26 Full Option Science System
Science Notebooks in Middle School
Here are some appropriate generic feedback questions to write or use
verbally while you circulate in the class.➤ What vocabulary have you learned that will help you describe
?
➤ Can you include an example from class to support your ideas?
➤ Include more detail about .
➤ Check your data to make sure this is accurate.
➤ What do you mean by ?
➤ When you record your data, what unit should you use?When students return to their notebooks and respond to the feedback,
you will have additional information to help you discriminate between
learning and communication diffi culties. Another critical component of
teacher feedback is providing comments to students in a timely manner,
so that they can review their work before engaging in benchmark
assessment or moving on to other big ideas in the course.
In middle school, you face the challenge of having a large number of
students. This may mean collecting a portion of students’ notebooks on
alternate days. Set a specifi c focus for your feedback, such as a data table
or conclusion, so you aren’t trying to look at everything every time.
To help students improve their writing, you might have individuals
share notebook entries aloud in their collaborative groups, followed by
feedback from a partner or the group. This valuable tool must be very
structured to create a safe environment, including ground rules about
acceptable feedback and comments.
A good way to develop these skills is to model constructive feedback
with the class, using a student-work sample from a notebook. Use
a sample from a previous year with the name and any identifying
characteristics removed. Project it for the class to practice giving
feedback.