Interactive Notebooks
"The purpose of the interactive notebook is to enable students to be creative, independent thinkers and writers. Interactive notebooks are used for class notes as well as for other activities where the student will be asked to express his/her own ideas and process the information presented in class." From Interactive-Notebooks
The Student's History: A digital Textbook Created by Students for Students
Guidelines for Interactive Student Notebooks
Introduction: The purpose of the interactive notebook is to enable you to be a creative, independent thinker and writer. Interactive notebooks will be used for class notes as well as for other activities from class. Students will no longer take notes passively, the interactive notebook ensures students are actively engaged in knowledge acquisition during class time.
Organization of Notebook:
- Bell-ringers will be kept in the front of the notebook and recorded on a Bell-ringer Sheet.
- A Section will be kept for skills and how to handouts
- Divided by Units
Unit table of contents will contain topics and page numbers
Each page will be numbered
- Vocabulary Sheets with key terms and people will be kept in the back of the notebook.
- An Enduring Issues/Constitutional Issues Section will be kept in the back of the notebook.
- All items will be kept in consecutive order.
Teacher's contributions to notebook:
Class notes, Discussion notes, Reading notes and Handouts with new information.
Students' contributions to notebook: Processes New Ideas, Reorganizes new information into creative formats (assignment options), Expresses opinions and feelings, Explores new ideas.
Materials Needed:
- 1.5” to 2” Binder
- Tab Dividers (4-8 depending on class, can also use construction paper to create a divider)
- Colored pens or pencils
- Highlighters
Extra Credit "Time Out" activities: You place related magazine or newspaper articles, pictures, or cartoons into your notebook along with a three to four sentence summary of the material being added. A "Time Out" activity might also include original drawings. Use "Time Outs" to sharpen the visual appearance of your notebook, not to clutter it!
Grading: Notebooks will be collected and graded periodically. Notebooks will be graded on thoroughness, quality, organization, and visual appeal. Students will know the value of each major notebook assignment when it is given. Students are responsible for obtaining notebook assignments when absent.
Unit Table of Contents Sheets
Bell-ringer Log
Notebook Rubric
History Themes
Short Version of Assignment Options