Using Science Notebooks in Elementary Classrooms

"Using Science Notebooks in Elementary Classrooms" is the must-have resource for teaching reading and reasoning skills in the primary grades. Learning science involves both the process of thinking and the ability to communicate those thoughts, and one of the most effective ways of building these skills is through the use of science notebooks. Mike Klentschy's book is designed for teachers who are beginning to use or would like to extend their use of notebooks in the classroom. Research-based best practices such as scaffolds, sentence starters, and writing prompts are clearly explained and illustrated. Examples of student work are included to provide insight for better instructional strategies. A discussion of the needs of English language learners and how notebooks helps increase language fluency and writing proficiency will be of particular interest to many teachers. And research-based practices show the use of science notebooks to be an effective assessment tool.

Michael P. Klentschy is a faculty member in the College of Education at San Diego State University, Imperial Valley Campus. He served as superintendent of the El Centro School District in California for 14 years. Among his many honors, he was named 2005 Administrator of the Year by the National Science Education Leadership Association.