By decorating and personalizing their own science notebooks, students develop a sense of ownership over their learning, establishing routines to record observations and reflections as they learn.

Students peruse sample pages from the notebooks of many different scientists, including scientists their own age, high school scientists, science teachers, and field scientists dating back to 1905. They consider how scientists have used notebooks over the last several hundred years, and start to think about how they'll use their own.

Students pop open their science notebooks and get them ready for learning by inserting a Table of Contents, numbering the pages, and completing their first reflective entry.

Conducting science involves both careful observation and drawing what you see. Most students won’t know where to start if you ask them to sketch a crayfish, a beaker, or even a rock. Lay the foundation for sketching by explicitly teaching drawing techniques so students can build the confidence and skills they need to sketch during science investigations.