A Notebook Worth Grading (Yes, Seriously)

Let’s talk about the sacred artifact of middle school science: the science notebook. Some call it a journal. Some call it a composition notebook. I call it non-negotiable.

From day one, we set up these bad boys to be the ultimate science survival guide. We start with the basics a table of contents (first four pages, thank you very much), then number every page (yes, all the way to 250 — no one said science wasn’t a marathon). We glue in our safety contract and jump straight into goal setting.

Now, before your eyes glaze over, hear me out: goals matter. They give students a sense of direction, ownership, and a reason to maybe not “accidentally” leave their notebook in their locker. Goals help us reflect, check in, and remind ourselves we’re here to grow, not just to glue stuff into pages (though we do a lot of that too).

Every time we start a new unit, students glue in a unit tab, complete with the standards we’re covering, vocabulary they’ll need, and essential understandings. In other words, a roadmap. So when they ask, “Wait, what are we supposed to be learning again?” I point to the tab. Problem solved.

And yes, I grade them. You read that right. Every. Single. Unit. The science notebook becomes the catch-all for daily classwork, notes, goals, diagrams, doodles-that-may-or-may-not-be-doodles-of-me, and everything in between. I grade it for completion at the end of the unit because, let’s be real, students rarely finish something unless there’s a grade attached. The notebook holds them accountable. And me too, honestly.

We use our notebooks every day. No worksheets floating around, no “I lost it” excuses. Just one glorious, battered, coffee-stained, duct-taped science notebook packed with evidence of learning.

So if you’re thinking about how to streamline your classroom, keep kids organized, and reduce the constant “What are we doing today?” questions, consider going all in on the science notebook. It’s low-tech, high-impact, and possibly your new best friend.

Until next period,
Mrs. B