Science Notebook Posted

This school year flew by and now I am done for the summer. Phew! I am sorry that I have neglected this blog, please refer to my website for all up to date information for what goes on in my classroom.

My 5th grade notebook is updated and posted, as well as my planbook:

http://www.middleschoolscience.com/notebook-2010-2011.htm

While the interactive notebook worked really well these past two years, for September I am going back to using a 1/2 inch binder and numbering the handouts as I hand them out to keep the consistency of a notebook.

The main reason I am switching back is purely the amount of paper and glue that is needed to upkeep these notebooks. It is also harder to recycle the notebooks once they are done with them.

Over the summer, I plan on reorganizing my handouts and photocopying mini-units for the kids to place directly into their binders to maximize using the front and back of every handout.

After 3 years, I have the 5th grade program fleshed out and exactly how I want it, so there may only be a few minor changes next year.

ISN – Table of Contents posted online

I made a webpage for my ISN table of contents. Each notebook page has the activity posted and links to related materials.

This is a work in progress and will be actively updated:

http://www.middleschoolscience.com/notebook.htm

ISN – Table of Contents Rough Draft

Over the summer, I am working on organizing my notebook and will build a mock-up of how I want the notebook to look. Most of the postings I have read mention that the right side is for input or teacher directed material, and the left side is for out-put, or the student side, but I don’t think that will work for me, I’d like it to be more sequential. I am having what we do in class on the Left side (L for learning) and the Right side for practice (R for reflection). My reflection side will include a mixture of analysis, review, practice, and reflection.

The way that I set up my table of contents is that the left and right pages are next to each other, so it is a visual pairing of what goes together, instead of a linear type of list. When I give the students the table of contents to put into their notebooks, I may have the first few pages typed in to model how it should look, then have the students fill in the rest as we do each activity.

I am posting a rough draft of my table of contents, but I am sure it will change several times before September! http://www.middleschoolscience.com/ISN-tableofcontents-pgs1-33.pdf