I’ve mentioned in other posts about the requirement for keeping interactive science notebooks. This week in my STEM Science classes I will be going over what is expected in our interactive science notebooks and how they are expected to be organized. I will be showing the classes, especially 3rd through 5th grade classes a visual rubric of how I will be grading their interactive science notebooks each quarter. First and Second Grade classes will be helping me set up and decide upon their grading rubric and the kinds of things that I will be expecting in their notebook.

For 3rd through 5th grade classes, I will be using a 4-point grading rubric for their notebooks each quarter, and a 4-point grading rubric for their journal entries. Agents of Science (remember, these are students in my class) will be expected to have the following items in their notebooks and maintain these items:

• Table of Contents, showing the dates of entry, page title, and page number for EACH ENTRY
• Page Numbers, odd numbered pages are on the right (or the front side of notebook pages), and even numbered pages are on the left (or the back side of notebook pages)
• Glossary section in the back, set up by somewhat of an alphabetical order (we will be setting this up together in class – two letters for each page, for example, words beginning with A or B will be on one page, words beginning with C or D will be on another page, and so on.)
• Last page of interactive notebook is quartered for quarterly grades and feedback
• Dates on the top line of each notebook entry, left side
• Page Titles on the top line of each notebook entry

All interactive science notebook entries are to be:

• Neat, with a single line through mistacks mistakes
• Thorough and complete
• Reflections made in complete sentences
• Legible! If I can’t read it, I won’t grade it!

Below are examples of notebook entries I will be going over with 3rd-5th grade Agents of Science in my class this week:

This interactive science notebook entry for the reproductive parts of a flower is worth 1 point out of 4 points. It is worth only 1 point because the entry is missing the page number, date, and page title. There are misspellings in the entry, flower reproduction has been spelled as “flowr reprodukshun”. (Important words will be spelled out on the board and in the word wall for Agents of Science for reference.) The flower drawing is very basic and does not show the reproductive parts of the flower. The parts of the plant are not labeled, nor are the reproductive parts of the flower. And although the drawing was done in marker with purple and green, the picture is pretty much uncolored. Also, there is no reflection to support the learning for this entry.

 

This interactive science notebook entry for the reproductive parts of a flower is worth 2 points out of 4 points. It is a little more detailed than the last entry. The page has a page number (9) and a title, “Flower Reprodukshen”, spelled incorrectly. The diagram is colored, however, the diagram is missing some reproductive parts, only very basic parts are shown, and most of the labels are missing. The diagram also needs to have its own title. There is a reflection, but the reflection is simple with one sentence. This does not show a complete understanding of the concept being taught.

 

This interactive science notebook entry for the reproductive parts of a flower is worth 3 points out of 4 points. Now, some of you may be saying, but Mrs. Roberts, this looks pretty complete. Why only 3 points out of 4 points? Items missing from this entry that is keeping it from a 4 are: the date, separate title for the diagram, and a THOROUGH reflection explaining in detail how the reproductive parts of the flower work. The reflection include does show an understanding of the reproductive parts of the flower, but does not explain how it all works.

 

THIS is what a 4-point out of 4 possible points entry in the interactive science notebook looks like, especially for 4th and 5th grade students. There is a date (albeit, not included in the photo), page title, page number (also not included in the photo), a thorough explanation about the reproductive parts of a flower, with corrections neatly made using a single line through the mistake, a very thorough diagram including inserts/closeup of the pollen, everything is labeled, and the diagram has its own title. The entry is neat and colorful, and is completely legible. Also, if I were to check the Table of Contents (TOC), there is a listing in the TOC for this page with the date and page number.

Next post: Primary Interactive Science Notebooks

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