Kindergarten Inquiry Notebooking: Modeling Scientific Drawings

As we think about students as practitioners of science, there are many skills need to learn how to do and repeatedly practice. One important skill for children of all ages is to be able to record evidence using scientific drawings. As Brian Campbell and Lori Fulton note in their book, Science Notebooks: Writing About Inquiry, "Technical drawings are a powerful way to record observations and share information with others; they include more attention to detail than typical drawings. In order to draw something well, individuals must observe it closely, noting ever small feature and fine line; capturing this type of detail in technical drawings enhances observation skills." (page 31).

Students of all ages can practice all of the science process skills. Kindergartners are capable of learning and utilizing each skill at a level that is appropriate for them. Linda Jordan, full-day Kindergarten teacher at Van Arsdale, is using her first unit of the year, "Observing Patterns: Objects" to begin to teach her small scientists these important process skills. She began with technical drawings because it makes sense for the curricular goals of the unit. For example, some of the understandings for kindergartners are:

Scientists are clear and specific when they are describing things.
Objects have many physical properties that can be observed, described, and measured

Linda is aware that students can't just be told this information. As she planned this lesson, she thought about how she can think aloud for students and model the process of creating a scientific drawing. Watch this video to see Linda expertly demonstrate for students how to draw with detail for the purpose of recording your observations.

Linda then asked her students to take their apple and spend time really describing it with their partners. This was her very first lesson in this unit and asking them to verbally describe their apple allowed her to collect formative assessment on her students' current ability to use accurate and specific words to describe an object. Because Linda carefully modeled how to look closely, the students in her class were able to notice details. Then, she asked students to create their own scientific drawing in their science notebooks. Below you'll see some of the students working. Both Linda and I (Lindsey) were impressed with what students were able to do.