Wed, Mar 16, 2022 11:01 AM
Practical, engaging book on science notebooks
I work with pre-service elementary and secondary science teachers, and one of the guiding structures of the methods classes is how to use science and nature notebooks in a way that gives students choices in how they make sense of phenomena while also building science practice skills. We have been using Fulton & Campbell's (2014) "Science Notebooks" text, which is a good resource; but now that I've read it, I plan on switching our text to Fries-Gaither's "Science Notebooks in student-centered classrooms" moving forward. This book is concise, well-connected to all 3 dimensions of the NGSS, and includes so many great student examples that I think teacher candidates will find it both engaging and incredibly helpful in framing how they can use notebooks as a tool in the classroom, without having it become the kind of "teacher-centered" activity that many of us have done as students (or as teachers) in the classroom. The writing is grounded in research but accessible and practical. The ties to the NGSS will help my candidates make sense of those standards and connect it to the kind of student-centered teaching they can do in the classroom. I'm excited to see what they (and their students) do with all of this great information!