• Using text types and purposes to build disciplinary literacy in science: 

  1. Record thoughts, ideas, sketches, or collected data in science notebooks to be used as evidence or to support reasoning. 

  2. Write a claim, evidence-based argument, or explanation that includes logical reasoning, accurate science content, and relevant and sufficient evidence to support the claim. Claims are created with effective word choice, appropriate use of science vocabulary, and writing style. 

  3. Write formal or informal texts. The product may include field notes, mind maps, research papers, laboratory reports, functional text, or visual displays of data. 

  4. Produce science writing in a voice appropriate for the type of writing and the audience. Objective or academic voice in science is used when a writer wants to deliver information in a neutral, factual, and unbiased way. 

  5. Write step‐by‐step procedures for experiments that are detailed enough that others would be able to replicate their experiments exactly and achieve the same results. 

  6. Produce texts that include charts, graphs, timelines, photographs, videos, maps, flowcharts, diagrams, models, or tables to supplement or support the text. 

• Using production and distribution of writing to build disciplinary literacy in science: 

  1. Develop and strengthen writing; focus on purpose and audience. 

  2. Incorporate peer or adult feedback of drafts into writing; the writing process and review of drafts can be used for any writing assignments within the science classroom. 

  3. Use technology (Internet, keyboarding skills, formatting, storing) to create a published piece where information and ideas are connected and presented clearly and efficiently. 

  4. Use technology (blogs, wikis, smartboards, apps) to support collaborative brainstorming and writing. 

  5. Integrate graphs, data tables, drawings or illustrations, or other visual representations of information to support text. 

• Using research to build and present knowledge to build disciplinary literacy in science: 

  1. Conduct research projects or experimental investigations of differing lengths to provide enough information to construct claims, evidence, and explanations that answer scientific questions or solve a problem. 

  2. Integrate information from a variety of credible print and digital sources, taking care to use a consistent voice, avoid plagiarism, and appropriately cite resources in a standard recognized format in both the text and the bibliography. (APA style is most commonly used by scientists) 

  3. Use evidence from informational texts (e.g., research papers, credible web sites, journal articles, textbooks) to support claims, analyses, reflections, and/or research. 

  4. Convert informal writing in drafts while still synthesizing information and developing claims, to a formal academic voice when publishing formal writing of claims. 

Thinking Work

• The primary goal of using science notebooks is to build a deeper understanding of science content - it is important that this remains the goal and that writing elements do not get in the way of this learning.

• The use of Science and Engineering Practices provides an authentic context for student writing.

• Notebooks are a tool for students to construct conceptual understanding. They become a written record of thinking that students can reference to see how their thinking changes over time. Students also record their questions. These wonderings can lead to new investigations. Critical thinking, problem solving, and written communication are college and career readiness skills that are supported with the use of science notebooks.

• Student notebooks can be used as formative assessment tools that allow teachers to adapt instruction based on individual student needs and trends seen across the class.

• Student notebooks should reflect pre-existing knowledge, skills, beliefs, and attitudes. Prior knowledge prompts enables students and the teacher to better understand student thinking at the beginning of a learning experience. Early notebook entries can be compared with later entries to understand growth and change in thinking.

• Students gather information from a variety of sources to get a complete and accurate picture of an area of interest. Students should use their notebooks to record data/information for analysis as well as to support their thinking. Data or information can take many forms (observational, qualitative, quantitative, etc.). Students express their understanding of the data they have gathered. They can compare and contrast what they are thinking with their prior knowledge, as well as try to make sense of information from a variety of resources (e.g., experiment, reading, discussion). Students can refer back to their data as evidence to support claims.

• Notebooks provide a place for connecting new information to prior knowledge. Students use their notebooks to analyze how they came to their current thinking. They connect their prior knowledge with their new understanding. They express ideas of which they are certain, and write questions about ideas on which they are still pondering.

Reasons to Revisit Work in a Notebook

Scientists and engineers keep notebooks on their work because they need them for their work.

Ways in which students can use their notebooks for their work in class:

• Review what they did the day or week before as an introduction to the day’s work

• Review their notebook and choose one idea or question to talk about with a partner

• Organize their data to share with the class

• Review their thinking from a week ago and reflect on how it has changed

• Check back on a procedure to see why their results differ from the results of another group Write a synthesis, conclusion, or report

Speaking and Listening in Science may Include: 

• Using Comprehension and Collaboration to build disciplinary literacy in science:  

  1. Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, small groups, teacher-led, digitally) to express their own ideas clearly building on others' ideas. 

  2. Collaboratively plan an investigation or test a design solution, controlling variables and ensuring the data is collected with appropriate tools and in a safe and ethical manner, including considerations of environmental, social, and personal impacts. 

  3. Collaboratively conduct investigations; evaluate the types, amounts, and accuracy of data needed to produce reliable measurements; consider limitations on the precision of the data (e.g., number of trials, cost, risk, time); and refine the design accordingly. 

• Using Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas to build disciplinary literacy in science: 

  1. Engage in science discourse with a partner or small group by discussing questions, information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of thinking and reasoning; organization, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task 

  2. Engage in formal presentations to small or large groups of students to share findings and supporting evidence. Presentation should be clear, concise, and logical organized, so listeners can follow the line of reasoning; organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task. 

  3. Use digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, video conferencing, or interactive elements) when presenting findings to support claims, evidence, reasoning, and to add interest. 

Reading in Science may Include: 

• Using key ideas and details to build disciplinary literacy in science:  

  1. Following written lab protocol, scientific process, or procedure

  2. Interpreting diagrams, models, charts, graphs, and data to gather information 

  3. Interpret and evaluate quality and quantity of data, evidence, and scientific reasoning 

  4. Determine the credibility and validity of information, including research design, sample size, visual representation of data and findings, or whether the research has been peer-reviewed.

• Using craft and structure to build disciplinary literacy in science (scientific text often contains a variety of text structure, visual representations, and vocabulary) 

  1. Use context to determine meanings of words and differentiate how vocabulary may be used differently in a science context compared to non-science contexts. 

  2. Identify structures within a text (headings, sub-headings, bold words, pictures, graphs, data tables, etc.) and explain how they support or supplement information in the text. 

  3. Make meaning out of mathematical symbols and equations; diagrams, flow charts and other visual representation; and abstract ideas.

• Using integration of knowledge and ideas to build disciplinary literacy in science: 

  1.  Extract information from multiple sources and text types; synthesize information to create an understanding that aligns to current scientific explanations and understanding. 

  2. Compare multiple representations of information (quantitative data, video, multimedia, articles, books, photographs, infographics, diagrams, etc.) related to the same phenomenon or science concept and explain whether the representations convey similar levels of detail or whether the information supports or contradicts each other. 

  3. Interpret data and analyze relationships of variables, using words and visual information. 

  4. Accurately depict written or spoken words through a visual representation (graph, chart, picture, etc.); or vice versa. 

  5. Synthesize multiple sources of information to support an evaluation of scientific research or reports, their experimental design, data collection methods, analysis, or conclusions. 

  6. Identify an argument or claim by distinguishing among facts, research findings, inferences, speculation, and reasoning; determine whether the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claim.