Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Large Class Science Journal / Student Learning Journals

When my students are not successful at something I have to look at what I did to teach and where I fell short. For years I gave my students spirals and just expected them to be able to take notes or journal effectively. I was always amazed how they just wasted paper and drew pictures all over the journal. So the large class science journal was born. (it is just a spiral tablet - with no lines - turned on it's side)







I use a science journal because so much of science is experiments and the journal helps remind me to bring the experiment into learning. As the class discusses why we did the experiment and what we learned, I journal. Over time I have also began to add worksheets or experiment note pages into the journal as well.

 
 
I realized that I needed to model note taking and journaling over and over before I ever expected my students to do it themselves. And since I use the gradual release of responsibility in the content I teach, I applied it to this as well. I continue to journal science experiments and learning throughout the year. But after weeks of modeling I then allow the students to get their own learning journals. The first few entries are guided and still modeled in the large science journal. After I feel like they have an understanding of the journal, I allow more freedom.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sometimes I want a learning journal that is not just for science. I have a separate journal for any other topic I want to journal.



The spirals the students have are labeled as Learning Journals because I want them to be able to track any subject in there. They work well for foldables (my district seems to be in love with these), notes, and worksheets. Usually if you shrink a worksheet in half then you can get two per copy (you know principals love less copies) and they fit perfectly inside of the learning journal.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Energy Hunt

This lesson was so much fun – I just had to share! I wasn’t sure how it would turn out but after I saw my students getting so into it I knew it was a keeper. We have been in our energy unit. We had spent a couple of weeks studying heat, sound, and light energy. This was a fun way to bring the unit together. Since our standard says to find examples in everyday life, I figured that an energy hunt around the school would be fun.


My science consultant and I worked on this little Energy View Finder together. I cut out the center rectangle and laminated the. This was a good idea because the kids are not what I call gentle with things… We went around the school and I would stop the class in various locations. They then used the Energy View Finder to focus on different forms of energy. They were so engaged and found examples I never would have thought of myself. 
 
 





I just love when an idea comes together and the students love it. I actually had students ask me to make more of these so we can do them for other topics. We had just finished a unit on geometry and one of my students said it would be good to go on a shape hunt with a Shape View Finder. When he suggested that my class started clapping. I love how excited first graders get about learning!