Here is what would be my rough plan for the first day in my science classroom:
(DISCLAIMER - As many of my readers know I took an Instructional Technology Coach position last year and will be doing the same this coming year. Although my main job in the schools I serve....four this year....is to help teachers integrate technology into the classroom I still help out with teachers who want to implement notebooking in the classroom. Floating between four schools also gives me the opportunity to see great teaching ideas and share among schools and this blog!).
Day 1
- This is usually collecting supplies, going over classrooom rules (everything from bathroom procedures to tucking in chairs - I usually act out the behaviors I don't want to see and the behaviors I do want to see...which usually cracks up the students). Show them where you keep things in the classroom (particularly the Plan of the Day). I have students practice a fire drill so they know where to go when they are in my classroom, an earthquake drill, and a tornado drill (this is a great way to introduce what we will be learning in weather). They love practicing these things because it gets them moving in my classrom! I have my camera ready to take pictures so I have something to put on my classroom website for the first day of school. I show students the science notebook and explain how it is going to be used. I pass out labels to put in the upper right hand corner of the notebook and have sharpies so they can write their first name on it (those can be put on lab trays so the supplies are ready to go). If you have time left you can have the class as a group number the first 25 pages in their composition book (don't let them go ahead of 25 or they will mess up the count!). Collect the compostion books (purchase extra composition books so if a student doesn't have one you can give them one of yours and they would just owe you one when they bring it in).
When students are gone for the day glue in the instruction booklet on the first page or on the front inside cover (see picture on this post - http://sciencenotebooking.blogspot.com/2012/07/free-download-at-teachers-pay-teachers.html ) as well as the inquiry standards (see picture on this post - http://sciencenotebooking.blogspot.com/2008/12/title-pages.html) and the information about the textbook scavenger hunt - see this post - http://sciencenotebooking.blogspot.com/2010/08/textbook-scavenger-hunt.html). This will save you a TON of time on Day 2 (you can teach students how to glue their own stuff in later).
Items you will have to create ahead of time - Textbook Scavenger Hunt (one half page for the notebook) for the textbook your students use (see this post - http://sciencenotebooking.blogspot.com/2010/08/textbook-scavenger-hunt.html).
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