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Nat Geo Kids makes it fun to explore the world with weird, wild, and wacky videos featuring awesome animals like sharks, tigers and lions, cool science, funny pets, and more! Come back every week for new videos!

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Explore this section to learn the basics of setting up science notebooks with your students. Once your routines are in place, explore the other sections of Science Notebook Corner to learn more strategies for deepening your students' learning.

It's as Easy as 1, 2, 3!

We've learned through experience how important it is to set aside time to introduce your students to notebooks as a scientific tool. Dedicating just a little bit of class time builds student ownership and develops shared routines.

These activities have been tested extensively with upper elementary grades, and can be adapted for any K-12 classroom.

Step 1: Develop Student Interest

One of the benefits of science notebooks is the bond students develop with them. If a student cares about her notebook, she is more likely to care about the science thinking that goes into it. It's important for students to forge a real relationship with their science notebook. It's not a textbook or a handout given by the teacher. Instead, the notebook belongs to its scientist.

In the following lessons, students learn about how other scientists use notebooks and begin to make their own. They also learn to share the work in their notebooks with peers, inspiring pride in their work and opening the window for personal growth.

Step 2. Develop Notebook Routines

In order for the notebook to serve as a reliable tool in your classroom, it's important to set up certain routines.

You'll need to consider where to keep the notebooks in your classroom and how students will retrieve them before science lessons. You'll need to establish an organizational framework inside the notebooks so students know how to label their pages and find past entries. Finally, we recommend setting up a categorization system that differentiates the types of notebook entries.

The following lesson plan, gallery, and video will give you some practical ideas for developing those routines.

Step 3: Develop the Notebook as a Tool for Scientific Thinking

Once you've helped students to bond with their notebooks, and established the basic routines, it's time to start putting the notebook to work in service of science learning.

Ideally, the blank notebook will serve as a canvas for students' observations, questions, explanations, and more. It will take time and practice for students to fluently express their scientific thinking.

Speaking this language begins with learning to see and sketch like a scientist. The following lessons will introduce you and your students to that skill.

Learn how science notebooks can help your students plan and carry out hands-on investigations.

Setting aside time for reflection allows your students to recognize their own learning.

Taking notes in science doesn't mean just copying what's on the board.

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Make your Giving Tuesday gift by 11:59 pm this Thursday and we'll match it. Plus, we'll send you a cuddly Claude if you give $100 or more!

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Explore this section to learn the basics of setting up science notebooks with your students.

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To learn more about the standards, click here. To learn more about the NGSS Appendices,click here.

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Aloha YouTubers, I am The Backyard Scientist! I like to make videos on all the crazy stuff I do. From exploding arrows, to making instruments, molten aluminum to science/chemistry experiments - I do it so you don't have to! I'm always thinking of more stuff to do, if you have an idea, id love to hear it!

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Science Notebooking - strategies from CA Academy of Sciences.docx

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A big part of understanding the innovations of the NGSS is understanding why new science standards were needed in the first place. Resources in this section outline some key advances in science education research and describe how the NGSS reflect these advances by enabling students to learn science by doing

The NGSS integrate the three dimensions introduced in the National Research Council's A Framework for K-12 Science Education into its student performance expectations. As a result of this innovation, the NGSS look completely different than previous science standards and implementing them requires a major shift in classroom instruction and learning.

The documents and video below explore the standards in more depth and provide guidance on how to navigate the student performance expectations:

Why did we need new science standards?

There is no doubt that science - and therefore, science education - is central to the lives of all Americans. Never before has our world been so complex and scientific literacy is critical to making sense of it all. Science is also at the heart of America's ability to continue innovating, leading, and creating jobs for the future. That's why all students - regardless of whether they pursue college or STEM careers - should have access to a high-quality K-12 science education.

Through a collaborative, state-led process, new K-12 science standards have been developed that are rich in both content and practice, and arranged in a coherent manner across disciplines and grades to provide all students an internationally benchmarked science education. The NGSS were released in 2013 and are being implemented in states and districts across the nation.

The documents and video below explore the need for new science standards in more depth:

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A big part of understanding the innovations of the NGSS is understanding why new science standards were needed in the first place. Resources in this section outline some key advances in science education research and describe how the NGSS reflect these advances by enabling students to learn science by doing The NGSS integrate the three dimensions introduced in the National Research Council's A Framework for K-12 Science Education into its student performance expectations.