assessment tool - notebook

8/9/2019 Assessment Tool - Notebook

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Notebook


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y "The key to effective science teaching is to enablestudents to develop ideas about the world around

them from evidence that they have collected anddeveloped personal meaning. Learning scienceinvolves both the process of thinking and the abilityto communicate those thoughts."- Michael

Klentschy,Using Science Notebooks in ElementaryClassrooms.


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What is a Science Notebook?y A place for students to record questions,predictions,

data,conclusions,and visuals suchas charts and

diagrams.y Provide aplace for students to link prior knowledge

with the new information gained in an investigation.


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y Apermanent record of what students actuallylearn.Theycan be used throughout an inquiry-based unit,

from vocabularyterms to conclusions at the end ofalesson or unit.

y Science notebook covers two aspects of learningscience - makingmeaning from experience and

relating that meaning to others.


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Types of information in a science

notebooks

Klentschydescribed,a science notebook containsseven essential components:

Question, Problem, PurposeStudent-generated, investigable questions serve asthe starting point.

PredictionA prediction tells what the student thinks willhappen. A good prediction relates to the question,connects to prior knowledge, and provides an

explanation or reason.


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y Developing a PlanThis often occurs in two stages: a general plan that

identifies variables and controls and an operationalplan that clearly describes the procedure for theinvestigation and the materials needed. Plans couldbe developed as a class and posted for reference. At

this time, students also create data collectiondevices such as T-charts or tables.


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Observations,Data, Charts, Graphs,Drawings, and IllustrationsStudents collect data in devices such as T-charts or

tables. They might draw an illustration or create agraph. Students also record observations in anarrative that accompanies their data.

Claims and Evidence

Students use their data to make meaning from theinvestigation. A T-chart often helps students clearlylink their claims to the evidence from theirinvestigation.


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Drawing ConclusionsStudents record what they have learned from the

investigation as a whole.Reflection - Next Steps and Next Questions

Students have an opportunity to reflect on whatthey have learned, make personal connections, and

record questions for further exploration.


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How can science notebooks serve as a form

of assessment?

y Student notebooks provide aclear picture of studentunderstandingand are an excellent formative or summative

assessment tool.


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y As teachers read and evaluate student entriesusingacriterion-based rubric,gaps between the

desired learningand actual student learningmayemerge. These gaps can be addressed throughguiding questions, repetition ofinvestigations, orfollow-up lessons. Rubrics can also assist teachersin assessing scienceprocess skills and supporting

student development. Finally, the use of rubrics asformative assessment also provides an opportunityfor metacognitive thinking- students reflecting ontheir own work.


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y When used as formative assessment, feedbackbecomes extremelyimportant. Teachers can use

guiding questions to support students as theylinkclaims to evidence. Timelyfeedback can also helpto correct the manymisconceptions that mayemerge frominquiry-based investigations.


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y Notebooks can also serve as summative assessment atthe end ofa unit.Again, rubrics are the suggested tool

for assessing student understanding. Byassigningpoint values to eachcriterion, teachers can convert aformative assessment to a numericgrade.

assessment tool - notebook

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