Each student in my distance learning courses develops a paper science notebook. This has been a great tool for my video classes for many reasons. Often in a distance learning class, it is hard to organize and keep track of assignments. The notebook gives myself, the site teacher and the student a tangible tool to keep track of assignments, unit information and notes. Of course there are MANY other benefits to using a science notebook too. Especially for ESL students.
I was fortunate enough to attend a few good workshops on Science Notebook use in the classroom this year. I also have a great co-worker who shared a lot of knowledge with me this year. Here are some links and resources for using notebooks in the class. There are many approaches. Please email me if you have other resources to contribute to my list.
Web Resources
- Science Notebooks in the K-12 Classroom
- Fossweb Science Notebooks
- The interactive notebook
- Journal Writing
- UDL Science Notebooks – (A project to watch)
Printed Books
- There are great journal articles and books available at NSTA
- Dinah Zikes’s Foldables- I have just begin to tap the wealth of ideas presented by Dinah
- Print Cut and Fold Science
Science Specific Resources
Here are some examples of resources I use that blend nicely with the notebooks. Many of these lessons have activities where students create paper products that are ideal for gluing into their notebooks.
- The Whale and the Virus (Available via NSTA)
The Magnificent Micro World. (AIMS) - Animal Coloration: Activities on the Evolution of Concealment (Available via NSTA)
- Life Science Lab Kit by Michael Fleming