Interactive Science Notebooks: Putting the Next Generation Practices into Action

Kellie Marcarelli

“Although the primary role of a science notebook is to be part of the student’s learning process, it

can provide important feedback to a teacher who looks at it. It can be an indicator of whether the student

has in fact learned the major concepts of a unit, as well as the art of good inquiry and thoughtful

interpretation of results.”

J. Pine, 1996

What is an interactive notebook?

Interactive notebooks are used as a tool to strengthen student learning of curriculum through increased student participation

Input- facilitated learning (mostly used for work done in class.)

Output- metacognition - Student thinking

Based on research of How People Learn (National Research Council)

Increases achievement in students (Classroom Instruction That Works ~ Marzano and Pickering)

Students benefit from them!

Teachers benefit from them!

Supports NGSS and CCSS

Rationale

How People LearnNational Research Council

Key Implications For Teaching:

1) Teachers must draw out and work with the preexisting understandings that their students bring with them. (Prior Knowledge)

2) Teachers must teach subject matter in depth, with a focus on assessing student understanding rather than surface knowledge. (Conceptual Understanding)

3) The teaching of metacognitive skills should be integrated into the curriculum.

Increases AchievementClassroom Instruction That Works- Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock

(2001)

Identifying similarities and differencesSummarizing and note takingReinforcing effort and providing recognition Homework and practiceNonlinguistic representationsCooperative learningSetting objectives and providing feedbackGenerating and testing hypothesesQuestions, cues, and advance organizers

Instructional Strategies that affect Student Achievement

Category % Achievement Gain

453429282727232322

Student Benefits

Student buy-in and know where they are going

Ownership and pride

Flexibility for different learning styles

Encourages self-reflection- students track their own thinking

Deepens meaning- allows students to articulate their thinking and understanding

Students use evidence collected to draw conclusions and make-meaning of science concepts

Increases student organization

Teacher Benefits

Formative assessment tool- informs instruction

Enables the teacher to monitor the progress of each student and provide meaningful feedback to the student

Communication tool for parents

Provides opportunity to reinforce writing and science process skills

Supports NGSS Practices

• 1. Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)

• 2. Developing and using models

• 3. Planning and carrying out investigations

• 4. Analyzing and interpreting data

• 5. Using mathematics and computational thinking

• 6. Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)

• 7. Engaging in argument from evidence

• 8. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

•  

Supports Common Core

• Listening and speaking- Students should be Listening and speaking- Students should be hearing and using both content vocabulary and hearing and using both content vocabulary and academic language.academic language.

• Reading- Students should read nonfiction text Reading- Students should read nonfiction text including text including trade journals.including text including trade journals.

• Writing- Students should be using science Writing- Students should be using science journals or notebooks (this can be done digitally) journals or notebooks (this can be done digitally) to record their observations, data, and thinking.to record their observations, data, and thinking.

• Mathematics- Students should be applying Mathematics- Students should be applying mathematics and computational thinking during mathematics and computational thinking during science investigations.science investigations.

Organization

Number all pages

Table of contents

Input and output

Rubric

Setting up the “Aha Connections”

Clear expectations

Assessing Student Learning

Providing feedback-• Corrective in nature• Timely• Specific to a criterion (skill or knowledge)• Can be effectively done by the students

themselvesStamping for accountabilityAccountability for ongoing explorationsPeer checksProviding students with criteriaParent evaluation or review

Helpful Hints

Keep a skeleton sample.Provide immediate feedback early on by checking notebooks during the first few days of class.Graded work can be added to the notebook after it is returned, just label the space.Give an occasional open notebook quiz to inspire great notebooks.Celebrate excellent student work.

Extending Student Learning through the “Aha connections”

Trigger

Identify a “Problem”

Gather evidence from many sources that

addresses the problem

Make Connections

Use the evidence to develop an “Aha

Thesis” (answer the problem)

Self-Reflection Assignment

Creates a clear outline for the students to follow.Gives the students a chance to reflect on the work that was done and to see the whole picture.Promotes writing and higher-level thinking.Allows the teacher to see inside the student, what they are proud of and what they want to improve on.Provides opportunity for self-correction.

Homework

Can be reflective on that day’s in-class assignment.Research from books or Internet as an extension.Extensions/ applications of the lab.Graphing results/ interpreting and summarizing data

Facilitated Learning

Mini-LessonsPrior knowledgeKey termsProceduresObservationsData collectionClass consensus ideas

Metacognition

Summary / conclusionsMaking meaning of dataStudent questions / wonderingsApplication to the real worldBrainstormingMaking Connections

Questions?

Using Science Notebooks =

Literacy + Learning