The document outlines the purpose and setup of interactive student notebooks (ISNs), which aim to foster creative and reflective thinking in students while serving as a tool for organizing class materials, notes, and activities. It details the structure of the ISN with designated sections for teacher information on the left side and student responses on the right side, emphasizing the importance of both organization and creativity. Grading criteria for the notebooks and student feedback about their effectiveness are also included.

1. Interactive Student
Notebooks
Amy Schwartz &
Katherine Leatherman

2. HAVE YOU EVER HEARD
YOUR STUDENTS SAY . . .I can’t
remember
what we did
in class
yesterday.
I was absent last week; did I miss anything?

3. WHAT IS AN INTERACTIVE
STUDENT NOTEBOOK?
What is the purpose of the notebook?
The purpose of the interactive student notebook
(ISN) is to enable the student to be a creative,
independent, and reflective thinker and writer
throughout the year. Interactive student notebooks can
be used for class notes, as well as for other activities
where students will be asked to express their own ideas
and process and/or apply the information and skills
learned in class. It also helps students review for tests.

4. HOW Do I
Set it up
???

5. STUDENT MATERIALS
●
●5 Star (or comparable) 5-subject
college-ruled notebook, 8.5” x 11”
●Highlighters (multi-colored)
●Glue stick/Elmer’s glue
●Assorted color pencils
●Colored markers
●Pencil sharpener/pencil (mechanical
accepted, too)
●Scotch Tape

6. COVER
Your cover must be clearly labeled to
include:
•Class Name (SS or full Social Studies)
•Your Name (First and Last)
•Period
•School Year (2013-2014)
Please include pictures, drawings, designs,
etc. that express who you are as a person.

7. Example Covers
If they aren’t decorated,
have students write their
names in Sharpie on Day
#1. If names are not on
the cover, it makes it
very difficult to do
notebook checks!

8. INITIAL SETUP
Think about the assignments you use already! Divide
them into categories, such as:
1.Ancient Civilizations
2.Renaissance
3.World Wars
or
1. 1st Semester
2. 2nd Semester
3. Cumlulative Review
or
1. Notes
2. Literature
3. Writing/Grammar

9. INITIAL SETUP (CONT.)
Section A – Classwork / Models
Section B – Grammar
Section C – Vocabulary
Section D – Reading Logs
Section E – Novels
Section F – Portfolios
Section G – Clock Buddies
Section H – Jr. Great Books
Section I – EOG Review
Section J –

10. (evens) (odds)
Date
Title Title
Date

11. HOW IS IT
Interactive
???

12. Left Side - Right Side
In - Through - Out
Next Clean Page

13. Left Brain vs. Right Brain

14. Left Side Right Side
Page #
Teacher
Information
Page #
Title Title
Date
Date
Student
Responses

15. LEFT SIDE
The Left Side belongs to the teacher
The Left Side has all “testable” information; it’s
what you will be learning:
● Title and Unit pages
● Table of Contents
● Vocabulary
● Notes (class, reading, and discussion)
● Worksheets
● Study Guides
● Quizzes (formative)
● Content and Language Objectives
● Other relevant information

16. LEFT SIDE GUIDELINES
1. Should be completely done.
1. Should clearly have both the title of the
assignment at the top and the date centered to
the right of the title. The page should be
numbered at the bottom right-hand and left-
hand corner.
1. All assignments should be in chronological order
by the times they were assigned.
1. All work should be completed in neat, legible
handwriting.

17. EXAMPLES OF LEFT SIDE
ASSIGNMENTS (TEACHER)
•Class notes
•Graphic Organizers / Thinking Maps
•Articles, graphs, charts, diagrams
•Foldables
•Quizzes/Tests
•In-class Assignments, mini-lessons
•Recording Sheets
•Etc.

18. Class Notes

19. Notes

20. Notes
Math
Science

21. GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS/THINKING
MAPS

22. Foldables

23. RIGHT SIDE
Right Side is to record students’ thinking, reflections,
questions, thoughts, impressions, connections, and
wonderings.
The Right Side belongs to the student!
•Apply skills learned in class
•Use graphs, charts, Venn Diagrams, research from
internet
•Make connections between new and old learning
•Questions
•Thinking Maps
•Poems
•Songs
•Homework

24. 1. Format is the same as Left Side (title, date,
neatness, completed, etc.)
1. Activities can be done individually, in pairs, small
groups, centers, etc.
1. Student is responsible for completing anything
not done in class.
1. Each fully-completed and correct Right Side
assignment earns a grade.
Any missing part (date, title, incomplete, etc.) will cause
points to be deducted.
Right Side Guidelines

25. • Classwork
• Brainstorming
• Sketches related to learning
• Collages
• Project Plans/Outlines
• Reflections
• Poem, lab, etc. analysis
Examples of Right Side
Assignments (Students)

26. EXAMPLES OF RIGHT SIDE
ASSIGNMENTS

27. EXAMPLES OF RIGHT SIDE
ASSIGNMENTS

28. ABSOLUTE &
RELATIVE
LOCATION
ACTIVITY

29. Sensory Figures

30. Graphic
Organizers

31. Concept Map

32. ILLUSTRATED TIMELINES

33. Another Example of
Interactive Notebooks

34. Final Example of
Interactive Notebooks
Next clean page: It may fit your teaching style
to just go page by page. This is when a Table of
Contents for each chapter/unit comes in handy.

35. THIS IS
ON THE
SMART-BOARD...
How is it Interactive?

36. THIS IS IN THEIR
NOTEBOOK

37. Smartboard Activity

38. If a student
is up at the
board, every
student in
their seat is
working in
their
notebook

39. Teacher Input

40. Student
Output
Students use the information
on the board to create their
own work. This also make
differentiation easier. With
higher level students, they
work independently to
complete the work, and then
teachers review. With lower
students, teachers can work
through the assignment on the
board as students follow along
in their own notebook.
**One lesson plan, different
delivery methods (AIG,
Inclusion, etc.)

41. MAINTAINING THE
INTERACTIVE NOTEBOOK
•No ripped out pages or torn corners
•No doodling that doesn’t relate to notes
•Date, title, and number each page
Everyone’s ISN must MATCH!

42. After being absent, be sure to check the
teacher notebook and get caught up!
Creativity is Important

43. TAKE TO WORK ON
NOTEBOOKS?
Normal class time is given to work on Right Side
assignments; however, assignments may need to be
finished at home. The expectation is that students
will revisit Left and Right Side to review the material
and prepare for tests and quizzes. Once students
have a good understanding of the kinds of Right Side
activities that can be done, it should take them about
15/20 minutes to complete a right side.

44. BREAK OUT

45. GRADING
40% - Tests and projects
30% - Independent work
(quizzes, classwork,
common assessments, etc.)
20% - Guided work (group
activities, teacher led
activities, etc.)
10% - Homework
Right side activities are
usually graded as
independent work.
Left side activities are
usually graded as
guided work.
*Let your school/county
grading policy be your
guide
GCS Policy:

46. DEDUCTIONS FOR LATENESS
AND LACK OF CHRONOLOGICAL
ORDER
1. If a student has forgotten to bring their
notebook for that particular class when a notebook
check is announced, they may bring it by the very
next calendar day, but 10% will be deducted from
their notebook score for that check. After two
calendar days, no points can be earned for that
notebook check.
1. Any Right Side assignment that is found to be
out of chronological order will cause a 10%
reduction in the overall score of a notebook
evaluation.

47. Grading the Notebook
GRADING THE NOTEBOOK

48. Grading the Notebook
10 Excellent-Above and beyond
Notebook contents are complete, dated, and labeled (+100%)
Pages are numbered (odd-right side, even-left side)
Right-side/ left-side topics are correct and contents are organized
Notes and writing go beyond basic requirements.(typed, neat)
Uses color and effective diagrams
Notebook is neat and shows attention to detail
Shows impressive, in-depth self reflection about work.
I give it a
10

49. VS…
Grading the Notebook
2 Inadequate- complete lack of effort
Notebook contents are incomplete (70% or less)
Pages are numbered incorrectly, Right-side, left-side is inconsistent
Contents unorganized
Information shows only superficial understanding of contents or
shows serious inaccuracies
Notebook is not neat, sloppiness prevails
Shows little self- reflection
1 Incomplete
Notebook turned in, but too incomplete to evaluate properly

50. Grading the Notebook

51. How do students like it?
● “They are very organized and help me study
when I’m getting ready for a test” - Priya K.
● “I like that my notes are so organized are in
one spot and easy to find” - Jessee K.
● “Notebooks are easier to keep up with. Plus,
they keep all your papers together and don’t
fall out like a binder” - Barbara E.
● “They last a lot longer. My binders always pop
open and my notebook doesn’t” - Morgan H.
● “They are easier to write in” - Rylan S.
● “Notebooks are much easier to deal with when
carrying large amounts of books” - Jared G.

52. QUESTIONS &
COMMENTS?