Interactive Notebooks (A Fun Way To Take Notes)

Access This Westward Expansion Notebook

I first fell in love with interactive notebooks a few years ago when I stumbled across a website.  My first thought was, "My students would love that!"

Interactive notebooks are the superstars of notetaking.  They are hands-on, enable students to draw or create small models of what they are learning, and they make school topics come alive.

What Are Interactive Notebooks?

Interactive notebooks are notebooks that contain colored notes, printable notebook inserts, or 3D images that fit right into notebooks.  In this interactive notebook, students do several interactive activities that teach them about pioneer settlers and daily pioneer life.

Often, the teacher reads information about a topic that is presented in the notebook.  Then, the students are given time to assemble parts using a set of instructions that are often included by the teacher or a notebooking kit.

They can be used in any subject.  Students enjoy the hands-on nature of the their newly created journals.

Click An Image Below

To Access An Interactive Notebook

 

Teaching Westward Expansion and the Pioneers

Westward expansion is such an interesting topic for students.  The idea of traveling across the country on foot for months is something that many students cannot imagine.

How Can We Make This Unit Even More Fun?
Acting out the pioneers experiences and using interactive notebooks are both helpful.
  

Add replicas and other items inside of a box for students to explore.  They can write about their findings and "touch" the past.

Interactive notebooks are also fun.Click here to access a westward expansion interactive notebook.

Ask an intriguing question that students must research. This builds up interest in the unit and is a great way to integrate research into the lesson.

(*Many sources have stated that water was not sold for $100 a cup, but prices along the pioneer trails were high for items.)

Fun Ways To Teach Metamorphic, Igneous, and Sedimentary Rocks

Earth science is one of my favorite subjects to teach. Although this subject might appear to be a real snoozer, there are ways to make it fun.

Using rocks, sand, a container, and $1 paint brushes, host a rock dig.  I used ceramic molding compound that I found at a local craft store to create the "fossils".  The fossil templates were $3.00 molds for fossil shaped sandcastles.  For less than $7.00, I had an archaeological dig site that the students LOVE.

Click Here To Access This Resource

Students love interactive notebooks.  Not only are they engaging, students enjoy creating them.

 

Encourage students to learn about sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks independently.  Access The Writing Prompts Here

Plants Interactive Notebook

Click Here To Access It

If you plan to teach students about plants, you will enjoy this interactive bundle.    It includes interactive notebook inserts, a graphic comic about plants, task cards, differentiated worksheets, and a written response. Assembly directions, answer keys, and a rubric are all included. 

Note Taking in Math

I want to give full disclosure.  Yes, I am a math person.  I am a person that absolutely loves math.  What hurts my heart is when I hear a student state that he or she is not "a math person".  Or that his or her family is "just not good at math".  Click here to access free and fun inference task cards. 

This blog post is dedicated to the student that just does not "get" math.  I want to say that they should not give up.  Using visual diagrams, illustrating the meaning of different math concepts, and understanding topical vocabulary will definitely help. These are pics of the math notes that were taken by students during my recent math lessons about fractions.  I wanted to share them with everyone.

We began by looking at vocabulary words that are related to fractions.  This is an important first step.

Students love to use different colors.  The different color schemes help them organize their ideas.

We looked at the big ideas that are related to fractions.  It is so important that students not only know how to solve a math problem, they should also know what concepts mean as well.

We used Venn diagrams to compare and contrast information.  Providing an example and a non-example is sooo helpful for students.

We also learned the math formulas that can be used to determine equivalent fractions. We also learned how to add fractions that have different denominators.

To access some of my different interactive journals Click Here

Westward and the Pioneers Interactive Notebook

This interactive social studies journal integrates reading, social studies, writing, and speaking in a very fun way.  3D journal inserts and pieces that slide and/or lift make learning about Westward Expansion and the pioneers so much fun. Click Here To Access It
Use this as an interactive journal or as a fun lapbook.

Students engage in hands-on experiences to learn about the pioneers.  In this activity, students decide which items to take and which ones to leave along the pioneer trail.

Slide the covered wagon across the prairie to "experience" what it was like to travel west.

Many more fun hands-on, reading, and writing activities are included too.

Click Here To Access It

lapbook

interactive reading journal