INTERACTIVE
NOTEBOOK
For use in the Health Class
By
Susan Gosney
KEY LEARNING: Participants will actively engage
in creating a sample Interactive Notebook (INB).
• Unit Essential Question: How will the participants utilize the
information regarding the INB for their future educational
needs?
• Concept: Interactive Notebook Creation.
• Lesson Essential Questions:
• What are the purposes of the INB?
• What are the parts of the INB?
• How is the basic INB set up?
ACTIVATING STRATEGY
• Shoulder partners= Begin with A, the one with the longer hair and
discuss in 30 seconds what “Interactive Notebook” means.
• B’s share the pair’s discussion with the whole group.
• It is not just taking notes from the teacher but includes the
students’ reflections, critical thinking, creations any of which can be
used as a formative assessment.
PURPOSES
• Interactive notes help record, organize and process new
information.
• Class notes (teacher, book, other resources)
• Students make sense of notes in their own way.
• Organize class information in usable way.
• Demonstrates that learning is taking place.
• Easy to use with LFS and Common Core.
SUPPLIES
• Notebook: composition book or spiral (100 pages).
• Pencils/pens
• Glue sticks or tape (no staples)
• Optional: colored pencils, highlighters
DIVIDED IN LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES
• Teacher side: “INPUT”
- Information and notes from the teacher (class, discussion,
readings).
- testable info, required info.
- as the teacher you decide which side you want as the
teacher side. (I use left.)
LEFT/RIGHT SIDE CONTINUED
• Student side: “OUTPUT”:
-Student answers, critical thinking issues, reflections,
formative assessments.
-Students re-organize new info into creative, expressive ways
of what the notes mean to them. (drawings, diagrams, graphic
organizers, poetry/rap, colors, cartoons/storyboards, new questions.)
- I use the right side for students
PAGE ONE
• Table of Contents: Number 1-10 vertically on the left margin of the
page.
• My TOC at one time was 7 pages with Important Papers first and the
other six pages for each health unit. Another time my TOC was just
one page listing the Important Papers and when each Health Unit was
started in the notebook.
PAGE TWO
• Glue the Health Standards into INB. (example of “fold and glue”.)
• Then enter into TOC on page one next to the #2 page.
PAGE THREE
• Glue INB check chart and course sequence onto page three. (You
decide when you want to collect INB’s for grading. When I had 5
classes I assigned a day per class and did it every week. With 6
classes, each class was assigned a different weekend.)
• Enter into TOC on first page, next to #3.
PAGE FOUR
(Begin T side notes)
• Which side will be your Teacher side and which side will be your
Student side?
• How many pages for TOC, Important Papers, Health Units?
• Student Supplies Needed Everyday: 100 page notebook,
(composition, spiral), glue sticks, colored pencils, highlighters.
CONTINUE PG. 4 NOTES
• Teacher supplies: copied worksheets, some glue, notes.
• Grading: -once per week; -more grades helps with overall grade; may use information with unit (summative) test.
• Evolves to your personal teaching style. (ex. Spiral to composition;
# of TOC pages.)
• Advantages: Organized (Spec. Ed.), less paper.
• Enter in TOC next to #4.
PAGE FIVE
Student Notes
• On this student side take 5 minutes to create an ad/slogan/billboard
design emphasizing “How the Interactive Notebook can work in
your Health class.”
• You may use colored pencils.
• You may use the whole page or half the page.
• Pair/share
• Enter in TOC next to #5.
PAGE SIX
Teacher Notes
• Additional ideas:
• Front covers should have student’s name, class, title, decorated (perhaps
with 4x6 index card with info and decorated.)
• Use fronts and backs of each page.
• To personalize the INB have the “Author’s Page” right after TOC. Students
may include pictures, statistics, favorites, family, hobbies.
Enter in TOC next to #6.
PAGE SEVEN
Student Notes
• On the left hand margin of the page list the alphabet A through Z.
• Take 5 minutes and collaborate with your partner by brainstorming
various health words that begin with the different letters of the
alphabet.
• Share with whole class to create a total list.
• Enter in TOC next to #7.
PAGE EIGHT
Teacher Notes
• Numbering the pages: depending on where you start just
remember that all of the same number will be on the same side,
(ex. Evens on left and odds on right.)
• Graphic organizers and papers glued or taped in. If a student
forgets the INB they write on notebook paper and glue into INB
later.
• If students complain of low INB grade, just have a list of what they
should have and indicate what they are missing.
PAGE NINE
Student Notes
• Draw a horizontal line halfway down the page.
• On the top half write the following quote: “The learner causes the
learning.” Then write a small paragraph (5-7 sentences) about how
you interpret this quote. 5 min. then P/S.
• On the lower half write the quote: “Reading is to the mind as
physical fitness is to the body.” Write a small paragraph with your
interpretation, 5 min. P/S.
PAGE TEN
WRAP UP
• Ticket Out: 3-2-1
• Write 3 purposes learned for INB.
• Write 2 parts of INB set-up.
• Write 1 teaching strategy that can be implemented with INB. (Pair/share)
Thank You!
• Any questions or comments?
• My email for further questions and comments:
susan.gosney@nccvt.k12.de.us