Interactive Notebooks - left or right?!

I have been receiving questions concerning interactive notebooks at the secondary level - in email and from colleagues. Therefore, I thought I would take some time to talk about interactive notebooks.  

Interactive note-booking may seem daunting to those who have never tried them or have only seen examples in workshops - color, paper, glue, tape, glue AND tape, ribbons - the list goes on. I was one of those individuals that couldn't wrap my head around the idea of INBs. I originally felt that INBs were for elementary students. I was responsible for preparing my students for college life and in my mind, INBs were not going to accomplish that (I was a hardcore binder guy at the beginning of my career). To make a long story short, at some point I switched to spiral notebooks and then transitioned to composition notebooks. 

What does this have to do with anything? Well, I've been asked which is better - binders, spirals, or comp books.

At the end of the day it all boils down to personal preference. Whatever works for you and your students! Or...whatever you were "voluntold" to use by the district or campus. ;)   

The key is to have a plan, be structured and organized, and don't give up. Additionally, keep in mind that your main focus of using an interactive notebook should be to use it as a mechanism to drive student learning and understanding. Designing, coloring, cutting, gluing, pasting, and/or taping is great; but you may need to reevaluate the use of the INB if it is interfering with instructional time and/or detracting from student learning.

If you decide you want to incorporate INBs in your classroom, you may want to sit down and ask yourself some questions. For example:

• Am I going to use binders, spirals, or composition books?
• Is the school and/or district able to fund some or all of the INBs for my students? Or should I go out and buy them and have students pay me back [legal and/or district policy may require you to set up a school activity fund to do this]?
• What materials will I need to implement INBs (e.g. glue, tape, markers, etc.)?
• How will I setup and structure the INBs, especially if I have multiple preps?
• Do I need to keep a teacher INB? If so, do I keep a single INB or develop one per class? 
• How will I grade them?
• What is that whole left-side versus right-side mumbo jumbo I keep hearing about?
• Do I allow students to keep them in class; and if so, where will I store them? 
• What if a student loses his/her INB?

Okay...I hope I didn't run you off, however, those are a few questions that you should put some thought into before you jump head first into INBs.  For now, I'm going to focus on the left-side / right-side component of INBs because this was something that was a district-wide initiative in my area a few years ago. Furthermore, the left-side / right-side idea highlights the interactive component of an interactive notebook - INBs are simply not all about cutting, gluing, plain notes, etc. 
Disclaimer: Some teachers do what I'm about to discuss the opposite way. That's okay. Just be consistent in your classroom, school, and/or district so that it works for you and your students. :)

The left side (page) of the INB is dedicated for students to demonstrate their understanding of the information from the right side (page).  You may see or hear the left side referred to as "output" because this is the side where students showcase their creativity - either through choice or guided by the teacher - to express their learning.  Examples include but are not limited to quick writes, graphic organizers, cartoons or drawings, mnemonics, and reflections. Really, it's any thing that the student creates to show that he/she understands the information discussed/taught on the right side.  

The right side is reserved for instructional content the teacher is providing (you may hear the right side referred to as "input").  Examples include but are not limited to notes, questions and answers, problems, vocabulary, and laboratory procedures. 

Over the years I have learned to condense my notes and be more concise with the curriculum I am responsible for teaching my students. 
Well, do you use multiple INB pages per instructional day? No.  Everything for a particular day receives 1 right page and 1 left page.Use graphic organizers, half sheets to create a layering effect [see photos below] or other methods in an effort to utilize a single page each. 

The above and following pictures show how I fit multiple half-sheets, graphic organizers, and/or other activities on one page of my INB.

Similar to the right side, I may have the students use the left-side multiple times; however, students will learn your space saving methods, as well as pick up new tricks, if you consistently use INBs throughout the year. If you want to control what goes on the left-side, yet offer flexibility, then design a choice sheet that lists a few ideas that students can select from [refer to left-side ideas listed above for an idea]. 

You can also check out a small preview of what I discussed in the short video below (0:35 seconds). I will also be back with future posts to discuss some suggestions to the sample questions I posed earlier. Please do not hesitate to contact me or share how you implement INBs in your classroom. Thanks for reading!

Atomic Structure for Interactive Notebooks

This set of interactive graphic organizers (IGOs) and notes has been sitting on my hard-drive for over a year [along with over a dozen other items]. There are twenty-six pages of items covering the basics of atomic structure. Additionally, there are over a dozen pages with instructions and pictures to help teachers implement the IGOs and notes in the classroom.

I have provided a collection of IGOs that cover various atomic structure topics that you may select from. Additionally, this set also comes with, I believe, carefully crafted no-prep notes that you can use to help your students understand the content [no prep = print and use immediately].  I incorporated several Checking for Understanding points in the notes to help chunk instruction. 

I also incorporated the Gradual Release format  (I do, We do, You do). This involves gradually shifting responsibility for completing a problem from the teacher to the students during guided instruction. When I do this, I always have the students look at me during the I do portion of the lesson and I model a Think Aloud (modeling my thought process) while solving the problem. Then for the We do portion, I pretend like I suddenly caught a case of amnesia and need the students to help me through. Finally, during the You do portion, students either work individually or collaboratively to solve the problem. This will allow me to move around, listen to conversations or view work, and formatively assess which students understand and which students may need additional assistance. 

Check out the 15 second preview and pictures below and/or continue reading about the Atomic Structure for Interactive Notebooks here. 

If you're interested in more interactive notebook items for the chemistry or physical science classroom, please click here.

I appreciate you taking time out of your day to stop by my blog. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or want to share ideas. Have an excellent school year! :)

-Bond with James-

Amazing Water Trick

Short, Beautiful Chemistry Videos

5 Precipitation Reactions at various speeds.

This video shows the color change of purple cabbage and a flower named Teornia fournieri in sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid solutions.

The displacement of metals at various speeds.


Credit: Institute of Advanced Technology, University of Science and Technology of China (BeautifulChemistry.net)

Dimensional Analysis: Start with what the students know

Want your students, especially those that struggle in math, to be successful in dimensional analysis all year long? In that case, I highly recommend that chemistry teachers start off using units that are relevant to students, as well as incorporating dimensional analysis on a continual basis (more on the latter later). When I first started teaching chemistry I began the dimensional analysis (DA) unit with metric problems. The challenge here in the USA is that we don't use the metric system like other countries do and so not only was I facing a battle teaching DA, I was also battling student knowledge concerning the metric system. I was frustrated. The students were frustrated. It was a lose-lose situation. 

I decided to change my approach my second year of teaching based on what I believed most, if not all, students would be familiar with - money. My students were grouped in fours and each group received a bag of coins...yes, actual coins and I always received the exact amount back. 

Of course this could be done with fake money or without it as well; however, I wanted my students interacting with objects and discussing - so decide fake or real $$$ if you wish to do this. I would start off by asking the students to make me a dollar out of each set of coins. They all knew how to do this (100 pennies, 20 nickels, 10 dimes, 4 quarters).

I would then choose a set of coins (for example, quarters and dimes or nickels and pennies) and ask the students to discuss in their groups for approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute if these measured the same quantity. Group answers were always yes.  Then I would ask students to try to write a mathematical relationship to show this. 

Most groups would write 4 quarters = 10 dimes or 20 nickels = 100 pennies. I would then write the equality as a fraction on the board (both ways as shown in the two graphics above) and ask the students to discuss in their groups for approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute if both fractions were the same. As I walked around I would hear some groups agreeing and others disagreeing. I would then pull the class back and use Popsicle sticks to call random students to share (either they could share what they believed or if they were not confident in their response they could share what their group discussed). After a few student responses, I would talk about conversion factors and equalities (still using the illustrations shown above). I would ask students to write a conversion factor for $1 using dimes and nickels just to ensure they were understanding and following along. 

Next, I would move to another topic students were familiar with - time. I don't know about you, but students are always asking for the time or when class is over or when something is beginning; it's probably the reason I didn't have a classroom clock. Anyway, to see if students understood the money concept, I would ask them to write a conversion factor for 1 hour and 60 minutes (shown below). 

Other years I've written the conversion factors on the board and asked if the fractions were the same. I would challenge groups to come up with as many time conversion factors as possible within a 1-2 minute period (examples:  24 hours = 1 day;  365 days = 1 year;  10 years = 1 decade). After this, I would move into the heart of dimensional analysis (DA). My main focus was ensuring that students understood and could show the steps of the process. Even if they calculated the answer incorrectly but set up the problem correctly that was okay (at least for now as that was a technical issue). 

I had a magnetic white board and printed out colored pieces similar to the illustration above and used magnetic tape (you can use different colored paper versus color ink). I would then tell the students: Criss-cross apple sauce. At this point I would get laughed at and also felt a little silly no matter how many times I had said this in the past; however, it was an instructional tool I used throughout the lesson. I would mention criss-cross apple sauce and ask students to look at the magnetic pieces on the board (shown above).  Of course, I purposely mixed some of the units around to show students the idea of canceling units that were similar in the numerator and denominator as it does not matter mathematically where they are at in the problem. However, if you think that might confuse them, then put the units in order from given to unit wanted. 

At this stage of the game I would incorporate the Gradual Release model (I do, We do, You do) and work a few problems making sure I said Criss-cross apple sauce as often as possible while working problems. I should note that I had large student white boards and each student practiced on them during this part of instruction. Additionally, for each problem, I would give students the conversion factors (example shown above) and stress that they could only use a conversion factor once and to cross it out when they did. I would stress this because sometimes students would use the same conversion factor twice in the problem (written in both forms - see examples at top for reference). Some teachers might be against this, however, my goal is to build comprehension and capacity for solving these problems. In the beginning I want students to show me they understand the concept/skill of dimensional analysis, not whether they can memorize a bunch of conversion factors - at least that is not the standard here in Texas and probably not the standard in many places.

Last but not least, is how I grade student work. As we practice (during instruction or a warm-up), I go over the points system and show students how they earn points per problem. This problem is worth six points: 1pt. per conversion factor step, 1pt. for the correct answer, 1pt. for the answer written with the correct number of significant figures, and 1pt. for the unit. By the time students take a quiz or test they realize the importance of showing their work and it usually is not a hassle. 

I continually incorporate DA warm-ups and tricks throughout the fall semester so students have had plenty of practice by the time stoichiometry comes around.  I like to be evil during labs and tell students to weigh out a unit of a substance not in grams (for example 50mg of sucrose) and quietly laugh as students go back and start weighing. Some groups will realize right away that the balances only measure in grams, while others will not; but it's a great way to incorporate DA throughout the school year.  :p

Whew! That was a lot. I hope this helps. I would be remiss if I didn't highlight a few of my products geared toward this topic.  The first one is a Dimensional Analysis: Time Conversions Cut & Paste activity for the Interactive Notebook.  The other is a bundle of items for a measurement unit - Numbers in Science for the Chemistry Interactive Notebook and has a metric cut & paste activity, as well as dimensional analysis notes and problems. Check out the reviews and if you have any questions, feel free to comment here or leave a message at Bond with James: Q&A (click on the tab)

Bins, bins, bins!

Group bins (or totes) have been a life saver over the course of my career as an educator. Not only do the bins keep me organized, it makes it so much easier for students to access materials. Additionally, I've used this same technique for professional development sessions across my district and at conferences.

One thing that I've done to make it easier to transport a large number of bins is to purchase a larger tote to place the smaller versions into.  I'm sure there is a large tote with an expanding handle and wheels similar to luggage, however, I didn't spend too much time looking for that version. 

I place the same items in all the bins (although these need to be updated this school year):

• 1 box of Crayola markers 
• 1 box of Expo markers (for whiteboard activities)
• 2-4 Sharpies 
• 2-4 boxes of Crayons 
• 4 Glue sticks 
• 4 Tape dispensers
• 4 Post-It pads (two 3"x3" pads, two 5"x8" pads)
• 4 Scissors (I just completed a staff development and used adult scissors. I use kid scissors when working with students). 
• I'm thinking about adding color pencils.

Each group gets a bin and all four students have access to the materials.

This is a classroom I recently conducted a professional development session in. However, the setup would be identical to my classroom (although, I had lab tables). The only time students really need to get up is to sharpen their pencils or throw away trash; or if we are moving based on an instructional activity. However, I purchased cheap bins from the dollar store and placed one at each group table to make trash disposal easier. Boxes and the group area were checked for cleanliness as a dismissal method (to save me from cleaning the boxes and the janitors from having to sweep all the trash off the floor). Additionally, I had two electronic sharpeners on both sides of my room to make sharpening pencils readily accessible for students. 

If you use interactive notebooks in your class then I recommend a system similar to what I have shared here. Your life (and the lives of your students) will be so much easier as they will have all the materials at their disposal versus a bunch of students getting up to grab random materials.

I purchased the bins online at Office Depot as my district receives a discount. Check with your campus and/or district to see if they receive discounts at office supply stores. Here is the product info in case you're curious:

• Really Useful Boxes® Plastic Storage Box, 64 Liters, 12 1/4"H x 17 5/16"W x 28"D, Clear​   Item # 787653    
• Really Useful Boxes® Plastic Storage Box, 4 Liters, 3 1/4"H x 10 1/4"W x 14  1/2"D, Blue Item # 546858  ​

I believe there are 4 liter transparent boxes. You could even organize the boxes by coloring or placing some other different identifier on each box. I just numbered the materials inside the box to correspond with the number written on the outside. Be as creative as you wish. :)

Classroom Organization Tip

I used to do a lot of group activities in my classroom (2-4 students per group). I had 8 student groups in my old classroom and this meant creating 8 sets of a single activity (or sometimes 16 sets if I wanted a group of four to split into pairs).  I didn't mind creating all the sets because the management of smaller groups was easier than working with a large group. However, at the end of the school day, no matter how hard I worked to get the students to keep their sets separated, there was always a set or two with extra cards. I would waste precious nap (or grading) time going through all the sets. I realized I needed a method to quickly identify mixed sets.

What I am sharing with you is cheap and easy. There are multiple ways you can tag your sets to quickly identify them. Keep in mind that you should tag your cards with an identifier prior to lamination (if you like to laminate). This will ensure that the identifier is sealed...well, of course, if students don't tear the lamination off. 

I used the circular stickers for this tutorial. You can find them at most office supply stores or even your local grocery store.  

For each set, place a sticker (or use a marker to draw shapes or lines) on the back of each card. Do this prior to lamination. Below you can see that I placed 4 pink stickers on the back of each card of one of the sets. Additionally, I am also showing how you could use a marker to scribble, color, or draw on the back of each card instead (especially if you don't want to spend money on buying stickers). 

Remember, you will need to use a different color sticker or other identifier (e.g. marker) per set. Laminate once you have placed different identifiers on each set. 

The picture below shows that I have 8 sets (of the same activity) - all with a different identifier. Note: I just used one card from each set to show this in the picture.

Finally, place each set of cards in a baggie or container. I prefer to use Ziploc baggies because they  are cheap and last a long time. Additionally, you can stuff a bunch of card activities into a drawer or closet.  If using stickers, I also recommend placing a matching sticker on the bag. This will help students catch cards that don't belong to a set (especially if you ask students to conduct a quick check prior to return). For example, only cards labeled with a blue sticker should be placed into the blue baggie and so forth. Of course, you could buy colored baggies to be even more organized; however, this should work if you're on a budget. 

         

I hope this helps keep your cards/activities a bit more organized. This tip will come in handy if you utilize task cards in your classroom.