2. ISN stands for Interactive Student Notebooks. I use ISNs to help build reference material for students. My ISNs have the following categories: Table of Contents Words Worth Knowing Sentence of the Week Roots Daily Notebook Entries

3. *Image from Eat.Write.Teach.blogspot.com

4. For each new thing we learn, each new large assignment, and each skill I want the students to remember I create a handout for them to place in their ISNs. They always create a Table of Contents entry for the handout and then once pasted in they write three questions they have up front about the information on the handout. Then at the end of class (or whenever we finish learning the skill) I have them reflect on what questions they still have and write some of what they’ve learned.

5. I’ve included my rhetorical devices in my Words Worth Knowing section of my ISNs. I really enjoy giving the students the words and then letting them have a time and place to practice with these new words on the left hand side of the page. Each time we read something new, we pull out our Rhetorical Devices and refer to our ISNs first.

6. I’ve found that a great way to make students accountable for rhetorical devices is having them teach each other. I have them teach each other rhetorical devices by taking popular songs (they have to be school appropriate) and finding 5-6 rhetorical devices that occur within the song. A day or two before their assigned day I have students bring in their songs and rhetorical devices so that I can make copies for everyone, but so that I can also check the song and their device identification ahead of time.

7. I used one of my favorite Metallica songs, and as you can see there are definitely rhetorical devices occurring within the song. I make sure students make it clear where the rhetorical device is occurring and the definition. When they teach the class about the devices they found they are required to tell the class how the device applies to the section they chose.

8. So far, it seems that students really enjoy this because they get to show off their favorite songs. I’ve noticed that students tend to have a better understanding of concepts if they have to teach them to their peers.

9. ISN Resources http://www.everybodyisageniusblog.blogspot.com/ This is the blog of a math teacher, but she has awesome ideas when it comes to ISNs. http://www.eatwriteteach.com/ This English teacher has tons of awesome ideas with ISNs and just about everything else! Rhetorical Devices: http://www.englishbiz.co.uk/extras/rhetoricalexamples.htm This was a link for rhetorical devices provided at Core Academy, but I don’t necessarily think it is the most complete list and use others in addition to what is listed here.