4 Full Option Science System
Science Notebooks in Grades 3–6
Cognitive engagement. Once data are recorded and organized in an
effi cient manner in science notebooks, students can think about them to
draw conclusions about the way the world works. Their data, based on
their experiences and observations, are the raw materials that students
use to forge concepts and relationships.
Writing stimulates active reasoning. There is a direct relationship
between the formation of concepts and the rigors of expressing those
thoughts in words. Writing requires students to impose discipline on
their thoughts. By writing explanations, students clarify what they
know... and expose what they don’t know.
When students are asked to generate derivative products (such as
detailed explanations or posters) as evidence of learning, the process will
be much more effi cient when they have a coherent, detailed notebook
for reference. As students begin to use their notebooks as a personal
reference text, they will value their own learning and come to rely on
their own work as a source of information about science.
When students use their notebooks as an integral part of their
science studies, they are more likely to think critically about their
understandings. This refl ective thinking can be encouraged by
notebook entries that present opportunities for self-assessment. Self-
assessment motivates students to rethink and restate their scientifi c
understandings. Revising their notebook entries by using a next-
step strategy helps students clarify their understanding of the science
concepts under investigation.NOTE
For more on derivative
products, see the Science-
Centered Language
Development chapter.