The most notable scientists in history used a notebook to dream, observe, chart, create, and reflect. At the start of each year, each sixth grader makes their own science notebook while we learn about some of the most famous notebooks that have come before us.
Science notebooks are used as a safe space for students to express their ideas without fear of being wrong or making mistakes. We do a variety of entries every week, each showcasing a different skill. If you look in a sixth grader’s notebook, you might find drawings, charts, questions, claims, or descriptions. Our notebooks help to guide our class investigations and foster both creativity and critical thinking.
“Of all a scientist’s tools, objects rare and common, the lowly science notebook is most easily forgotten” (Fries-Gaither 1).