Teacher Training By Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski

The movement to teach science in the K-12 classroom via an inquiry-based approach of science concepts is evident. If you were to visit a number of K-12 classrooms throughout the nation you would observe students actively engaged in the learning process. Teaching science via an inquiry-based approach has gained support through extenive research that has shown that students being taught in effective inquiry-based learning environments improve skills and exhibit more positive attitudes toward science. With teachers growing more confident in teaching science via an inquiry-based approach, students are taking a more active role in the learning process. In inquiry-based instruction students are encouraged to communicate their understanding of science concepts via oral discussions and writing experiences thus, many teachers that teach science via an inquiry-based approach incorporate the use of interactive student notebooks in their classrooms. So how is an interactive student notebook different from the science notebooks of the past? An interactive student notebook as it name implies allows the student to take a more active role in what is recorded and placed in their science notebook. There is a great deal more of student creativity and flexibility in interactive student notebooks. The design and format of the interactive student notebook varies with teacher, grade level, and science discipline. However, the basic format of the “traditional” interactive student notebook sets aside the right page for teacher directions and input, and the left page for student input. The right side (teacher) page of the notebook may contain teacher lecture notes, lab directions, teacher prepared handouts, etc.. The left side (student) page is where the student may write down their reflections of lectures, homework, student designed Venn diagrams and concepts maps, draws pictures of what they observed during a laboratory experience whether it be during a nature hike around the school yard, or a specimen they observed under a microscope. Additionally, students are encouraged to attach three-dimensional objects on the left side as well. There are many variations of interactive student notebooks and it’s up to the individual teacher as to what format they choose to incorporate within their own classroom. During all of Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski’s teacher training and professional staff development workshops she encourages teachers to practice using interactive student notebooks during the teacher training session. Teachers are either given a notebook to use or bring their own during the teacher training session. Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski has observed that if teachers are given the opportunity to use an interactive student notebook during the teacher training experience that they are more likely to implement interactive student notebooks within their own classrooms. As the teachers construct their own interactive student notebooks during the teacher training sessions they realize the positive impacts that interactive student notebooks can have in the K-12 science classroom. By the end of the teacher training sessions teachers are truly excited about implementing the use interactive student notebooks in their classrooms. The following photos represent a sampling of notebooks from teachers who have attended Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski’s teacher training workshops.

For teacher references on using science notebooks in the K-12 classroom, Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski recommends the following books. All books listed below can be purchased from Amazon via this website at no extra charge.

Today is the official celebration of Earth Day. It is my hopes that all educators have embraced some type of exploration that awakens each student to the wonders of the natural world. During my life science teacher training workshops, teacher participants can be guaranteed that one of the investigations will include explorations with live earthworms. Some of the teachers are reluctant to touch the slimy and wiggly invertebrates. To see a teacher participant overcome their aversion of handling an earthworm, snail, or pillbug brings a great deal of satisfaction to me. Mainly, because I feel confident that the teacher is now more likely to expose their own students to living creatures within their own classroom.

I produced the following video to pay tribute to the earthworm, a common backyard invertebrates. The earthworm’s activities are vital to the plant and animal kingdom. Earthworms are not only consumers, they are decomposers as well. Earthworms benefit the plant and animal kingdom by decomposing organic matter, excreting nutrient rich casts, and their burrowing actions aerate the soil. An earthworm science lesson is a great hands-on science lesson to investigate a multitude of science concepts including: animal classification, interdependence, food chain, population, decomposers, consumers, and producers. As you’ll observe in the video, young children enjoy learning about snails, pill bugs, and earthworms via hands-on explorations. Ideas for earthworm explorations include:

1. Comparing and contrasting Gummy Worms to synthetic fishing worms, to live earthworms.
2. Exploring the anatomy of live earthworms.
3. Measuring earthworms.
4. Experimenting with what type surfaces earthworms prefer (dry, wet, rough, smooth, etc.).
5. Making earthworms out of Playdoh and clay.
6. Make earthworm paintings with fishing worms.
7. Drawing earthworms based on observations of live earthworms.
8. Make a classroom terrarium to house common backyard invertebrates (snails, pillbugs, and earthworms).
9. Make a composte or vermiposte pile.
10. Read children’s literature with earthworm themes.