Interactive Notebooks
Janice Belcher
EQ’s:
• How do I use interactive
notebooks to engage learning in my
classroom?
• How can interactive notebooks be
used to integrate across the
curriculum?
What are Interactive
Notebooks?
• A note taking process that allows
students to record information in a
personal and meaningful way.
• A way for students use teacher
supplied notes to draw whatever
illustration makes sense to them.
• A way for students to personalize
their work.
This Process…
• Can be challenging
• Takes a bit of patience
• Requires modeling, modeling,
modeling
• Must consistently be
reinforced
• Learning curve for both the
teacher and the students
The Payoff…
• Students are able to organize
their work
• Uses reading strategies within
a content area, such as science,
social studies or math
• Helps students distinguish
between what they know and
what they need to focus on
…And Finally
• Students make their own
meaningful connections
• It encourages pride in student
work
• It encourages cooperative learning
• It appeals to multiple intelligences
• The kids love it and learn so much!
Why Interactive
Notebooks?
• Students use both their visual
and linguistic intelligences.
• Interactive Notebooks allow
visual learners to use their best
medium to explore and share
ideas
• Both types of learners will
utilize their writing skills
Interactive Notebooks Allow
Students to…
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Record information in an engaging way
Rehearse and retell information
Discuss and accept other’s ideas
Identify main ideas
Paraphrase
Transform written concepts into
visuals
• Become more independent thinkers
Notebooks Help Students to
Organize as They Learn…
• Students record ideas about
activities they engage in during
a unit
• A variety of organization
techniques will be used
• Assignments will be kept
together in a regular place and
in logical order
Notebooks Become a Portfolio on
Individual Learning…
• Notebooks become a record
of each student’s growth.
• Teachers, students, and
parents can review a student’s
progress in writing, recording,
thinking, and organization
skills.
In an Interactive Notebook,
• Key ideas are underlined in color or
highlighted
• Arrows are used to show
relationships between graphics and
notes
• Diagrams, sketches, cartoons,
charts, graphic organizers, songs,
really anything can be included
How Do I Get Started?
• Identify which subject and unit
you want to begin with
• Let students know what supplies
are required
• Make sure you have copies of
notes for each student
What Students Need…
• The notebook-loose leaf paper in a three
pronged folder, spiral notebook, or
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composition book
Pencils, regular and colored
Liquid glue or a glue stick
Scissors
Ruler
Teacher supplied notes
Grading expectations
Components of Interactive Notebooks:
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Personalized Page
Unit Title Page
Table of Contents
Standards
Unit EQ’s
Vocabulary Activities
Graphic Organizers
Foldables
Pockets
Studying with Interactive
Notebooks
• Read the notes. Marking and
highlighting key concepts helps them
to focus on main ideas.
• Paraphrasing helps them to process
the information.
• Studying the graphics help students
to create pictures in their minds.
This is a fundamental difference
between good and poor readers.
How is the Notebook graded?
• Explain rubric to students
• Conferencing-teacher and peer
• Notebooks may be collected with or
without notice, so….
students MUST have their notebook
everyday.
A Final Thought….
• There is no right or wrong way to
use them
• They can be used for any subject
• You know your students!!
Notebook Rubric
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Notebook grades will be based on:
Thoroughness (Every page must be complete)
Organization / Neatness
Mark ups
Boxing in
Graphics
Now Lets Get Started!!
Resources
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http://interactive-notebooks.wikispaces.com
http://upstagereview.org/ClassroomArticles/interactive%20noteb
ook.pdf
Classroom Instruction That Works!
by Robert Marzano, Debra Pickering, and Jane Pollack