The document outlines the use of interactive student notebooks (ISNs) in a 7th grade math and science class, emphasizing organization, student choice, and multiple means of expression. It describes essential materials, different parts of the notebook, types of activities (left and right page), and discusses challenges and parent feedback regarding the educational benefits of ISNs. Overall, it highlights how ISNs facilitate engagement and responsibility in student learning.

1. Interactive Student Notebooks
(ISN)
Catie DiVito
Broad Creek Middle School- 7th Grade Math & Science
Twitter: @catiedivito
Email: catherine.divito@carteretk12.org
Presentation and other materials can be found at: http://goo.gl/NxaJ7g

2. What is it?
• Notebook (not online)
• Way of organizing class materials
• Allows students to have a choice
• Multiple means of expression

3. Why start?
“I lost my
homework”
“Uhh... it might
be in my
locker...??”
“I didn’t
know what
I was
supposed
to do”
“I forgot it at
school
yesterday”
“It was boring…
so I just didn’t
do it”
“oh, uhh,
what did we
do yesterday?”

4. What do I need?
• Notebook (**PLASTIC COVER**)
• Tape or Glue (sticks or bottle)
• Scissors
• Colored pencils (NOT markers)
• Colored computer paper for foldables (optional)

5. What are the different parts of an
ISN?
• Cover Page
• Table of Contents
• Rubric
• Essential Questions
• Title Pages
• Left Pages
• Right Pages

6. Teacher Input
• Notes/Lecture
• Instructional Worksheets
• Foldables
• Title Pages
• Pre-reading activities
• Articles
• Lab Notes
What are right page activities?

7. Student Output
Activities that allow for choice and creativity
Assign particular choices early on to help familiarize them with
each option
Can always allow choice or narrow down to one or a few
What are left page activities?

8. • Comic Strip
• Foldable
• Diagrams
• Charts
• Current Events
• Poems
• Song Lyrics (performed for extra points)
• Advertisements and Magazine Covers
• Hero/Wanted Posters
• Lab Write-Ups
• Vocabulary
• Section Review Questions
Left Page (sinker) Activities

9. Sinker Examples

10. Check and stamp sinkers daily (5 minutes at the beginning of class or while
they are working on an activity)
Student Peer evaluations (in notebook and on a Google Form)
Teacher checks them 1-2 times each 9 weeks (usually on a test day)
Rubric- YOU decide what is important
Ugh, What about grading?

11. Peer Evaluations

12. • Grading (they’re huge…)
• Time for set up
• Absent Students
• New Students
• Too many options for students
• Glue
• Pages fall out
What are the challenges?

13. What about Technology?
• Projects and assignments online
o Can be printed
o Can be summarized on a page
o Can just not go in a notebook

14. What do the parents think?
“I think it is
teaching my son
organization and
responsibility for
his work. I have
seen him study
out of this
notebook. ”
“I really like the fact that the students
have choices: comic strips. poems,
invitations, etc. My daughter
actually seems to enjoy herself! It
forces the students to think about
ordinary science topics in a whole
new way...all the while, achieving a
much more profound understanding
of the subject matter.”
“Since all the pages are numbered, this
lets the student know exactly what page
something is on….Each chapter begins
with Essential Questions that will be
covered in the material. There are notes
from the teacher, usually on the right page,
and colorful sinkers from the students on
the left page.”
“Sometimes
there is so much
in the notebooks,
that the pages
rip out.”

15. Pinterest: pinterest.com/cgd1015 “Because their notebooks are interactive”
Twitter: @catiedivito
Email: catherine.divito@carteretk12.org
Presentation and other materials can be found at: http://goo.gl/NxaJ7g
Links