Using Science Notebooks to Develop Conceptual Understanding in Science

Transcription

1 Using Science Notebooks to Develop Conceptual Understanding in Science Pam Van Scotter Connie Hvidsten 11 March 2011 NSTA National Conference San Francisco, CA

2 Goals for Today s Session Consider perspectives on science notebooks Engage as learners in science notebooking activities Practice using sense-making and literacy strategies Consider how these and other notebooking strategies empower students in their learning journey

3 Perspectives on Science Notebooks Review the Bumper Sticker Quotes about science notebooks Record in your notebook the letter for the statement that resonates the strongest with you. Record why this statement resonates with you.

4 Science Notebooks A. Students need to know how to record notes from the board and during readings. B. Notebooking leads to deeper understanding. C. Notebooks help teachers grade by providing a record of what the students have accomplished in class. D. All notebooks in a class should have the same format and information if the students complete them well. E. Notebooks are primarily a tool to help students.

5 Exploring Notebooking through a Lesson about Plate Tectonics

6 Situate Your Learning What do I already know? What do I want to know now?

7 KWL

8 Investigation 1: What is the tectonic history of India?

9 What does this diagram show?

10 What I see 1. Look for changes, trends, or differences across time 2. Draw an arrow to particular point of interest in your own notebook. 3. Write what you see. Write something different for each arrow. Be concise. 4. Write only the essence, or highlights, of what you see.

11 What It Means Higher-level thinking: Interpret, analyze what you see. Write what each observation might mean. Don t interpret the entire figure at once, just one observation at a time.

12 Caption Think of the caption as an executive summary. Begin your caption with a topic sentence describing the overview of the figure. Join each What I see to its What it means to form a sentence. Build a coherent description in 2 to 3 sentences.

13 Highlight comments 1. What I see: 2. What it means: Caption:

14 Reflection Questions When might What I See What It Means be a powerful notebooking experience for your students? How does this notebooking experience help students monitor their own learning?

15 Exploring Notebooks to Support Understanding During Content Readings

16 Investigation 2: What type of tectonic interaction is taking Jigsaw Readings place in the case of India? Tectonic Setting 1: Crash Colossal Collisions Tectonic Setting 2: Stretch Breaking Up Is Hard to Do Tectonic Setting 3: Grind Living on the Edge

17 Jigsaw Readings Work in a group of three. Assign a Tectonic Setting reading to each person in the group. Read and take notes on your reading in the summary table in your notebook. Take turns sharing what you learned within the group; take notes on others readings in your notebook

18 Summary Making Connections to Text

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21 Using a Personal Glossary A Personal Glossary within a Notebook might be used in a number of ways in a number of places Following a collaborative discussion about a reading After a reading to capture current ideas At any time to clarify emerging understandings At any time to record deeper understandings

22 Using an Explanations Template to encourage rigor in student thinking What type of tectonic interaction is taking place in the case of India?

23 Adapted from Supporting Students Construction of Scientific Explanations by Fading Scaffolds in Instructional Materials. (2006) McNeil, KL; Lizotte, DJ; Krajcik, J; & Marx, RW. The Journal of the Learning Sciences, 15(2),

24 Claim Characteristics of a Scientific Explanation An assertion or conclusion that is your best answer to the original question Evidence Scientific data that supports the claim Must be appropriate and sufficient Can come from an investigation or other source Observations Reading material Archived data Other Reasoning Justification that links the claim and evidence Shows why the data counts as evidence to support the claim using appropriate scientific principles

25 Reflection Questions How might the Explanations Template help students better articulate their understanding? When might this notebooking strategy be the most useful for your students?

26 Elaborating on a Notebooking Strategy: Using a Sense-Making Strategy within a Collaborative Learning Strategy

27 Investigation 3: Is India (the IndoAustralian Plate) still moving?

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29 Red dots represent seismic activity Orange circles represent earthquakes greater than magnitude 5

30 I think the tectonic plate carrying India is (or is not) still moving (what is your evidence? reasoning?) Think Share Advise Revise

31 Think I think India is (or is not) still moving (what is your evidence? reasoning?) Thinking about a question or problem Working individually Accessing what you already know and understand Recording your best ideas in your science notebook using sketches and words

32 Adapted from Supporting Students Construction of Scientific Explanations by Fading Scaffolds in Instructional Materials. (2006) McNeil, KL; Lizotte, DJ; Krajcik, J; & Marx, RW. The Journal of the Learning Sciences, 15(2),

33 Share I think India is (or is not) still moving (what is your evidence?)

34 Advise I think India is (or is not) still moving (what is your evidence?)

35 I think India is (or is not) still moving (what is your evidence?) Revise Deciding what advice is useful Revising work in a different colored pen or pencil based on useful advice from partner Recording why you did or did not revise your work based on advice from partner

36 Reflecting on What We Experienced How many different ways did we use our notebooks? Sense-Making Strategies What I See/What It Means Template for Scientific Explanations Literacy Strategies Template for Summary Notetaking Personal Glossary Collaborative Learning Strategy TSAR

37 A Case for Science Notebooks Notebooks are a place where students formulate and record their questions, make predictions, record data, procedures, and results, compose reflections, and communicate findings. Notebooks are a place for students to implement strategies that help them record and monitor their own learning journey, aligning with the findings from How People Learn. Notebooks provide a portfolio of student work and provide teachers, administrators, parents, and the students themselves with feedback on student learning.

38 Notebook Entry Record a new bumper sticker phrase for notebooking

39 Using Science Notebooks to Develop Conceptual Understanding in Science

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