Interactive Notebooks...a little research & browsing...

Before I jump into having my students create and maintain interactive notebooks in Reading and Social Studies, I'm taking a look at how other teachers have used interactive notebooks and how they're set up and maintained. I've seen some great examples and ideas so far!

I was first inspired by the interactive notebooks of Ms. Mohammed. I discovered her blog while googling for interactive notebooks a few weeks ago. They're fantastic! Not only are they organized, but they include excellent, creative, and colorful graphic organizers and activities that contain tons of essential information. I also appreciate that her notebooks contain a Table of Contents, a Classroom Expectations Page, a "Facebook page" to give information about the notebook's author, and many awesomely creative ways for students to demonstrate their knowledge and thinking. I have a feeling that I'll be referring to her blog A LOT!

 

Somewhere along the way I stumbled across a link to a PDF with TONS of great ideas for organizing an interactive notebook! I'm pretty sure that this document will be within arms reach this year! I am still pondering (in a good way) the traditional right side (input) -left side (output) uses of pages, and I LOVE many other ideas presented! This document points out that interactive notebooks are engaging for students because they allow students to use linguistic and visual intelligences, make notetaking an active process, allow students to organize information as the learn, and they become a personalized portfolio of each student's learning. This document also suggests including a Table of Contents, a place for students to record expectations for the notebook, and an author's page. I also adore the idea of gluing a manilla envelope inside the back cover of the notebooks for "small parts" that need to be kept in a safe place. I'm not sure yet how I will grade these. I remember keeping an organized notebook in middle school and then turning in my notebook for a "notebook check" which was worth a large portion of my grade. I'll have to ponder this for a while longer...

The activity ideas offered in the PDF are outstanding! The creative opportunities for students to "output" what they've learned are endless! Here are a few examples taken from the document...

• Forms of Poetry – write various forms of poetry to describe a person, place, event, or feeling of a
  moment.
• Historical Journals – assume the role of a historical figure to keep a journal that recounts the
  figure’s feelings and experiences in language of the era. 
• Illustrated Dictionary Entries – explain key terms by created illustrated dictionary entries. Write a
  definition, provide a synonym and an antonym, and draw an illustration to represent each term. 
• Illustrated Timelines – create illustrated timelines to sequence a series of events in chronological
  order. 
• Invitations – design invitations that highlight the main goals and key facts of important historical
  events.

See, they're awesome! I kinda can't wait to get started with these! Ms. Mohammed's examples and notebooks are centered around Social Studies, but I've also seen some great examples of Reading interactive notebooks. The blog of Ms. Klohn, a sixth grade Reading teacher, features an explanation of and some pictures of her Reader's Notebooks. I love that her students also record information in creative ways! Her notebooks feature many foldables which have been secured in the notebooks.They're fantastic!  Here are a couple of pages from Miss Klohn's Reader's Notebooks....

 

Okay, and I found one more outstanding blog from Kalamity Kat about using interactive notebooks. I found this blog very insightful because it offers her reflection on using these for the first time ever in her class and some VERY helpful tips that I wouldn't have thought of. Here's what I took away from her blog: a pocket can be made one the inside of the front and back covers with cardstock or construction paper, markers should NOT be used in these notebooks because of bleeding, and don't write on the back of pages or on the next page when space is running out- add a new sheet that folds up/down/out using tape (staples cause rips). Very helpful, don't you agree?

So...I did a lot of writing and browsing around to find out more about interactive notebooks. This post is mainly to think through all that I've seen and read, and I like what I've seen and read. I have to say that I am pumped about creating  and using interactive notebooks in Reading and Social Studies now! Even during my sleep late, sip coffee slowly, watch the Today Show, take long morning walks with my puppy summer!....and that's quite remarkable! ;)