The backbone of Brian's Physical Science class is learning to apply organization to problem solving. this will include the real...
SCIENTIFIC METHOD |
Brian has even been paid to do science, and he has published and presented research internationally. The process is generally the same, from elementary to graduate school! We will document lab work with: -Background info/research -A supportable hypothesis (if/then, etc) -Methods/procedure used in experiment -Results, like data and observations -Conclusion about the meaning of the results... this part tells us WHY the lab matters. Be creative :) of course students will get more direction via... |
While the scientific method is the backbone, the interactive notebook is the lifeblood? of the class (I don't teach biology). Click the image above to read about it from Kesler Science, or ask your student to explain after a few weeks of using them in our class.
In Brian's mind, interactive notebooks are a way to develop a strong organizational approach to documenting classwork, completing assignments, trying new methods of information processing (infographics, Cornell notes, interactives, etc), and learning to be creative with organizing technical information. Brian will sometimes hand out partially completed templates, while other times students will create their own based on a general concept illustrated on the white board or displayed via the document camera.
Why would students do all this work? Notebooks make up the largest percentage of points in the class, but more importantly the notebook is used to retrieve information needed for labs, projects, quizzes, and tests. Students should learn to use their notebooks as a resource. When faced with a tough quiz question, students should learn to search their notebooks... like an old-fashioned Google. Mastering study skills has been proven to significantly improve student performance, but more importantly organizational strategies help people achieve all kinds of goals, pay the bills, and manage workloads with less stress.
Notebooks need to include:
-An identifiable cover (stickers, colored tape, collage, etc)
-A title page with name, class period and title of the notebook
-A table of contents... so important and so useful!
-Numbers written on each side of each page (like a book)
-A glossary of terms which appear regularly on quizzes and are reviewed by peers
-Copies of the syllabus, classroom procedures, safety contracts and other documents stored in a built-in folder or attached with staples.
A typical table of contents should look like:
Classroom procedures inside cover
About the author xx (last page of notebook)
Glossary i - xix (use roman numerals for last 20 pages of notebook)
Title page 1-2
Table of contents 3-6
Warm-ups 7-40
Safety contract (signed) 41
What is a method? 42
....etc
...etc
...etc
Confused? Missed class?
Use the class notebook (kept up to date by Brian) to check your notebooks accuracy, complete missing assignments, etc. Alternatively, have a friend send you a picture of their completed work.
-Some excused absence work can be copied without a grade (notes, reference assignments)
-Some excused absence work needs to be completed without any copying (labs, projects, quizzes, tests)
Ask Brian before copying to make sure it is allowable on an excused absence make-up assignment.
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CREDITS:
text cloud credit: Emilie Hodge https://www.tes.com/lessons/L15wPz4qbOQg1g/scientific-method
notebook image: Kesler Science