Scientist's Notebook Toolkit

NEW: Getting Students Ready
for the 4th Grade NECAP Test

RI Grade Span Expectations - annotated

Alignment to Rhode Island K-4 Grade Span Expectations
Alignment to Rhode Island 5-8 Grade Span Expectations

Scientist's Notebook Guide
    A Before, During, and After Strategy
    Scientist's Notebook Model
    Student Guide to Scientist's Notebook
    Lesson planning template
    Feedback Guide
    Guide for creating an index in a student notebook
                                                                           

Is A Materials Resource Center Right for You? by Dr. Tom Peters

Great Articles Supporting Science and Literacy
    Science Writing Heuristic                                                               
    Science Notebook Essentials by Dr. Mike Klentschy
    Five Good Reasons to Use  Science Notebooks            
    Evidence Helps the KWL Get a KLEW
    Taking Inventory

 PowerPoint Presentations
   Science Reform Workshop, Dec 17, 2008 -
             Investigating Simple Circuits by Dr. Mike Klentschy
   The Reading Writing Connection to Inquiry Based Science
          NSTA 2006 Anaheim
            Dr. Mike Klentschy, Ron DeFronzo, Wendy Binder
    Reading and Kit Use                                                                
    Research which supports science and literacy connections    
    Components and strategies for using scientist's notebooks           
    Elementary Notebooks
    Workshop Presentation for Marbles, Tracks, and Ramps
    Horizons Research Inc Data - "Looking Inside the Classroom"
    America's Pressing Challenge, by Joanne Vasquez
                                                                                     

Checklists and Sample Lessons
    Checklists
    Guidelines
    Portfolio Assessment Templates
    Sample Inquiry Lessons                                                                                    

Kit Specific Resources                                                                                  
    Unit Designs - a compilation of Rhode Island GSE's and focus questions                
    Labels for Focus Questions
    Engaging Scenarios
    Kit Matrixes
    Writing prompts and quick-writes

Student Work

Literacy Strategy Templates

Check out these great websites for kindergarten developed by Michelle, one of our own teachers
   Kinder Squirt
   Eric Carle Website
   Planting a Literacy Garden

Spotlight On a SMILES Mentor Jim Booth

A testimony from Ann -
a 6th grade teacher from East Bay

Check Out Washington State's New Website on Science Notebooks
    Science Notebook Organization
    Science Notebook Entry Types
    Curriculum Topic Study on Living/NonLiving

"I left the notebook training session last Monday and thought more about Jane’s (name changed) statement that our kits are a tool to use in our classrooms in order to better teach our students. It reminded me of when..."
(click here for the rest of Ann's story)

Core Knowledge^® Lesson Plans
What is Core Knowledge?
An Idea . . . that for the sake of academic excellence, greater fairness, and higher literacy, elementary and middle schools need a solid, specific, shared core curriculum in order to help children establish strong foundations of knowledge, grade by grade.