Why Use a Laboratory Research Notebook in the Classroom?

Why Use a Laboratory Research Notebook in the Classroom?

As educators, our job is to prepare our students for either further learning at a higher level facility, or for the career field they hope to enter. The science curriculum and subsequent career fields are areas where passion abounds. Though we may have a love for science, that does not mean we or our students have a natural ability to recall, or a knack for recording data.

By introducing students to the laboratory research notebook in the classroom, studies have shown greater academic achievement. Students are also better prepared to function in their chosen career field where these notebooks are often in use. Some of the benefits of providing each student with a laboratory research notebook are:

• Highly organized data helps students enhance their analytical skills
• Teachers can use the notebooks to assess student’s progress
• Notebooks can improve the teacher-student relationship
• The opportunity for cheating is eliminated
• Students are better able to understand scientific concepts
• Understanding larger concepts becomes a much simpler task

When choosing a research notebook that will allow you to bring these benefits to your classroom, look for products that offer white, carbonless paper. This affords you the best clarity without smudging. Both the front and back covers should be laminated to help protect the contents.

Since the research notebook may become a valuable tool for any budding scientist, understanding its importance should be introduced in the classroom. It is the best way to prepare students for a successful career in science. In addition to having a written record of a project, the student also learns to stop and think about the steps unfolding in the lab as they are recorded. The experience is priceless.