The document provides guidance on using an interactive science notebook (ISN) for students. It explains that an ISN allows students to organize their science work, reflect creatively on lessons, and develop skills like scientists do. Students should keep class notes on the right page and reflections on the left. The notebook is divided into sections for each unit and graded based on organization, accuracy, and presentation. It emphasizes that the ISN helps improve students' understanding, critical thinking, and expression of science concepts.

1. Your New Best Friend!
The Interactive Science Notebook
Unlocking
Science
Success

4. Interactive Science Notebook (ISN)
- Your own personalized DIARY of learning
about science
-A portfolio of your work in ONE convenient spot.
This is great for studying for upcoming quizzes &
tests
-A great ORGANIZATIONAL tool that gives you
permission to be PLAYFUL AND CREATIVE in
your responses without "messing up" your notes.
-Allows you to work like a REAL SCIENTIST!

5. What are Interactive
Science Notebooks?
 A student thinking tool
 An organizer for inquiry questions and what I
learned…
 A way to access and process the learning utilizing
various modalities (writing, drawing, and
discussion)
 A place for writing rough drafts based on hands-on
learning
 A formative assessment tool for teachers
TUSD Science
Resource Center

6. Interactive Science Notebook( ISN) Guidelines
SCIENCE INTERACTIVE NOTEBOOK will increase your
understanding of science by:
 using writing as a process for discovery and synthesis of
inquiry.
 modeling many enduring functions of scientists – recording
information, data, and experimental diagrams.
 improving your ability to organize ideas and information to
provide a study reference for each unit, as well as a resource
to consult for review for tests, and even in high school as you
sequence into Earth Science, Chemistry, Ecology, Biology,
and Physics
 demonstrating to your teacher and parents your developing
organizational skills, understanding of science concepts and
ability to express thoughts and feelings in a variety of ways
 deepening the science skills acquired in prior years by
application to 8th grade science

7. “In a nutshell”...
What is the rationale for using
interactive science notebooks?
 Improve organization skills
 Improve critical thinking skills
 Express understanding creatively
 Record data
 Study for tests
 Record progress
 Communication
Notebooks help us learn!

8. Impact of Hands-on
Science & Science
Notebooks on Student
Achievement
Research shows that student understanding
and literacy skills improve when students do
hands-on minds-on science and use science
notebooks to make sense of their science
investigations.

9. The Interactive science notebook is an effective teaching
strategy because it turns student notebooks into
meaningful and personalized records of learning.
Think as a scientist… record as a scientist… and reflect as a scientist!

10. D
I
A
N
F
O
S
S
E
Y
L
E
O
D
A
V
I
N
C
I

11. Required:
 One 8 ½ x 11-inch Mead 5-Star spiral notebook of at least 100 pages
and 3 subjects or a similar generic brand with this criteria (This spiral
should not be used for other subjects.) An alternative to this 100 page
notebook would be to use one 50 page spiral notebook each trimester.
 Handouts and other teacher provided pages may be glued or clear
taped in place so that both sides of each sheet are visible at all times. It is
important for you to have your own glue stick at all times. Only certain
pages will be glued in and the teacher will instruct the student of which ones.
 Organized in the same manner: right side for input (lecture notes,
worksheets and informal labs) and the left side for output (drawings and
reflections) Each student will have the same thing on the right side pages of
their notebooks

12. Left Side? Right Side?
What Goes Where?
Left Side
Student Output
Lots of Color
The brain remembers things in color
better.
 Concept Maps
 Drawings
 Reflective Writing
 Questions
 Data and Graphs
 Songs
 Poems
 Data from Experiments
 Cartoons or cartoon strips
 Foldables
Right Side
Teacher Input/Content
Blue or Black Ink/pencil
 Information given in class
 Lecture Notes
 Informal Lab Activities
 Video Notes
 Summaries
 Textbook Notes
 Procedures for experiments
 Classroom Specific Information

13.  . The Right Side is for input This is the side
that holds information that I give you.
 The Left Side is for output and contains only
your reflections about what you have
learned. It should be full of color, and it’s the
side where you can get creative.
To review…the notebook is divided into TWO sections.

14.  A running list of the work completed in the ISN will be posted in
class regularly and on my website one week before a unit test so
that you can cross-reference your record keeping. The list will start
over after each check of the notebook.
 If you are absent, it is your responsibility to copy missed notes into
your ISN and be sure that they do the proper reflection for that
assignment
 There will be collection of notebooks at the end of each unit
(when we take a test). Grades will be assigned based on the
same rubric criteria all year.
 If for some reason you lose your ISN or have to get a new one due
to wear and tear, you must see Ms. Abrams to get the handouts that
should be glued in the ISN. Please try to replace your ISN after we
check so you can start with a new section. Also, if you plan on
keeping one ISN per trimester, keep the old ISNs at home so you
can use them to review for our trimester finals and STAR testing.
Lost ISNs will receive a grade of O unless work is redone.

15. Step 1:
Notebook pages should be numbered consecutively
with L and R used for each number; each page titled
and dated.
1
1
R1
L2 R2
L1
Date
Title
Date
Title
Date
Title
Date
Title

16. The notebook is divided into TWO sections.
LEFT side “loves”
STUDENT work = OUTPUT
RIGHT side is “restricted” to
TEACHER INPUT
WARMUP #1 Fill in the missing
word.
Decomposer Producer Consumer
Plants are ____. Lions, tigers, and bears are
____. Worms and mushrooms are____
OUTPUT (your interpretation) INPUT (notes from teacher)

17.  The RIGHT SIDE should contain
information given from Ms. Abrams
while we are learning new material.
Nothing else should be placed on this
page!
 The RIGHT SIDE contains all the
TESTABLE material.

18. – Teacher guided PowerPoint notes
– Movie/Video
– Article Readings
– Textbook
– Handouts

19.  The LEFT SIDE belongs to you.
 Let your CREATIVITY go wild!
 The LEFT side loves color.

20. The day’s activity is placed
on the LEFT or OUTPUT
side of the notebook. This
section acts as a
reinforcement and
processing for the RIGHT
or LEARNING side.

21.  Graphic Organizers Diagrams/Visual Illustrations
 Poems, Song Lyrics Cartoons/Comics
 Lab Analysis Advertisements
 Brainstorming Mind maps
 Concept maps Venn diagrams
 Pictures Drawings
 Diagrams Writing prompts
 Flow charts Homework Songs
 Open ended worksheets Self reflections
 Labs Quizzes, tests
 Mnemonic device Foldables
 Vocab. Cartoons Charts & graphs
 Write a newspaper article about notes
 Write a letter or postcard from a famous scientist

22. What are graphic organizers?
 Graphic organizers are one way for visual thinkers to arrange
their ideas. There are unlimited ways to express these visual
ideas.
 Graphic organizers have many names including visual maps,
mind mapping, and visual organizers.
 Although many students plan with paper and pencil, technology
tools can be very helpful because they allow easy editing.
 Graphic organizers can be used as a nice planning tool from
information identification to product development. Finally, they
are great for visual thinkers or those that need to practice their
visual thinking.
Why use graphic organizers?
 Organizers are a way to encourage students to think
about information. With graphic organizers, you
remove the words and focus on the connections

23. Examples of Graphic organizers
Fishbone

24. How the fishbone might be used

25. Venn Diagram
different different
Alike

26. T-Chart

27. 7-Circle Diagram

28. Wheel Diagram

29. TicTac
Toe

30. Tree
Diagram

40. “A Bit More On The Left”
Getting You to Think About Your Learning
For REFLECTION you can use guiding prompts:
What are you curious about?
What would you like to test?
What was the main idea?
What are the important details to remember?
How does this relate to your life?
What don’t you understand?
REFLECTION can guide your communication
with others which will deepen your
understanding!

41. Example of Video Response

42. How will my notebook be graded?
GRADING
 Notebooks are collected and graded at the end of
each unit or when we take a test.
 Notebooks will be graded on organization, accuracy,
pride in presentation, and the appropriate CVUSD
Middle School Inexcusables.
– An important part of your notebook is its visual
appearance. Your notebook should be neat! Your personal
learning style should be visible throughout.
– Note: Grading will not be all or nothing, but if you only
partially complete an assignment or it’s of poor quality, you
won’t be given full credit.

43. Grading Rubric
Organization
UNIT TITLE AND TABLE OF CONTENTS
WORK IN IN ORDER
Accuracy
“RIGHT SIDE” is ACCURATE
“LEFT SIDE” REFLECTION contributes to a better understanding
WRITING is in PEN with DRAWINGS in PENCIL
Pride in Presentation
COMPLETE
LEGIBLE
CVUSD Middle School Inexcusables
Pages are NUMBERED and include DATES
COMPLETE SENTENCES/PUNCTUATION WHEN APPROPRIATE
PROPER PRONOUN USAGE

44. Science Notebook
Setup

45. colored pencils
Pens & pencils
NO MARKERS!
3-subject Spiral
Notebook
Highlighters
Scissors
Tape

46.  The name of the course:
– 8th Grade Physical Science
 The words: Interactive Science
Notebook
 The class period that you have
science:
– 3A, for example
 The school year: 2012-2013
 Your teacher: Ms. Abrams
 Your name: (self explanatory)

48. We Are READY!

49. Unit Title
Page Left-Side Items Right-Side Items

50. What do I do if I am absent?
 If you are absent, it is your responsibility to obtain
the assignments from a homework partner or Ms.
Abrams. Find at least one buddy from this class and
exchange phone numbers and/or e-mail addresses
so that you can help each other stay current!
 Staying current with all entries is vital to your
success this year in science.

51.  Make sure your “LEFT SIDE” page entries are
helping you to understand the concepts
presented in class
 Follow the other RUBRIC guidelines
 BE COLORFUL & LOVE YOUR NOTEBOOK

52.  Many thanks to these wonderful teachers for
creating wonderful POWERPOINT slides
from which I worked from:
– Barbara Zimmerman, adapted from her original
presentation
– Annette Holder, rockin’ Science
– Doug Saunders, bringing History Alive!