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End of Year Blues

We are near the end of the school year and today I had to give back my student's science notebook. I had a few that said I could keep theirs but, as you can guess, the really good notebooks were claimed proudly by their owners. This is a far cry from the sixth graders I taught last year that let me all keep their books. I'm glad I got to keep a few because I was not that faithful with keeping up with my teacher version.

Overwhelmingly students loved the solar system accordion book with velcro assignment the best (although as stated in an earlier post they play with it constantly). I had a child bring in his visiting aunt and uncle and that was the page he showed off to them.

Next year I would like to:

- Incorporate a popup or two in the book
- Do a full page picture that has flaps students have to write under (I'm thinking water cycle)
- Have some kind of menu activities for students to work at the end of a unit.
- Create BINGO for each unit (the kids loved playing it)
- Give students more independent work and less guided work
- Incorporate a few writing assignments (journaling to a question, etc.)
- Decoupage the front cover at the end of the year (saw it once and liked it but need to try it first)

I'm sure there are more things but those are things that made the top of my list to be thinking about this summer.

I am hoping to get more organized this summer and maybe even get a completed teacher book together. A friend suggested that I do my teacher edition in a three ring binder with page protectors so that I can add and remove things more easily then in a composition book. So if I skip or change a notebook activity last minute I can make the necessary changes in my teacher edition without throwing the book off. I liked the suggestion.

For those following this blog...I will be back at the same school next year (Mossy Oaks Elementary School) teaching fourth grade again. I will be on a team of three teachers this coming year teaching science to all three classes. I will have one homeroom ELA class (first time teaching ELA so I am a little nervous but will be on the lookout how I can incorporate notebooking there as well...probably not the first year but who knows.)

I'll continue to post during the summer as I come across ideas.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I happened across your site through a google search. I love it! I am working to implement science and math notebooks in my classroom. I used them this past year for the first time and have gotten great tips from reading your postings. Any resources you can pass along or great ideas or activities you use would be greatly appreciated. Thanks and I look forward to reading more!
June 9, 2009 at 7:12 PM
Anonymous said…
I happened across your site by accident, but am glad I did. I started science and math notebooks in my classes this past year. I have learned a lot just by reading your previous postings. Any ideas, activities, or resources you have to pass along would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
June 9, 2009 at 7:15 PM
Jane Hake said…
I reccommended your blog at a staff development on science notebooking and that gave you a few followers from our school! Happy Summer to you!
June 11, 2009 at 10:29 AM
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