Notebooks - especially in Science

Notebook Notes (1/22/13):

Notebook Rationale:  Notebooks help us to think, talk, and formally write about content/learning.  Notebooks are used to...

• to create active learners - give us a place to respond to our reading
• Log our data, interests, next reading...
• to explose thinking
• to catch new learning, document, and revise thinking/learning
• to organize our thinking and learning into writing.
• to organize our documents/handouts
• help us communicate and collaborate with others to deepen our learning and the learning of others.
• SHARE - via writing and talk - our learning with others
• track goals and progress
• create a resource.

Notebook must be…

·            Interactive – student:student, student:teacher, student:parent?

·            Structured yet personal

Notebook Contents:

1.     Logging Learning – timeline, record of learning

2.     Goals and Progress

3.     Handouts / Resources

4.     Responses to Reading – notes, thinking
5.  http://sciencenotebooking.blogspot.com/search/label/Right%20Hand%20Ideas

Types of Notebook Writing:

• Take notes (infographics, graphic organizers)
• Jot thinking: timeline, sketches, models with labels, graphs, tables, lists, questions, observations, notes, etc...)
• "Write Long" - place to create more formal writing
• Weekly Reflections and reactions:
• Thinking:
• a time to dig deeper, 
• a way to see and make connections between the learning experiences
• Review and revise thinking
• Learning
• argue for or against learning experiences
• continue to define self as a learner "I learn best when... I'm starting to learn better when.... Strategies that worked this time..."
• Effort and Achievement
• Goals and progress
• Effort and Achievement grid

Notebook Expectations/Rubric:

·            Writing shows in-depth understanding of concepts.

·            Work shows in-depth reflection of the learning process.

·            Notebook is organized – following class structures and showing innovation

·            Right and Left side work is organized.

·            Diagrams/pictures  - color and labels enhance

Notebook Entries are a place to…:

• Improve organizational skills
• page numbers
• Table of contents
• Search codes - what information will I find on this page?  How will I find it?  Use  # and table of contents
• Take notes on reading, viewing, listening
• create infor-graphics
• Use GO / non-linguistic representations
• Left side = hand out, visual literacy and Right side = annotations and thinking
• Questions / Answers
• Quick Write to catch learning and expose thinking
• stop and jot
• timeline
• compare/contrast
• sketch
• draw (model, diagram, picture) with labels
• create visual literacy - graphs, tables
• list facts
• list questions or research topics - what do I want to know next?
• observations
• captions for photos
• Record and code data
• Longer writing:
• consider applications (we study this because...)
• reflections
• reactions
• "Write long" - sticky notes or guided post-its (connections, summarize the section, analyze visual literacy)..."Now I understand..."
• Plan, do, and Record Labs and document the Scientific Method
• Reflect and react to data --> Draw conclusions
• Formal Writing:
• Expand on notes about text, lecture, video, lab
• Create text for a piece of visual literacy
• Summarize and synthesize learning experiences 
• Summarize research:  create "pockets" for articles and write the summary on the pocket

Research - Read across a variety of sources:

• Evidence from research (textbook, internet, articles)
• Evidence from Visuals
• Evidence from Resources (video, podcasts, simulations)
• Evidence from Experts (speakers, guests, teacher, peers)
• Evidence from Investigations (labs, experiments, demonstrations, observations)
• How does Evidence from all sources results in a "big aha" and lead to formal writing?
• frame:  Today we learned....(evidence) from/by (source).  It supported/solidified /Clarified/enhanced our recent learning because ....  My next steps are ..
• 
  

Science Notebooks:  Use of science notebooks by every student, in every school, every day improves achievement in reading, writing, and science for all students.- Amaral, Garrison, and Klentschy, 2002  OR "notebooks are a central place where lnguage, data, and experience work together to form meaning for the student."

• Notebook strategies (general)
• Science Notebooks - website (http://www.sciencenotebooks.org/)
• Science Notebooks - explanation and text 
• Teacher Book to Purchase?  Science Writing - Notebooks - professional text, Interactive Science Notebooks - professional text, Inquiry Writing - Chapter 1 Writing
• Articles from NSTA - Science Notebooks
• Website to consider
• Article about what to include in notebooks.
• Why use journals?
• create personal responses to experiences, clarify ideas, and construct knowledge,
• build a personal connection or rapport between the student and teacher,
• provide evidence at conferences of what students are learning,
• allow expression of ideas through written and visual or graphic representations,
• allow written response to investigating, observing, and hypothesizing from lab experiments and class discussions,
• provide opportunity for student to explore questions and answers treated to science topics not studied in class,
• help students learn time-management skills, 
• *Valle Imperial Project Science discovered that Students were more success in science when the science notebook was used in the classroom in as knowledge-transforming writing format.
• Just read this added perk about using notebooks:  When teachers say, "Remember when we did/learned..." and only a handful of students engage, teachers who use notebooks can now say, "Turn to the entry that showed the results of the lab/synthesis of unit 3/your thinking about the ___ reading (etc) and remind your partner what we learned."   Notebooks allow everyone the opportunity to connect back to prior learning and use it to build new learning.
• Entry Ideas:  
• Survey Questions:  How do you feel when you come to science class?  What kind of grades do you usually get in science?  What do you hope to learn in science this year?
• Write in your own words what we are learning.
• Today I learned that...
• In lab or class this week, I thought... was interesting because...
• What we did today in science reminds me of...
• I previously thought..., but now I think....
• I would like to explore.... because....
• I really understood....
• I'm trying to find the answer to...
• When I visited..., I observed....
• While watching..., I noticed that ....
• In other subjects we talked about ...., which related to science because...
• I'm wondering about...
• I'm confused by...
• Starter sentences to use when Reflecting on Learning:
  • I used to think....
  • Then I learned....
  • So, now I know/realize....
  • and I'm now wondering....

  When you reflect on your learning:

  • Be specific:  use names, numbers, academic vocabulary, examples, details, etc...
  • Use the academic vocabulary you just learned.
  • Reread to make sure your writing is clear and makes sense.
  • Use your notebook!
• Use science terms and vocabulary.
• Record observations and make predictions from lab work.
• I observed...
• I noticed...
• It reminded me of...
• This is so because...
• I'm curious about...
• It surprised me that...
• I wonder what would happen if...
• Write your own questions and explore ways to find answers
• Use different ways to express your learning - drawing, poetry
• Use your curiosity to think of questions about the world around you.
• Connect your science learning to your everyday life.
• Compare and Contrast:
• The ... and the ... are the same because they both....
• In addition, they both ....
• They are different because the ..., but the .... does not.
• Also, the ...., whereas the ....
• I learned....  I'm curious about....
• Refutable Text - 
• State the misconception you are trying to refute
• Include evidence from a lab experiment, research that you have done, topics from class discussions, and examples to convince your audience to abandon this misconception
• Organize your paper properly and include an introduction with a topic sentence, supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion
• Use vocabulary we have learned
• Correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors before writing your final draft
• Types of Writing in Science:
• Description report
• Diagram/Photo/Schematic
• Graph
• Fiction Report (fictional details are mixed with facts)
• Persuasion Report
• references - annotated bibliography
• Peer review
• Student self-evaluation/checklist

More on Science Notebooks:

Science Habits of Mind, Practices, and Common Applications for Notebooks:

Science Habits of Mind:

1.   Skepticism - recognize the importance of legitimate skepticism

2.   Respect for Data - engage in consideration of the alignment between the data and conclusions that are made. (C: CD/CMs)

3.   Limitations of Science:  Acknowledge the limitations of scientific techniques.

4.   Considerations of Consequences:  Explore wider implications for the results of investigations.

Next Generation Science 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

Concepts that have common application across fields: 

1.    Patterns

2.    Cause and Effect:  mechanism and explanation

3.    Scale, proportion, and quantity

4.    Systems and system models

5.    Energy and matter:  Flows, cycles, and conservation

6.    Structure and function

7.    Stability and change

Literacy in Science?

Article used in September studio:  "Foregrounding the Disciplines in Secondary Literacy Teaching and Learning:  A Call for Change"   by Elizabeth Birr Moje


Rationale:  Reading, writing, and oral communication are critical literacy practices for participation in a global society. In the context of science inquiry, literacy practices support learners by enabling them to grapple with ideas, share their thoughts, enrich understanding, and solve problems. Here we suggest five instructional and curricular features that can support students in developing literacy in the context of science: (i) linking new ideas to prior knowledge and experiences, (ii) anchoring learning in questions that are meaningful in the lives of students, (iii) connecting multiple representations, (iv) providing opportunities for students to use science ideas, and (v) supporting students’ engagement with the discourses of science. These five features will promote students’ ability to read, write, and communicate about science so that they can engage in inquiry throughout their lives.

Science teachers need to help students learn how to read and write in science for a number of reasons:

• Students need to know how to learn about science on their own if we expect them to be lifelong learners.  This requires students to be able to read, understand, and critique academic, nonfiction, and persuasive genres of writing.
• Reading and writing are important aspect of doing science.  Scientists must be able to read and understand the writing of others, evaluate its worth, and share the results of their own research through writing.
• All students, regardless of their interest in the scientific career, need to be able to read and write about scientific issues so they can make educated decisions and participate in a democratic society. 
• Students whoa re skilled at reading and writing in science are often able to learn the concepts, theories, models, and laws of science more deeply and retain more than students who are not. (Science Scope, November 2008, "Learning to WRite and Writing to Learn in Science" by Amy Dlugokienski and Victor Sampson.)

Example teacher's description of how to read the textbook:

How to Read a Science Textbook

    As I’ve already discussed in class and in the Course Description, one of the goals of this course is to help you learn how to read scientific materials.  Later in life you’ll find that sometimes the only way to learn new things is by reading; it’s an absolutely essential skill as a scientist.  But there’s no reason why reading scientific materials should be easy, innate, or the same as reading poetry, USA Today, or romance novels.  It’s a new skill that you’ll have to work on and I’ve designed Chem 121 to help you develop that skill.

    The first thing to know about much science writing is that it is information dense.  That is, it seems like there is a new idea in every sentence and every paragraph.  This can make for slow reading since it’s generally quite important that you understand each idea before moving on to the next idea.  Science writing, like science classes, tends to be linear and cumulative.  If you don’t understand paragraph one, it’s unlikely that the paragraphs that follow will become understandable.

    Recommendation #1:  Read slowly and thoughtfully.   Be prepared to stop and think as you read.  Reading just to “get through the material” is a waste of time.

or

    Recommendation #2:  “Pre-read” a section at a more rapid pace just to get a sense of the overall picture; then return to the beginning and re-read at least once in a more meticulous fashion.

Only the brightest, fastest-uptake folks are going to understand science writing on the first reading.  I assume that you’ll have to read and re-read some paragraphs or sections several times.  If all of this science stuff were easy and obvious, we’d probably have lots more scientists.  Only those who persist and are tenacious are likely to succeed.

    Reading science is not just reading words.  It’s reading equations, reading tables of data, and reading graphs.  (Science textbooks also have lots of beautiful pictures in them; some of these are important and should be studied and some of these are just nice looking pictures to break up the text.)   When reading equations you must make sure that you understand all the variables and the physical interpretation of the mathematical equation.  Simple algebraic equations are... well, simple.  But look carefully at exponential and logarithmic equations (and, later, calculus equations) to make sure you see the relationships being expressed.  Data tables should be closely examined.  Do trends in data support general relationships or math equations or are exceptions seen?  What is the purpose of the data table in the book?   Graphs are extremely important.  Study the x- and y-axes carefully and make sure you know what’s being plotted.  Is the plot linear or not?  How does this relate to some equation?  Why is the plot included at all?  Proving something?  Are there data that don’t fall on the general curve or trend?  Graphs need to be digested slowly.  They often contain lots of information and scientists love to use graphs.  Know them; love them.

    Recommendation #3:  Read the book with a pencil in your hand and make notes - everywhere! - about things you don’t understand.  Draw lines connecting tables and graphs and equations and words to show the connections.  Use the large margins in texts to write to yourself.

I discourage using a highlighter because they aren’t useful for writing notes to yourself.  Some students highlight boldface terms; that’s being redundant.  Some students highlight sentences; instead give it a quick underline and write a note to yourself in the margin about why this sentence is so important!  Some students seem to highlight just about every sentence; yes, they’re all important but what good does highlighting all of them serve?

    Some textbooks have a glossary in the back of the book.  Does yours?  (Go look!)  Whether it does or not...

    Recommendation #4:  Read the text with a dictionary close by.  It’s expected that you’ll run into words that you don’t know; that’s OK as long as you figure them out before continuing.

    Everyone has had the experience of reading something and not understanding it.  It’s what you do after that happens that defines who you are and influences your probability of success as a student and scientist.  If you are interested in learning, you will re-read and concentrate and make notes as you read.  If you are interested only in “completing the reading assignment” (which means passing your eyes over all the words at least once - with or without understanding) then all of your reading will be easy and fast and worthless.

    Recommendation #5:  Grab your textbook, a dictionary, some pens/pencils and get thyself to a quiet place where you won’t be distracted.  Read, re-read, re-read (?).

    Reading, like all skills, improves with practice.  Right now you have the opportunity to learn to read well-written scientific material.  Later in life you will inevitably have to read some poorly written scientific material.  When you have to read a technical manual for a new instrument that you just bought and have to learn to operate you’ll yearn for the days of well-written lab instructions in Chem 121!  Now’s the time to practice!

    Finally, a few comments directed specifically at our textbook.  1)  At the beginning of each chapter there is an introduction that’s easy to skip as you dash into Section 1.  Read this introduction; it “sets up” the whole chapter and gives a bit of context for understanding the chapter.  2)  There are also Exercises highlighted in light blue boxes throughout the text.  Do these exercises; don’t just look at them.  My exams will not require that you just look at questions and answers and see if they make sense; you’ll have to read questions and supply your own answers!  Practice the tasks you’ll have to perform!  3)  Each chapter has a Summary at the end of the chapter.  Would it surprise you that I recommend reading it!?!

    Happy reading!  (Didn’t you enjoy reading this!?!) 

Why write?

Integrating Writing into the Science ClassroomThe power of a scientific finding grows when communicated to others. When researchers publish their findings in scientific journals, other scientists can replicate and extend the experimentation. Students must understand that the ability to write in an objective, precise, and logical manner is an essential scientific tool. By guiding students through well-designed written assignments, science teachers demonstrate the importance of writing in science, and provide opportunities for students to apply writing skills to relevant content. Writing in the Science Curriculum Incorporating writing into the science curriculum yields enormous benefits. Writing is not a passive, teacher-centered activity. When students write, they must think, forcing them to be active learners. Writing about newly-acquired content strengthens understanding, while allowing students to make connections with prior learning. The writing process can force students to face and seek help with concepts that cause confusion. Writing increases retention, and enhances development of science vocabulary. With appropriate teacher feedback and interaction, student writing skills improve as their science knowledge increases. With a multitude of topics to cover in a limited amount of time, science teachers must integrate relevant writing assignments into existing curriculum as seamlessly as possible. Student writing should also reflect the basic tenets of science. Consider the following when introducing and evaluating science writing assignments: Science writing should be objective. Student writing should focus on experimental findings, quantifiable data, and verifiable research. Unless specifically requested in an assignment, students should not offer personal opinions, and should avoid writing in the first person. Science writing should be logical. The scientific method follows a rational sequence from the development and testing of a hypothesis through the analysis of data and communication of findings. Student writing should reflect a similar logical, orderly sequence. Science writing should be precise. Qualitative statements such as "The results were interesting," or "The process took a long time," have no place in science writing. Student writing should focus on quantitative data and include sufficient relevant detail. Specific Ideas for Incorporating Writing into the Science Curriculum Science teachers typically think of the laboratory report as the primary means of incorporating writing into the science curriculum. While the development of this document is an essential skill, writing can be integrated into the science curriculum in numerous other ways. Application of the following ideas, with appropriate management and feedback, will strengthen student writing skills while increasing understanding and retention of important science concepts. Begin class with a writing prompt that requires students to think. Give students a relatively short period of time at the beginning of the class period to summarize something they learned in the previous lesson, solve a problem based on prior learning, or speculate about the new topic that will be introduced. Lead a brief discussion about their responses before moving to a new topic. Utilize illustrations, graphs, and other graphics in a new way. Have students write text to accompany and describe visual elements such as graphs or diagrams. Students should analyze graphic material in one or two sentences, as it might appear in a textbook or on a Web site. Evaluate scientific articles. Have students read selected articles from scientific journals. Narrow the discussion and written assignment by focusing on components of the paper. For example, students might be asked to discuss how the scientist limited variables in the procedure, comment on trends observed in the data, or explain the relationship between the hypothesis and collected data. Keep a journal outlining procedures and findings. Have students describe laboratory work in an ongoing log. Entries might focus on general experiment procedures as well as new information and concepts acquired. Evaluate a seminar, lecture, or media presentation. Have students write a short evaluation of a presentation they have observed. Rather than asking students to simply write a summary, provide several prompts from which students can choose that focus on specific aspects of the presentation. Develop a letter to the editor of a scientific journal. After reading articles from one or more scientific journals over a period of time, have students write a letter to an editor. The letter might describe an opinion about a specific article or the quality of a journal in general. Ongoing, consistent integration of writing into the science curriculum yields positive results for student achievement. As you look for ways to incorporate writing, remember that science lends itself to thinking about the unknown as well as the known. Encouraging students to write about their ideas for future experimentation into topics of interest stimulates the higher-order thinking skills that are crucial in scientific research. This article was contributed by Jennipher Willoughby, a professional writer and former science and technology specialist for Lynchburg City Schools in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Science Content Connections:

• Science Explanation Videos: Khan Academy videos - Bill Gates' favorite teacher!
• Resource:  Society for Science - articles for kids.
• Resource:  Case studies for kids...

• Planet Webquest with online postcard option

• Habits of the heart website