Assessments...do you assess science notebooks?

I know this is probably a personal choice for many of you...but I think the answer should be YES!  If we are expecting to see true scientific thinking in their notebooks then wouldn't it be the perfect place for a piece into their minds?  Granted...when I think of assessments I think of it in a standards based format.  My school division uses a rubric based report card for grades K-5. Therefore everything we do is assessed on the 4 point scale and science notebooking falls into that perfectly.

Today I have included my rubric for FREE at Teachers Pay Teachers.  I use this to help me assess the writing, data and reflection pieces of our notebooks.  For me this is not about neatness, grammar or spelling - this is about science thinking and content.

         http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Science-Notebook-Rubric

If you do grade on a traditional A,B,C scale...I think you could still use the rubric to help you as a formative assessment piece.  It usually gives me an indication as to what my kids still need practice on, what misconceptions there may be or what I may need to teach again. 

I also use a self-assessment piece..but I will save that for another blog.