cartoons or cartoon strips• Writing Prompts• Reflections• Pictures

Right SideTeacher Input/Content

Blue or Black Ink/Pencil

• Information given in class• Lecture Notes• Lab activities• Video Notes• Summaries• Textbook Notes• Procedures for Experiments• Classroom Specific Information• Cornell-style Notes• Vocabulary words and their definitions• Teacher questions and sample

problems• Handouts with new information

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“A Bit More On The Left”Getting Students to Think About Their Learning

Some Suggested Prompts1. What’s my study plan to learn this information? 2. What’s the best way to remember this topic?3. Write the lyrics for a song on this topic.4. Make ___ Vocabulary Cartoons from this topic.5. Paraphrase this information into 1 sentence.6. Write 4 “What if…” statements about this topic.7. Write a letter to ____about this topic.8. Create an analogy and visual for this topic.9. Write and solve ___ problems using this information10. Use a Venn Diagram to compare & contrast these topics.11. What do I already know about this topic?12. Make a visual illustration explaining this topic.13. Write a poem on this topic.14. Write a mnemonic to help you remember this information.15. For REFLECTION use prompts such as: What are you curious about? What

would you like to test? What are the important details to remember? What don’t you understand?

*Modify to find ways that work best for you and your students.

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Getting Started

After you finish your cover decorations, start with the first page and number the first 50 pages.

Numbers should be small and at the top outside corner of every page.

Cover of Notebook

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The inside cover is a great place to put lab safety/procedures of a safety contract.

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The first page you create is a title page (like a book).

This is page 1 of your journal. Students decide the title and decorations.

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Reserve 2 or more pages after the title page for a Table of contents.

Make columns for:

• Date• Entry• Page

• Grade • (This helps when grades are due.

You don’t have to flip through the entire book.)

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For primary students, it may be helpful to copy and glue in grid pages for the Table

of Contents.

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For Primary Students Consider…

• Creating a class journal to model the process using a chart tablet.

• Students contribute by finding pictures and telling you what to record.

• Smiley face grading.• Letting students express themselves

through more drawing than writing.• MODEL, MODEL, teachers please

model.

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OUTPUT(your interpretation)

INPUT(notes from teacher)

Example page:

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Example page:

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Example page:

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Example page:

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Example page:

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Some Graphic Organizers to Use

Fish Bones

T-Chart

Venn Diagram

Net

Wheel

Graphic organizers help organize thoughts and assist with answering open response questions.