Simplify Science Learning: Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up an Elementary Science Notebook
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How do you set up your Interactive Science Notebooks? I get asked this question often, especially first-year teachers.
I think as teachers, we sometimes get pushed into rigor and content we forget that our students are young and need guidance with how to learn as much as learning in general. Giving students information without teaching them how to organize it is useless. I have had students come back to thank me for teaching them how to learn.
Essential Supplies for set up
I believe elementary science notebooks should be simple. I do not focus on input and output. Letting the students learn to use the information in the notebook is my priority. I also use one notebook per science subject matter. By the end of the year, they have three interactive notebooks; Life Science, Physical Science, and Earth & Space Science. (see what I did there- they learned three types of science) To the right are the main supplies I use throughout the year.
- I prefer a composition notebook for its sturdiness. My students have them on their school supply lists.
- They only use colored pencils for drawing and coloring. They can outline in a black pen if needed. I don’t want anything to bleed through.
- I purchase the tabs we use to divide the sections. Some of my colleagues have used the tiny Post-it notes.
- Liquid glue used in dots works and holds better than glue sticks. (It takes practice for the students to learn to grade the squeeze but worth it in the end)
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