Interactive Notebooks
In an interactive notebook, class notes go on the right side of a 2-page spread in your notebook. They would include:
Grammar notes
Cultural notes
Vocabulary
Basic Knowledge Questions
Reading Notes
Movie, Video notes
On the left side, you translate your note material into anything creative that shows how or why. Consider a/n :
Drawing, illustration
Graphic organizer
Mind map
Picture sentence
Poem
Rap
Cartoon
Map
Chart or graph
Invitation
Letter to or from famous people
Brainstorm
Concept Map
Question(s)
Process Description (verb conjugations)
Character Descriptions
"Wanted" Posters
Flow Charts, Spectrums
Matrices, Clustering, Spoke
Diagram (Venn or otherwise)
T-charts
Cartoons, Caricatures
Graphs
Newscasts
http://www.members.tripod.com/cynthiasparks/interactive_notebook.htm
http://www.journeytoexcellence.org/practice/instruction/theories/miscideas/notebook.phtml
The key is to reorganize new information in creative formats, expressing opinions and feelings and exploring new ideas. Students explore their opinions and clarify their values on controversial issues, wonder about “what if” hypothetical situations, and ask questions about new ideas. They also express their feelings and reactions to activities that tap into intrapersonal learning. And they review what they have learned and preview what they will be learning.
http://upstagereview.org/ClassroomArticles/interactive%20notebook.pdf
French Class Rules for Interactive Notebooks
1. Leave the first 20 sheets of paper blank. These will serve as a cover page and table of contents.
2. Start numbering the 21st sheet of paper at the bottom right-hand side of the page. All right-hand sides will be odd-numbered pages. Start numbering the left sides of all sheets of paper at the bottom left-hand side of the page. All left-hand sides will be even numbered pages. You brought 200 sheets of paper and should number them all today.
3. The front of your 20th sheet is your dedication page. We will talk about dedicating your French notebook later in the year.
4. The first sheet of paper is your cover page. Please take the time to illustrate this page personally tonight. You may wish to name your French notebook in French: Mon cahier de français. Or simply: le français. Or: Le français est formidable !
5. On the back of your cover page, please put your name, the current school year, my name and your course and class period.
6. On the next page please write neatly: Table of Contents.
7. Everything written or drawn in your French notebook is neat and colorfully attractive.
Ideas for Interactive Student Notebooks
(adapted from History Alive)
Advertisements – design advertisements to represent regions (travel brochures), practices (holidays and customs), products (food and commercial goods) that illustrate your understanding.
Annotated Illustrations – make annotated illustrations to recount a story.
Annotated Slides – use simple sketches of powerful images, accompanied by annotations, to help students understand difficult content.
Book or Compact Disk Covers – design book or compact disk covers to highlight and illustrate important concepts or a particular unit of study.
Caricatures – draw caricatures to present the main characteristics of the French as you know them now and then again at the end of the year to demonstrate the change in your perceptions.
Eulogies – write eulogies to extol the virtues of prominent historical figures or civilizations.
Facial Expressions or stick figures– draw facial expressions or stick figures to illustrate vocabulary.
Flow Charts – create flow charts to show causal relationships or to show steps in a sequence.
Forms of Poetry – write various forms of poetry to describe a person, place, event, or feeling of a moment.
Historical Journals – assume the role of a historical figure to keep a journal that recounts the figure’s feelings and experiences in language of the era.
Illustrated Dictionary Entries – explain key terms by created illustrated dictionary entries. Write a definition, provide a synonym and an antonym, and draw an illustration to represent each vocabulary term.
Illustrated Outlines – use simple drawings and symbols to graphically highlight or organize class notes.
Illustrated Proverbs – create illustrated proverbs to explain complex concepts.
Illustrated Timelines – create illustrated timelines to sequence a series of events in chronological order.
Invitations – design invitations that highlight the main goals and key facts of important cultural events or holiday celebrations.
Making Connections Outside the Classroom – after completing an activity, find examples outside of class of the topic or concept studied.
Metaphorical Representations – create metaphorical representations to explain difficult or abstract grammar concepts.
Mind Notes – draw and label outlines of the heads of important French historical figures, authors, scientists, etc. Fill in the outline with quotations and paraphrased thoughts from the figure.
Mosaics – synthesize information from a broad content area by creating mosaics. Use visuals and words to represent similarities, differences, and important concepts.
Perspective Pieces – design drawings or write newspaper articles to represent different perspectives on particular people, events, and concepts.
Pictowords – create pictowords (symbolic representations of words or phrases that show their meaning) to help define difficult concepts.
Cartoons and Comic Strips – create cartoons and comic strips to provide social or political commentary on important cultural details.
Postcards – after studying specific content, write postcards to summarize information about places or events.
Posters – draw posters to emphasize key points .
Provocative Statements – react to provocative statements to introduce cultural themes or to critically assess a historic or cultural aspect.
Spectrums – place information on spectrums to show multiple perspectives on a topic or to express an opinion about an issue.
Spoke Diagrams – create spoke diagrams as a visual alternative to outlining.
T-Charts – create T-charts to compare the French teenager's experience with your own personal experiences, to look at advantages and disadvantages of a topic, or to compare and contrast two different items.
Venn Diagrams – create Venn diagrams to compare and contrast people, concepts, places, or groups.
“What If?” Statements – use “what if?” statements to apply newfound knowledge to hypothetical situations.
