Notes on Discussion: Using physics to teach ninth-graders to take effective notes in a science class

Taking conscientious notes in a science class is a skill that's crucial for a students success, yet students rarely receive direct instruction on how to do this. Many younger students learn to take notes by simply copying anything that's written on the blackboard down onto a sheet of paper. In a physics class, this can mean that a student's notes contain mostly diagrams and calculations, without context or explanation. Physics First provides an opportunity to use physics to teach conscientious note taking explicitly early on in a student's science career.