1. Interactive Science Notebooks

2. So What is an ISN? A student thinking tool
A place to record questions and ideas.
A way to increase hands-on, minds-on learning

3. WHY use an ISN? Improves organization.
Increases critical thinking skills.
Students can express themselves creatively rather than taking more and more notes.
Teachers can check student understanding (without giving a test!)

4. Scientists such as Galileo, Edison, and Einstein have used notebooks to record their ideas.

5. ISN Impact
Research shows that student understanding and literacy improve when students use interactive notebooks to make sense of their investigations.

6. Setting up the Interactive Notebook

7. What Goes Where? Left Side: Student Output Teacher Input
Lots of Color!
Illustrations/Diagrams
Data and Graphs
Songs
Poems
Cartoon strips
Journal Entries
Questions
Summaries
Brainstorms
Right Side:
Teacher Input
Information given in class
Lecture Notes
Lab Activities
Textbook Notes
Procedures
Use Blue/Black Ink or Pencil

8. Right vs. Left
Left side activities allow students to reflect on new information and to apply their learning:
What am I curious about?
What don’t I understand?
What was the main idea?
How could I test this?
How does this relate to my life?
What are the important details to remember?

9. Right vs. Left
“Its Right because it came from me, its Left because it has left your brain!”

11. Left Side Examples

12. Left Side Examples

13. Getting Started
Step 1: Insert a blank piece of paper which will become your front page. We will decorate this later.
Step 2: Add 5-10 sheets of notebook paper for warm-ups.
Step 3: Insert the Table of Contents, then the grading rubric.

14. Getting Started
Step 4: Insert two blank sheets of notebook paper behind the grading rubric.
You will receive a half sheet of paper titled ‘Three story intellect.” Glue this sheet in the middle of the blank paper (it should be on a right-hand side).

15. Getting Started Label the table of contents as page 1 at the bottom.
Number the rest of the pages, front and back. (so the back of the table of contents is page 2).
Fill out the table of contents for the pages you have numbered.

16. Interactive Science Notebook
Cover Page
Your name
Interactive Science Notebook
Block #
Mr. Butler
Add two COLORFULL science-related drawings and personalize it. The cover can be a work in progress if you wish to really make it stand out.

17. ISN Rules Use lots of color on the left side!
If you can’t fit everything on one page, use fold outs to add more space
Don’t add extra pages unless instructed to (we must all have the same assignment on the same page)
Use glue or tape, but never staples
Always Keep your table of contents up to date