**Don’t know what the Mizzen app is? Check out the Mizzen website to learn more about the tools and resources it offers!**

Last year I had the opportunity to demo this and a handful of other activities on the Network’s Facebook Live. I started the series with this particular activity because I thought it was a good way to A) get your students excited about science and B) get to know your students’ interests to help plan for programming throughout the year.

I used this very activity to help planning for my own series and even designed some of my own activities around my interests. By using the science notebook I created, we’ll find or design activities related to my interests. And hopefully this illustration and activity can help you do the same with your students in your program. So let’s take a look at my science notebook!

I included crystal stickers because I love to collect crystals and rocks. I’ve always collected them since I was a kid, and my collection has grown tremendously in adulthood. I also illustrate my interest in space and the planets with my astronaut fox and saturn sticker. I included a little dressed up leopard sticker and some paw prints to showcase my love for leopards, and big cats in general. I used markers to showcase my love for the elements and the weather, especially when it rains and there is sunshine, so a rainbow pops up. Lastly, I included stickers of a car and plane to show I like to travel and fast-moving vehicles. 

So how can I find activities that will allow me to explore my interest areas? First, there’s Mizzen. I found an awesome space activity that was honestly one of my favorite activities to demo for you guys. I built my very own solar system using beads and string from the “Solar System Bead” activity. Another activity I found and demoed from the Mizzen app/website was the “Observing Clouds” activity. They provided the worksheets and then I went outside and stared at the clouds! These demo videos now live on our youtube, so go check it out and give us a like and subscribe, and maybe comment if you want to see more videos in the future. Another thing I did was design my own activity around rocks and minerals. It’s called “Is it a rock or is it a mineral”. And all it really boils down to is this worksheet I created, a video from the National Parks Service, and some rocks and minerals from my home collection. I was able to do this activity at a training session with some after school professionals, and they really loved it! They were inspired to explore their own and their students’ interests to design activities. 

Hopefully by doing the “Decorate Your Science Notebook” activity you’ll be able to learn about your students interests and hobbies, and then you can explore resources, like Mizzen, or create your own activities that will help you build a curriculum around those interests. Creating a plan that includes your students interests ensures they’ll be engaged and excited to cultivate relationships with staff throughout the year.  

If you would like more information regarding this post, how to schedule a training about the Mizzen app or explore more activity options, contact me at swashington@ctncy.org.