Science Notebooks, Logs or Journals

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Carol Mahan (Phelps County Office) andStephanie Rust (Ozark Regional Office)

Missouri Department of Conservationhttp://mdc.mo.gov/

“The purpose of science is to answer ourquestions about the nature of the world –whether we like the answers or not.”

Alan Leshner

Notebooks or Journals

Notebooks/journals are used to record

• Field notes• Reflections

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Types of Entries• Drawings

– Sketches– Scientific Illustrations– Technical Drawings

• Tables, Charts, and Graphs • Graphic Organizers • Notes• Reflective and Analytical Entries • Conclusions• Investigation Formats • Writing Frame/ expository and creative

writings

Scientists and their Journals The first telephone Drawing by Alexander

Graham Bell, 1876

– (Series: Subject File, Folder: The Telephone, Drawing of the Telephone, Bell's Original, 1881 - 1966)

– used for patent – proved he was first.

– (you don’t need to be an artist!)

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Leonardo DaVinci

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A design for a flying machine, (c. 1488) Institut de France,

Paris

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_da_Vinci

Excerpt from Journals of Lewis & ClarkWhite Salmon Trout

(coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch),March 16, 1806, Codex J, p. 133r

http://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/read

Uses by Students

• To organize thoughts and information• To reflect• To refer to later for recall, use in reporting and

discussions• For self-assessment• To see the developmental progression of an

investigation• As an opportunity to work on expository writing • For future study or inquiry• As a resource for the creation of a final product• To help develop a habit of mind

Organizational Elements

• No “correct” format• Adjust to your style and needs• Basics:

Table of ContentsPages are numberedEntries are dated

Suggested Elements for Field Studies

– Date– Time of day– Specific Location and habitat– Description of weather: temperature, cloud

cover, precipitation, wind speed and direction

– Activity title– Headings (Predictions, Observations,

Results, Conclusions, Reflections)

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Tips for ease of use• Keep the notebooks in one place in class• Maintain a master copy of everything in the

notebook• Model on overhead, model in the field, model

on a poster board • Use post-it notes to assist in finding a page• Have students use a rubric to evaluate• Use a document camera to display examples

of acceptable work• Have students check a partner’s work for

specific items

Uses by Teachers

• To identify evidence of student learning• To identify conceptual understanding• To identify students’ misconceptions• To collect evidence of student growth

over time• To guide instruction

Allows for Differentiation

Resources• ASCD, (Dec. 2006, Jan. 2007) Educational Leadership:

Science in the Spotlight• Calhoun, J. & Mintz, E. (2004). Project Notebook. Science

and Children, Nov-Dec, 30-34.• Campbell, B. & Fulton, L. (2003). Science notebooks.

Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann• Gilbert, J. & Kotelman, M. (2005). Five good reasons to

use science notebooks. Science and Children, 43 (3), 28-32.

• Klentschy, M. NSTA, (2008). Using Science Notebooks in Elementary Classrooms.

• Shepardson, D. P., Britsch, S. J. (1997) Children's Science Journals: Tools for Teaching, Learning, and Assessing.

Resources

• Using Science Notebooks, Tucson Unified School District http://instech.tusd.k12.az.us/science/notebook.html

• www.nsta.org• www.sciencenotebooks.org

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