Science Notebooks January 12, 2008 Jennifer Roberts TC- NSTWP 2007 Using Writing as a Learning and Teaching Tool for Science Inquiry

Think as a scientist. Record as a scientist. Reflect as a scientist. People don’t learn from experiences, they learn from processing their experiences.- Bob Garmston

Why am I writing in science? What is a scientist? You have 5 minutes to draw and describe a scientist on your paper. Be ready to share the attributes of your scientist with your small group and with us all.

Session Goals Participants will experience a guided inquiry that, through the use of scaffolding, talk, reading and student science notebooks, bridges the gap between research and instruction. Participants will understand the importance of the literacy-science connection as it relates to student achievement and be introduced to how to utilize science notebooks in their own classrooms.

Why use scaffolding? Students benefit from strong scaffolding with respect to building explanations from evidence (Songer and Lee, 2003) Questioning, predicting, clarifying, and summarizing are strengthened through scaffolding. Clarifying promotes comprehension monitoring. Students benefit from scaffolding when analyzing data and building explanations from evidence. (Hug, Krajcik and Marx, 2005) A process of scaffolded inquiry, reflection and generalization developed students’ metacognitive knowledge. (White and Fredrickson, 1998)

The Science- Literacy Connection Writing may force the integration of new ideas and relationships with prior knowledge and encourage personal involvement with the new information. (Kleinsasser, et al, 1992) Written and oral language opportunities to explain, describe, predict and integrate new information allow students to make conceptual shifts and facilitate retention. (Fellows, 1994)

Why Science Notebooks? 1.Notebooks are thinking tools. 2.Notebooks guide teacher instruction. 3.Notebooks enhance literacy skills. 4.Notebooks support differentiated learning. 5.Notebooks foster teacher collaboration. (Gilbert & Kotelman, 2005)

When to Use Science Notebooks Before an inquiry activity: –KWL, concept map, video or read- aloud response, FQR, I wonder chart, vocabulary strategy During an inquiry activity: –Focus questions, predictions, planning, data collection, claims and evidence, making meaning, conclusions

When to Use Science Notebooks After an inquiry activity: –Questions, reflections, readings with a comprehension activity, vocabulary development, summary activities, further questions to investigate

Who should use science notebooks? Students of all ages should be using some form of science notebook. Students of all ages need time, choice, and scaffolding in building their understanding of science knowledge, processes, and skills. The TEKS for ELA and science at al grade levels include goals that could be met through the use of science notebooks.

What do notebooks look like? Entries can be as varied as the lesson objective or student need requires. The important thing to remember when using science notebooks is that students are exposed to many different models and select those they think is best for their current learning situation.

Let’s Inquire!! Mini-mysteries are a great way to teach students about inquiry, as they lend themselves to formulating questions, making claims, looking for evidence to support those claims, and reflecting on the outcome. Today, we will create a reflective and analytical entry for our “science notebook” over a mini-mystery.

What else can I learn about science notebooks? There are many wonderful sources available to help you get started with using science notebooks in your classroom. me at and I will send you some great resources to help you

What now? Questions, comments, feedback I hope that you all find a way to embrace the science notebook concept in your classrooms! Good luck!!

Sources East Bay Educational Collaborative. (2008). Retrieved January 4, 2008, from Science notebooks in the K-12 classroom: Linking science, reading, writing,, communication, and mathematics. (n.d.). Retrieved January 3, 2008, from Gilbert, J., & Kotelman, M. (2005). Five good reasons to use science notebooks. Science and Children, 5. Graves, D. H., & Stuart, V. (1985). Write from the start : Tapping your child's natural writing ability. New York Dutton. Klentschy, M. (2005). Science notebook essentials. Science and Children, 4. Klentschy, M. and Molina-De La Torre, E. (2004). Students’ science notebooks and the inquiry process. In W. Saul (Ed.). Crossing Borders in Literacy and Science Instruction: Perspectives on Theory and Practice. Newark, DE: International Reading Association Press. Rivard, L. P., & Straw, S. B. (2000). The effect of talk and writing on learning science: An exploratory study. Science Education, 84(5), 28. Tate, M. L. (2003). Worksheets don't grow dendrites: 20 instructional strategies that engage the brain. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Science and Children (November/December 2005)