Interactive Notebooksin the Science Classroom

Ice Breaker

Where’s My Trio?You have two minutes to find the other two parts of your trio.Take one minute to create a 15 second presentation of your trio. It must include:

The name of the trioA slogan/jingle

Session Objectives:

Inspire students to become academically organized by giving them clear guidelines for creating high quality notebooks.Create engaging notebook assignmentsCreate a sample notebookAssess completed student notebooksEncourage students to take pride in their notebooks so they will refer to them and seldom lose them.

PREVIEW

Briefly respond to the following questions:

What kind of notebooks do you use in your classroom?What are the challenges of using a notebook with your students?Share your responses with your TRIO.

What is an Interactive Notebook?

A portfolio of individual learning for the courseA chronological record of student workA method for helping students develop organizational skills

Why use an Interactive Notebook?

Teach students to become creative, independent, “graphic thinkers” and writers. Provide opportunities for students to process information.Teach students organizational skills.Increase student responsibility for learningProvide cohesion and structure to a unit of instruction.

Components of the ISN

CoversEssential QuestionsPreview AssignmentsGraphically Organized Reading NotesProcess Assignments

Elements of an Effective Notebook-Covers

Notebook Author’s Unit

Cover includes: Student nameCourse NameA lot of color &

creativityImagesInformation about

the course (what they will study, hope to learn or have an interest in)

And other creative touches.

Personalized cover includes:

Photographs of the student

Personal informationFavorite quotesFavorite music artist

Assessment activity Includes:

Title of the unit3-5 drawings,

illustrations, or photos to represent the unit

List meaningful vocabulary or key concepts

Essential Questions

Have no simple “right” answerProvoke and sustain student inquiryAddress the conceptual or philosophical foundations of a disciplineRaise other important questionsNaturally and appropriately recurStimulate vital, ongoing rethinking of big ideas, assumptions, and prior lessons.

Essential Questions

The new textbook adoption includes essential questions for each chapter.These questions can be incorporated in the ISN.

Essential Questions

Have students copy the essential question in their ISN.Have students respond and refer to the essential question after EACH lesson.Have students use their responses to draft an essay response to the essential question.

Student GuidelinesClearly outline expectationsGrading Rubric

Elements of an Effective Notebook

Preview AssignmentsGraphically Organized NotesProcess Assignments

Elements of an Effective Notebook

Preview Assignments

A short engaging task that foreshadows upcoming content.

Predict the lesson topicDraw a parallel between key concepts and students’ livesGoal: spark interest, activate prior knowledge, tap a wide range of intelligences, and prepare students to tackle new concepts

Examples of PreviewsChoose 3 to use in your classroom

AnalogiesReviewingPersonal anecdotesPredictingProvocative propositionsRespond to slide imagesRespond to music“What if” sketches

Annotated slidesIllustrated OutlinesVenn or Y diagramsMatricesIllustrated timelinesMind NotesSpoke diagrams

Preview Assignments

Which three preview assignments would you use in your classroom? Justify your answer.

Graphically Organized Notes

Graphically organized notes inspire students to think carefully about what they have read and/or learned Students record main ideas in a form that engages both their visual and linguistic intelligences.Graphic organizers help students see the underlying logic and interconnections among concepts.

Graphically Organized Reading Notes

How could this style of note taking benefit your students?

Process Assignments

Lesson wrap up activities that challenge students to synthesize and apply the information they have learned.

Complete tasks that incorporate multiple intelligences & higher order thinking skillsStudents must ACTIVELY do something with information if they are to internalize it.Step beyond low-level regurgitation of facts & details

Examples of Process assignments

AdvertisementsHistorical JournalsBook or compact disk coversPostersFacial ExpressionsMosaicsSensory Figures

Report CardsPostcardsPolitical CartoonsComic stripsPictowordsMetaphorical representationsIllustrated dictionary entries

Organizing Your Notebook

Decorate your notebook coverNumber each page of the notebookInclude Organization PagesCreate and maintain a table of contentsList titles and dates dailyDetermine if you will use Left-Side/Right-Side or every page format

Left & Right Format

Left Side-Student Begin class with a Preview assignmentProcess assignmentsInclude homework

Right Side-Teacher

Includes class, discussion, or graphically organized notes Handouts with new information

Every Page Format

Always use a right-side page for Unit CoversAlways use a left side for Preview AssignmentsLet student notes and process assignments flow between left and right side pages.

Time-Outs

Time Out/Extra Credit- page on left hand side (one page at the end of a unit)

Paste a news article about a current event, political cartoon, picture or student creative writing in the notebookComplete a movie review (related to a social studies content topic)Write a paragraph explaining how the item connects to the history they are learning

What materials are needed for the notebook?

Spiral notebook- one for each semester

spiral boundCollege ruled100 sheets8 ½” X 11”white paperplastic covers are more durable

HighlightersColored pens or pencilsGluestick or tape

How often do you grade the notebooks?

Monitor daily as students set up their notebooks and complete the processUse peer checks as students complete each step of the notebook set up Evaluate notebooks using a rubricStamp Process assignments for completion and credit daily

Grading the Interactive Notebook

Collect and check after the first two weeks of schoolCheck at the end of each unitSelf checks and peer checks can be done later in the yearGrade notebooks on thoroughness, quality, organization and visual appeal

How do you help absent students?

Keep an updated master notebook of assignments and due datesAllow students to check with a classmate for missed assignmentsMake it the student’s responsibility to make up missed assignments“Green Meanie” filing system Notebook Hospital Time to operate on sick notebooks

Lost Notebooks?

Allow students to make up notebook assignments for the unit you are currently studyingRemind students that the notebook is their “Lifeline” for class

Benefits of Interactive Notebooks

Teachers and students are more organized.Teachers and students are literally on the same page daily.Notebooks are great for Review and Reinforcement of concepts.

Parents no longer have to ask “What did you do in class today?”Requiring students to bring their notebooks daily cuts down on interruptions and whining.

Benefits of Interactive Notebooks

Parent-Teacher conferences are

easier!

Tips for implementing Interactive Notebooks

Draw an open notebook on the board and label title, date, page #’ s, Preview and Process.Inform students on which page to put worksheetsModel and reinforce notebook criteria by monitoring daily as students set up their notebooks

Tips continued

Use master notebook as an exampleSet up exceptional notebooks at the front of the room and let students complete a Gallery Walk to collect ideas from these model notebooksGather used magazines from the Media Center or Doctor’s Office that students can use as a source for images.

Instructional Checklist

Uses preview assignmentsGraphically organized notesProcess assignmentsVariety of notebook assignmentsOrganizing tools for notebooks (page numbers, titles, dates, table of content etc.)Provide examples to inspire student creativityInform students of evaluation criteria in ADVANCE

Process Assignment

Complete a 3-2-1 Chart.List 3 things you have learned.List 2 Questions you have learned.List 1 Opinion you have about interactive notebooks.

Available Support

See Mrs. Grant, Mr. Tabor, Mrs. McGue, or Ms. Lyons for assistance with your notebook.