Science Notebooks: A Hands-On Approach to Learning
Why Science Notebooks?
Science notebooks are more than just places to record observations and data. They're powerful tools for fostering critical thinking, inquiry, and a love of science. By encouraging students to document their learning journey, science notebooks promote a deeper understanding of scientific concepts and processes.
How to Implement Science Notebooks
Establish a Practice: The science notebook should never “overtake” the experience of interacting with scientific phenomena. In practice, this might mean that science notebooks should be used as a means for recording observations, data, and ideas. When I first introduce them, I dedicate several minutes throughout our first investigation to writing. Later, my students start to understand that writing in the notebook is only one part of the lesson.
Encourage Inquiry: I do not grade spelling or grammar in science notebooks. The emphasis of a science inquiry should be on the practice of recording questions, predictions, ideas, and observations. Although there are some vital components to scientific investigations, there shouldn’t be one correct way to write in a science notebook, at least not in the early years.
Foster Observation: When I first introduce science notebooks, I like to spend a little time talking about the difference between “art” drawing and “science” drawing. Observational drawings should record what we actually see, not what we want to depict. If you have some hesitations with your students, you can extend this idea into a separate lesson by showing examples to compare, leading a discussion about the difference, and letting students practice drawing their observations outside or in the classroom. I also remind students that words can be used as well as pictures. If you can, students also enjoy taking pictures using the iPad with Seesaw or just using the camera app. When I am able, I print a few of their pictures to be glued in their notebooks to practice another approach to observation.
Promote Data Collection and Analysis: You can model simple data collection in math, including tally marks for younger students, and using a graph or chart in the upper grades. You could copy small versions of a blank chart or graph for them to glue and fill in.
Encourage Reflection: Prompt students to reflect on their learning process, including what they learned, what they found challenging, and what they would do differently. Have them spend a minute or two at least at the end of an investigation to discuss what they learned as an “exit ticket.” This part is crucial as it helps cement their take-aways in their mind.
These are pages from some of my kindergarteners’ notebooks in 2021 and 2022.
Tips for Success
Modeling: Demonstrate how to use a science notebook by keeping your own.
Differentiation: Adapt your expectations to meet the needs of different learners. I find that sentence stems are helpful, and to make it even easier for young students to write quickly, I print sentence stems and titles on Avery labels.
Feedback: Provide regular feedback to help students improve their notebook skills. You do not need to write in their notebooks. However, you can take a moment to share notebook examples from specific students with the class (with their permission). This is not only motivating, but confirms the idea that each notebook can vary between students.
This is a great method for making little books. I had some extra file folders on hand for the covers. (You could also use colored paper or card stock.) I took some extra white paper I had from a sketchbook. (You can also use printer paper.) I counted out a small number of pages, cut them down to size to match the cover, and folded them to make a book. I then sewed them down the middle. Stapling them also works! I have found it better for my students to use smaller, thinner notebooks as compared to thick notebooks. I don’t have a problem with giving them a new one if they have filled it.
