Warm Up to Science: TEKS-Based Engagement Activities for Grade 5 page 10

Notebooking

Many
of the
warm-up activities
ask
students
to record the
question
and their
answers
in a notebook, which reduces
the number

of
copies
needed. Keeping
a science notebook also provides an
effective way
for
students
to save information about

experiences for future use and to reflect
upon
those experiences
(Marcarelli,
2010). The process
of
notebooking

• creates a space for
students
to reflect about experiences
and encourages
insight
into activities, • allows
students opportunities
to create, • encourages
students
to process
what
they
are learning, • allows
for
the free flow
of
students’
ideas
and feelings, • gives a broader
perspective over
time and encourages
students
to reread and identify
recurring
themes, • provides students
with a safe format
to communicate in a
healthy
and constructive way,
and • involves student
expression and exploration of
thought.

An interactive notebook
is
another
tool
students
use in activating
prior
knowledge,
recording
learning
experiences,
and revising
their
thinking
about
the
topic or
concept. The
input
is
the content
learned,
and the output
is
reflective thought
gained through
learning
experiences. Benefits
of using of an interactive notebook include developing
students’
thinking
skills,
increasing
communication,
and differentiating
instruction
(Marcarelli,
2010).

References

Keeley,
P.
(2008). Science formative assessment: 75 practical
strategies
for
linking assessment,
instruction,
and learning.
Thousand Oaks, CA:
Corwin Press.