Interactive Notebook/Cuaderno

El señor Leal Español

Nombre:____________ Período:________

Interactive Student Notebook Guidelines

Interactive notebooks allow you to record information and
process it to improve your level of understanding. As you learn
new concepts, you will use several types of writing and graphic
techniques to record them. This process will get you to use
critical-thinking skills or habits of mind to organize and process
new information. As a result, you can become a more creative,
more independent thinker and will have a deeper understanding
of what you are learning.

To create your Interactive notebooks, you must bring these

materials to class each day:

1. Your 9 3⁄4 x 7 1⁄2 inch Mead composition book with at least 100
sheets no more than 200 pages.

2. A pen

3. A pencil with an eraser

4.Two felt-tip pens of different colors

5.Two highlighters of different colors

These additional materials would be helpful: (Available in limited

quantity in room)

1. A variety of colored pens

2. Several more highlighters

3. A small pair of scissors

4. Glue stick and clear tape.

Why do this?

• Writing down lecture notes does not mean that you have
learned the new information.

• You must actively do something with the new concepts

before you really understand it.

• Note-taking becomes an active process.

• You will organize as you learn. You will record ideas about
every activity that you engage in during a unit. You will use
organizational techniques such as TOPIC HEADINGS, colored
highlights and different writing styles to synthesize
concepts.

• It gives you permission to be playful and creative in your

responses without “messing up” your notes. When you are
creative, you will remember more.

• It serves as a reminder to me to give you time to absorb

ideas as we go. If I see blank left-hand pages that tells me
that I am providing too much information without giving you
enough time to process the material…or maybe you are not
working at your learning!

• Bottom line: Your interactive notebook becomes part of your

portfolio of what you actually learned.
How to use the interactive notebook:
La izquierda
( left side)
Student Directed
Subjective information
Reorganize new information in
creative formats.
Express opinions and feelings.
Your Homework.
You will work out an
understanding of the new
material by using illustrations,
diagrams, flow charts, poetry,
matrices, and cartoons.
You will have graphic
organizers, reflections and
pictures.
You will review what you have
learned and preview what you
will learn.
Here you will actively do
something with the information.
You will explore your opinions
and clarify your values on
controversial issues, wonder
about “what if” hypothetical
situations, and ask questions
about new ideas.
This side will have
Student-Generated
Information.
La derecha
(right side)
Teacher Directed
Objective information
Class notes, discussion &
reading notes, handouts with
new information.
Most “testable” information is
found here.
You should structure your notes
so that key ideas and concepts
are clear and supported by
examples.
Here you will write outlines,
flowcharts, and other graphic
organizers.
Notes from lectures or
overhead, movie, group
discussion or readings. Answers
to fact based questions.
Content that is similar
for everyone.
This side will have
Teacher- Generated
Information.
General Instructions
Although the notebooks emphasize creativity and originality, a
few organizational practices should be followed. Therefore,
students should:

• Record every assignment on “El indice”. Class notes do not

need to be listed there.
• Begin each assignment entry on a new page with a header
that contains:
• El titulo (the title)
• La fecha de la asignatura ( the date of the assignment)

For each unit:

• Write the title of the unit on the right side of your notebook.
• Find a picture or draw an illustration that represents a
theme of the unit.
• All notebook pages will be chronological.
• All handouts will be glued into your notebook unless I
specify otherwise.
• Additional ideas to make your notebook visually and
graphically appealing:

 Use a variety of note taking techniques suggested

from note taking handout.i.e. An outline, a matrix,
mind maps, etc.

 Use color to highlight meaning, not just as decoration,

think of an alternative method if you think you may be
colorblind.
 Exchange notebooks with your friends to get ideas
from each other as long as you do not write the same
thing on the left side.
 Leave blank spaces throughout your notebooks for
pasting relevant clipping and cartoons for adding
comments when you review for tests.
 All homework assignments will be in your notebook
 unless I specify otherwise. I will collect the notebooks
twice a grading period. I will randomly select 10 of the
homework assignments given and check your
interactive notebook for the completed assignments.
Your grade will be determined by the percentage of
homework you’ve completed.

Assessing the Interactive Notebooks

Informal Evaluation

I will check notebooks daily in the classroom while you work, for
the first couple of weeks so that you get immediate feedback
early to determine if you are using the notebooks correctly. I will
give comments and suggestions for improvement on your
notebook entries.

Sometimes I will check an assigned entry at your desk using the

following evaluation scale:

0-Incomplete

1-Needs Work

2-Average Effort

3-Good Work

4-Excellent
Formal Evaluation

I will formally evaluate notebooks every grading period. It will be

the same entries for everyone but you will not know in advance
which ones will be evaluated. Your interactive notebook is worth
20% of your grade. Don’t Forget, it is very difficult to ‘catch up’
once you fall behind.

Cautions

1. Students should be current with their notebook entries at all

times. I may spot check the notebooks without notice. Students
will not receive credit for any entries not up to date.

2. It is your responsibility to obtain class notes and do the left

side processing activities when you are absent. This will be
treated as part of your make up work for the missed class.

3. All entries are to be numbered and dated. Each entry must

be recorded in order regardless of absence or the days activity.

4. A student may only copy another student’s right side to get

missed class notes. Other portions of the notebook must be
unique unless I specify otherwise. Notebook entries must reflect
your personal learning experiences

“ Thirty years from now, it won’t matter what

shoes you wore, how your hair looked, or the
clothes you bought. what will matter is what
you learned and how you used it.”