JoinPLI #5
National Conference in Philadelphia • March 26, 2025
Full-Day Workshop
Sensemaking with Student-Centered Science Notebooks
NSTA Kids Workshop
Preconference • Wednesday, March 26 • 8:15 AM - 3:15 PM
All participants will receive...
- Coffee and tea (first come first served)
LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE
$150
Conference registration is NOT required to attend.
Hosted/Presented by:
About the Session
In this session, I will share research and examples of best practices using science notebooks with elementary students. I’ll begin by reading an excerpt from my book, Notable Notebooks: Scientists and their Writings as well as an introduction to my book, Science Notebooks in Student-Centered Classrooms. At this time, I will also discuss the role that notebooks have played in science throughout history.
Next, I will provide an overview of various styles of science notebooks, including interactive notebooks, field journals, and laboratory books. We’ll discuss the benefits of each type of notebook, and how notebooks support the eight science and engineering practices laid out in a Framework for K-12 Science Education. I will share the hybrid model that I use in the classroom. I will share student work samples from my classes (spanning first through fifth grades) and discuss how I use my students’ notebooks as both formative and summative assessment.
Presenter
Jessica Fries-Gaither
Jessica is an experienced science educator and an award-winning author of books for students and teachers, including Notable Notebooks: Scientists and Their Writings and Exemplary Evidence: Scientists and Their Data. Her teaching career has spanned the elementary and middle school grades in several states. She is the Science Department Chair and Lower School Science Specialist at the Columbus School for Girls. She loves reading, cooking, and spending time with her husband and four dogs.