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Hello!  I am currently taking a class in which I am learning techniques on how to teach science. My professor had an idea that I thought was genius, which was having students keep a science notebook. I was wondering if anyone else has any other brilliant ideas to help children engage in science or any suggestions towards creating science notebooks?

Science notebooks are so helpful (both to student and teacher)!! Try searching "Science Interactive Notebook" in Pinterest. There are TONS of resources!

I love doing interactive notebooks! Not only do you have the ability to keep student work in each subject all in one place, you also can easily connect writing to all the subjects! The nicest thing about interactive notebooks to me is the ability to differentiate instruction. Students can put in what they are learning about and what they find interesting on observations. One thing I have seen regarding them is to have one side of each page layout be for the teacher and the other side be for the student. For example, the right side of each page (2 pages side by side when you open a notebook) is for the teacher. Here is where they will write or glue in whatever you tell them to. The left side of the page is then for the student. This is where they can make notes on something they are learning about, draw a picture of something they saw out in nature, or jot down a question as it comes to their mind that they want to ask you later. By having this side of the notebook, you are able to learn more about your students' abilities and interests each time you take a look at their notebook!

I'm glad you're going to be using science notebooks. They are such a good way to keep a student's thoughts and work together while still being more organized and manageable than folders or spirals.

Interactive notebooks are such an amazing way to get children thinking and writing about things they observe in the science classroom! It is also an amazing opportunity for the students to look back at past work and observations! One suggestion is to use many different outlines for the notebook and don't always just have the students writing with pencil. Think of ways the students will love to look at their notebook. This could be by using many different materials to create pictures, creating original outlines, and allowing the students to make the notebook their own.

Interactive Notebooks are great for building schema. The students can look back on past work and see how it connects to current projects. It is also a great way to see how the progression of learning grows throughout the year, especially in kindergarten.

Hello! I think there are many ways to teach science and have students engage in science. I recently learned that if teachers let students explore their own ideas and have the students think in their own ways can really help students to fall in love with science. In my education class as well, my professor talked about this school where they the students had no interest or even showed up to class. But, when the teacher decided to do a project that build up on the student's idea of a toilet, students gave great participation. I really do believe that if students get to do their own experiment or build up on their ideas it can really create a good science classroom.

This really is a great idea! I know so many teachers who have used this strategy and it really helps the whole class stay organized throughout the year!

Hi! Yes!! Please implement that in your classroom for all subjects! You can model the notes to your students as they add them into their notebooks throughout the school year. They can continually look through there notes and you'll always have peace in mind that they are correct because they will be all modeled by you. Also, it's an essential tool for their parents because when they take them home for homework or studying purposes, they can refer to the notebook. You can add foldables, write T-Charts, write with SKINNY markers when writing notes with them, and etc. My third graders cannot write with fat markers for obvious reasons. Hope this helps!

My teacher is obsessed with interactive science notebooks as well. Instead of doing the traditional paper and pencil one, she is having us do it through OneNote. For the kids, you can have them work with an interactive science notebook on a tablet. Or you could do a whole group science notebook where all the kids incorporate their own opinions and it gets put into one location to be reflected on.

Science Notebooks are AWESOME!!!! My class loves them, we allow them to write definitions and draw pictures of the definitions in their notebooks. We also use ribbon as a bookmark.

The idea of incorporating science notebooks into the classroom is a great idea! I am currently using one in my science class and it is very beneficial. It allows me to keep all my handouts in one place and organized. It also allows me to quickly reference what we have discussed in class if I were to have questions or need help doing my homework. It wasn't until a few years ago when I was introduced to notebooks in the classroom and I have seen nothing but positive feedback from teachers who have these in their classroom and also from the parents.

In my college class we use science notebooks as well but we call them Interactive Notebooks. The professors are a bit strict with them as far as what goes where and where to take to notes. Any kind of handout or worksheet given to the students from the teacher goes on the right side and the right side only. It is to display the work the student does. On the left side is where one is to take notes. Usually the two go hand in hand so the professors use this as a way to keep things organized and allow for one to understand what exactly the notes pertain to. It is a tool almost all my professors say they have used in their previous elementary classrooms which helped their students tremendously. I know it has helped me today and I am an adult so I would like to try this is with my future students and determine it if is worth sticking to.

Interactive notebooks are very nice for students to use in the classroom. I would definitely recommend them, but allow the students to organize it in a way that would benefit the student not you.

I definitely love interactive notebooks for any subject. I have used them in many of my college classes, and they have been a great resource as a student. What I have learned is that all the material that goes in the notebooks need to be supported by meaningful lesson and activities. When my professors used "hands-on/minds-on" lessons and activities and they had us compete a foldable or graphic organizer, I was able to learn the content very well. I was able to use my notebooks to review for exams or complete other work. But when the material that we added into our notebooks was not supported by a meaningful lesson, my notebook was not useful. It is important for students to know that what matters is the content that is going into their notebooks, not making it pretty or cool. Yes it is a great way for them to express their creativity through their notebooks, but they should not spend more time decorating their notebooks. I will be using science notebooks in my classroom!

I am also for interactive science notebooks. I think the students take ownership in the notebook. Also, varied learning styles are addressed when students learn to organize and color code vocabulary and important ideas. I love the fact that students can go back to their notebook to revisit original ideas when they have something new to add.

Hi Eleanor! I think science notebooks are a great way for students to not only keep record of the activities they do in class, but also help them to become familiar with taking notes. I think it's important to keep in mind of the grade level when incorporating it in the lesson. For example, for the younger grades, it's probably advisable that the notes are taken as a class. As the teacher, you could draw the diagrams or notes on the board and have the students copy it down in their own individual notebooks. For warm up, you could have them do an individual activity, then check it for completion. For the older grades, you wouldn't have to do note taking as a class because by then, they should be able to distinguish the important information to record in their journals. As students write in their science notebooks, you can remind them that many times, scientists record data and take notes when they do experiments. It's important to remember that for the younger grades, using more illustrations is probably more helpful than writing words because they are still at the age where they are learning new vocabulary words to form sentences. Taking notes is an interdisciplinary skill, so incorporating that to the science class could also help them in taking notes in other subject areas as well. Good luck! For more information, check out this website: http://www.readingrockets.org/article/science-notebooks

I think science notebooks makes it a lot easier for students to refer back to their notes for guidance and to organize their thoughts when they observe during experiments. We use science journals for my science class in college and I definitely think it’s helpful when it comes to taking notes and I always refer back to the handouts that I’ve pasted into my journal whenever I forget about a concept or need to look at an example to refresh my memory.

I like the idea of science notebooks. My cooperating teacher uses science notebooks and honestly the kids love putting things in them and looking back at the things they have done. They can also use this to show their parents things they have done in their science class.

I definitely think science notebooks are the way to go. Each child could have their own interactive notebook that they could keep to write down their observations, models, notes, etc. Interactive notebooks are a great way for students to look back on what they have learned and continue to expand their knowledge. I know that many schools to use notebooks when teaching science. It is a great way for all of the students work to be in one place as well as they can create their own models and ideas on paper. I think this is a very effective way to teach science to students.

I am a pre-service teacher and I have seen many classes that use science notebooks. I think it's a great way for kids to keep track of activities and ideas they have done in the past. I feel like the kids are more engaged when they use the science notebooks because it's something theu can keep and take home and it is something they have created themselves.

I am a pre-service teacher and many classrooms that I have been in use these. They seem to work really well in the classrooms I have seen and the kids also seem to really enjoy them. I think that the kids like the aspect of being able to easy go back and look at their work and as a teacher that is nice as well to have it all in one place.

As a student teacher, we have to keep our own interactive notebook as well. I think is such a great ideas since you get to have all your notes in one place. I think students will also love having one since they can always go back and look at their notes. They can also decorate it their own way.

Throughout college, I have always been required to keep interactive notebooks for different classes, including science. I have had one for math, science, and different education courses I have been required to take. I did not realize how popular they are, but they have really taken off! I was never required to use one when I was in elementary, middle or high school, but I do know they are very popular in many schools across the country. Personally, my interactive notebooks have always been extremely helpful when studying since everything is in on place. It is organized and includes a table of contents. Everything I need is at my fingertips and it's a great tool to help teach responsibility and organization. I love the idea of incorporating interactive notebooks for all subjects and I think it does nothing but benefit the student.

In all of my teaching classes we are required to make and keep a notebook. My children have them for every class in the elementary school. They can be very effective if you make them interactive and fun. Foldables are a great way for children to learn material and then they just glue them in their notebooks. The kids have done work on main idea where they have an ice cream cone where the cone is for the main idea and the ice cream scoops are two supporting ideas so they can help find main idea of a story. I have seen them be extremely effective.

In my class we use science notebooks. I think they are effective as long as the students are able to reference back to the notebooks in order to refresh prior knowledge. Every time we use the notebooks we do it together as a whole so that all of the students have the information that they need in their notebooks.

I love the idea of keeping a science notebook in an early childhood classroom. I think this is good practice for students to start collecting data and reflecting on that data then making conclusions from that data. I am a preservice teacher and have seen science notebooks in many of the schools that I work in. I believe that for the notebooks to be utilized correctly they must be student centered and student led. Students should have freedom as to what to put in their notebooks and it should be used as a resource for students to make connections with things they have learned in the past and new content. Science notebooks are great but there is definitely a right and wrong way to do it. One option with younger students is to have a large class science notebook and use it as an opportunity to incorporate shared reading and writing as well.

One thing that I do with my students who need to keep a science journal is let them personalize it throughout the year. If you force them to keep it under perfect condition standard black composition book style, they won't care for it as much. However, if you give them the chance to draw on the cover and first page or cover it with duct tape, students begin to care for it and want to keep track of it. I brought various rolls of colored duct tape one day and the kids still haven't stopped talking about the different patterns they made on their journals!

I have always found a science notebooks to be very resourceful. This allows a student to organize the topics they have gone through by collecting data and attaching important documents. Science notebooks are also a great resource for students to use when they are taking an exam. Most students keep up with their notebook when they know they will be using it during an exam. Allowing students to decorate and place the notebook in their own way gives them a chance to personalize their work.

In my third grade classroom students enjoy having a science interactive notebook. It is also very useful for them when they have to review for a test.

My 4ht grade students keep interactive science notebooks. We often create foldables to glue in and it is a helpful tool for studying. I always tell my students that their interactive notebooks is for both them and their parents :) Some parents are unfamiliar with certain topics we cover so the interactive notebooks allow them to see my expectations and notes from class.

In school I'm being taught that interactive science journals are the best way to go when it comes to subjects such as science. I think this tool would be very helpful into keeping the students not just organized but also help them with future skills such as taking notes.

I love science notebooks! They are really helpful for keeping track of student progress and also for them as a resource to study from. Look on Pinterest for all kinds of cool ideas and also Teachers Pay Teachers! Make sure to include lots of fun foldable to make it interactive and fun for the kiddos.

Hello, For my science class this semester, my professor actually required us to have an interactive journal and in the interactive journal contains a table of content, goals, sheet to maintain grades, notes, quizzes, and handouts. In order for this interactive journal to be organized, you must decide where you want these items to be located on, either the left side of the right side. Also have students number their pages so that it can help them with the table of contents. Keeping track of my interactive has made it very easy for me to locate something and it may also help you as a teacher. Also, keep in mind, some students might not be on the same page and the reason for this is because some of them might write bigger than the rest. Hope this helps!

I am currently in my first year of student teaching and we keep an interactive notebook. I rather enjoy maintaining it because I like the structure and organization. I actually want to incorporate it into my future classroom, and one idea that I liked was to keep a journal with each class that I teach and add into it as the students add into theirs.

I would suggest having an anchor chart of the Table of Contents in the classroom for all students to see. That way students know exactly how their notebook should be.

I think incorporating a science notebook is fantastic. Like Mercedes said I would an anchor chart of the Table of Contents in the classroom for all students to see. Also I think incorporating foldables into there notebook is a fun and engaging way for the kids to take notes.

Science Notebooks are a great idea! In a few of my college classes, we have had interactive notebooks and even as an adult, I find that I learn so much from having one. One essential to it is to not only have the students write in it with pencil but have them glue handouts and charts onto it. Also, have them peer review so that as the instructor, you can see two students working together not only in person but also in writing! In my own classroom, I would very much like to have my students each have a Science Interactive Notebook so that they may also be able to put things from being out in the world into it. For example, maybe they went on a hike with mom and dad and found a leaf they would like to include in their notebook. Or if they went on a trip over spring break, how did the weather differ from back home? Go for the notebook!

Youn children are apt to use a science notebook as a coloring book and to attempt to use every page the first day. I numbered pages in my he books I made this year. This helps focus children on the purpose of the observation, but it also limits their use of the notebook for collecting science observations outside of science class.

My second grade placement class uses science notebooks too! They are so great and an awesome way to have students keep track of everything they've been working on for the whole year. It's also a type of formal assessment!

I agree that interactive science notebooks are a great way to assess conceptual understanding of a subject. Interactive Science Notebooks also allows all students to become active learners while writing. If the interactive science notebooks are checked regularly, the students will be motivated to write more!

Hi, In my science methods class, we use a journal and we call it interactive notebook. My students have a interactive notebook as well and they use it to glue their weekly poems in and any math activities we do in their math notebook. If you allow the students to use their notebook on an assignment or a quiz. The students will be motivated to continue working on their interactive notebook.

Having them paste in any graphic organizers they may have filled out. My students have their own interactive science notebook, and they paste in their graphic organizers and draw in any anchor charts my cooperating teacher comes up with. They don't use it too often but it's helpful for them to look back on.

I actually really enjoy having the students have an interactive notebook so that they have a place to keep track of their notes and all the things that they learned. This is something that they are teaching us in Student teaching and it really helps us whenever we need to review for test or a quiz. It also helps us reinforce what we learned as well as helps us refresh our memory.

Are you familiar with interactive notebooks? They can be a great asset to a science class, especially in elementary school!

I think science notebooks are a great idea! My science professor has us use a science interactive notebook and it is designed on our own but, our professor gave us some of the information to put inside of it. I found this to be very useful in studying and keeping up with content. I also enjoyed being creative with the notebook in my own way but making it unique.

I enjoy Interactive Notebooks especially for elementary school students. In my current field placement, the students have IN's for each subject, but for Science, my Cooperating Teacher uses foldables and and the students glue theirs inside their notebooks. Right now they are currently learning about animal classifications and each flap is about each animals and their characteristics, etc. I think that this is a great tool designed for students to learn interactively.