I have said this before…science is amazing. Unfortunately, with your science lessons, you have to take notes. Science notes can be a challenging thing especially when students want to jump right into their experimets.
Science allows you to experiment with so many different things. When students work with hands-on experiments, they are able to really understand how something works. However, what if they were able to predict and come up with some ideas prior to experimenting? Today, we will work through different types of note-taking.
Science Notes During an Experiment
You have heard of front loading before, but what if you front load an experiment? Let’s imagine you are about to teach the students all about circuits. Instead of allowing the students to learn all about circuits, I will hand them a notes page with different pieces that make a circuit. The students will need to light the lightbulb with only those materials.
How can science notes help?
You are providing the students with a simple part of the experiment. You are telling the students that these are all the materials you will need. How will they be able to use the notes page and light it up? Some science notes page are an already pre-designed notes page. However, you don’t always have to use predesigned science notes. You can have them fold a page in quarters and draw out what they think will allow them to light it up. Once they have finished drawing out 4 different ways that they think the process will work, they will then get their materials and try on their own. The science notes helped because they were told exactly what was required and told it will work. The notes allowed the students to create the idea on paper before actually completing the experiment.
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Doodle Style Notes
If you have been following me for a while, you know that I love doodle notes. I use them in my reading units, and even in my math units. How in the world can you use them in Science? Well, the first thing you must let the students know is that it’s okay to doodle. Doodling during a lesson is acceptable and then you can allow them to remember it in their own way. I like to provide students with a skeleton of the lesson and then they can take their own notes as they go.
As you can see from the picture above, the picture can be colored. The description will be written in. It does not have to be all pictures or all writing. Allow the students time to dive into the pictures. They should be able to express their thoughts with the notes and take notes in their own way.
Regular Old Science Notes
Sounds boring, right? It doesn’t have to be. A few years ago, before I decided to jump into note-taking, I had a consumable text book. you better believe that we cut that text book up. If we needed an example of mixtures, we would cut out the fruit bowl. It then would allow us to label the picture. If you have a consumable text book, don’t feel bad for cutting it up…unless you won’t be getting replenished next year.
I can’t wait to hear how you use science notes in your classroom!
Hugs & High-Fives,
Ronnie
