Science

Notebook

Guidelines

Interactive Notebook Guidelines

The purpose of the interactive notebook is to:

Involve students in “making sense” of their notes visually.

Develop student nonfiction reading and note-taking skills.

Teach students “approaches to learning” that will prepare them for success in school!

Materials Needed: Composition Notebook (for Science only!)

Pencil Glue

Colored Pencils/Crayons/Markers

Highlighters (four different colors are recommended)

Notebook Organization

LEFT IS FOR LEARNING

Teacher Guides

Information

RIGHT IS FOR REFLECTION

Students Process

Information

The left side is teacher

guided – it contains “testable” information

Notes

Handouts

Book Assignments

The right side helps you

make sense of the left-side information

These assignments will help you deepen your

understanding of the left-

side information.

Tips for IAN Success

Bring your notebook to class every day!

Label and date everything in your notebook.

Assignments must be completed on the correct page.

Use color - the notebook is a visual study tool! Color should be meaningful, helping to organize and

illustrate your notes.

If you are absent from class, please check to see what

you have missed! You are still responsible for the work.

Use pencil to write all text and initial sketches.

This allows you to erase mistakes. Do not use pen or colored pencils to write text or for initial sketches.

Use caution when using markers to color. Markers bleed through the paper.

Directions for Notebook Assignments

RCC NB

Review, Complete, and Correct Notebook

Students work at different rates, and although the majority of notebook assignments will be

completed in class, not every child will finish within the allotted time. This assignment provides

“catch-up” time for those who need it and “review” time for those whose notebooks are

complete and correct.

1. Re-read your notes for the section we are working on in class, paying close attention to your side notes and highlighted phrases.

2. If you did not finish an assignment in class, complete it. Refer to your instructions as necessary.

3. If there is an assignment from the previous week that is missing, incomplete or incorrect

please use this time to complete or correct it.

PREVIEW STRATEGIES

Unit Title Pages

The first page of each new unit should be labeled and illustrated.

Have a clear, legible title. Include four pictures from the chapter or other

resource material that you think are important. Write a caption for each picture to explain what

the pictures depict (show). Follow this format Be colorful, attractive, and meaningful. 10 lines down

Title of Unit Here 5 lines down

Color-Coded Highlighting

1. Highlight each “Big Idea” question at the

beginning of your notes a different color. If there are three questions, you should use three different colors.

2. Read the text, paying special attention to finding

the answers of the Big Idea questions. 3. Highlight the answer to the first question using

the same color you used to highlight the question itself.

4. Repeat this process with the remaining questions

and answers.

Fill in the Blank Notes

1. The student will be given the notes to glue into

their notebook. 2. The notes will have key words missing that will

be filled in either through reading the text or directly through a PowerPoint lecture. Students are expected to make sure during the lecture or

review that the blanks are filled in correctly.

NOTE TAKING STRATEGIES

You will be asked to take notes throughout the rest of your school career. This year you will master three different types of note-taking using nonfiction text.

Concept Map (Web) This is a note taking strategy. Write the main idea in the center, and take notes on topics connected to the main idea. Set your purpose for reading. The teacher will either provide you with the main ideas or you can use the subheadings from the text. For each topic connected to the main idea: 1. Include three supporting details 2. Include one illustration for each topic 3. Color the bubbles containing the topic and the details

that go with it the same color. Color should help organize

your notes.

Venn Diagram These overlapping circles are used to compare (tell what is the same) and contrast (tell what is different) between two things. Venn diagrams should: 1. Have circles labeled appropriately

2. Should compare point to point

3. Have a minimum of five unique facts per circle

and three shared facts in the center. 4. Circles should be colored lightly, with the

blended color in the middle

5. Include one illustration for each topic.

Illustrated Outline This is another strategy for taking notes and visualizing while you read. 1. Set your purpose for reading. The teacher will either

provide you with the main ideas or you can use the subheadings from the text.

2. Turn your notebook sideways. Starting at the margin, separate the page into columns based on the number of main ideas.

3. Write a main idea (topic) at the top of each column, on the margin line.

4. Take at least three bulleted notes under each main idea. 5. When you’ve finished taking notes on the reading, review

the main ideas and draw one picture for each section. Color the pictures.

6. Color each column a different color to visually organize your information.

Topics Here

Notes Here

Pictures Here

VOCABULARY STRATEGIES

V3 – Verbal Visual Vocabulary!

VOCABULARY WORD DEFINITION

SENTENCE PICTURE

Example:

Science

Process used to understand the world around us

Science is a process of discovery that helps us learn new things about the world.

Reminders: The sentence and colored picture should be

something that will help you remember the meaning of the word.

Color should be used to organize information.

Q-Notes (Question Notes)

1. Write the title and page numbers of the reading

2. Divide your paper into columns and label them QUESTION AND ANSWER.

3. Turn each heading or subheading into a question to

be answered. (EXAMPLE: “Ecosystems” would become “What is an ecosystem?”

4. Write the question in the QUESTION column. 5. Read the information in the section, and take at least

three bulleted notes to answer the question. (HINT –

If you can’t take three bulleted notes, you probably need to re-think your question.)

6. Write these notes in the ANSWER column, beside the question.

Move on to the next section and repeat to the end.

Components of an Ecosystem

Question Answer

Posters

Posters are a summary of your understanding of why

people, places, events, or things were important.

Hero or Wanted Poster (People)

Places, Events, or Things

Include appropriate title

Include picture and name

Write a one sentence summary of why the person was considered good or bad.

List at least three specific details to support your summary of why this person was a hero or a bad guy

Include a title for your poster in bold, colorful letters.

Include at least one appropriate illustration

List at least three important reasons people would want to go to the place, want to own the item, or go to the event.

Storyboards A storyboard is an illustrated summary. 1. Read about the process, event, or person in your notes.

2. Highlight the 8 most important things that happened in

the process, event, or person’s life. 3. Turn the notebook sideways. Title the storyboard on the

margin line. 4. Separate the remainder of the page into eight panels, like

this:

Title Goes Here

5. At the bottom of each box, write your caption. Your

caption must be at least one complete sentence and explain what is going on in your illustration.

6. Above or below the caption, draw your illustration. This should be appropriate, meaningful, and colored.

7. When you have finished, your storyboard should be a meaningful summary of the process, event, or person’s life we have studied.

POETRY

Poetry in science is designed to give you a different way to think about a topic and to act as a summary of your knowledge. Poetry Helpful Hints 1. Your poem should demonstrate your understanding of the concept.

2. Avoid words that don’t give specific information like “nice”, “happy”,

or “caring”. 3. Each sentence/phrase should be carefully chosen and must relate

specifically to the subject of the poem. 4. Your illustration and color should enhance the meaning of your

poem. Don’t use random stripes of color.

Acrostic Poems

Write the name of the person or the concept to be defined vertically, like this: N C E A O V M N E E C N

E T P

T Write a short phrase or sentence about the subject for each letter of its title. No “one word wonders”. See “Poetry Helpful Hints”, above. The phrases used should capture the main ideas of the text on the left-

hand page.

Haiku

A haiku captures the essence of an idea, concept, or

emotion. It does not have to rhyme. Line 1: phrase contains five syllables Line 2: phrase contains seven syllables Line 3: phrase contains five syllables

Limericks

The limerick is a poem constructed of five lines with an

AABBA rhyme scheme. It tells a humorous story. The

syllables have the following patterns: Line 1 (7-9 syllables): A (da da DUM da da DUM da da DUM) Line 2 (7-9 syllables):A (da da DUM da da DUM da da DUM) Line 3 (5-7 syllables): B (da da DUM da da DUM) Line 4 (5-7 syllables): B (da da DUM da da DUM) Line 5 (7-9 syllables): A (da da DUM da da DUM da da DUM)

Example: There was an Old Man with a beard,

Who said, "It is just as I feared! Two Owls and a Hen,

Four Larks and a Wren,

Have all built their nests in my beard!

Diamante Poem

A diamante poem is used to compare and contrast. It should be written in the shape of a diamond. See “Poetry Helpful Hints”. Line 1: Topic 1 Line 2: Two words to describe Topic 1 Line 3: Three action words (-ing) about Topic 1 Line 4: A four or five word phrase describing

both topics – what they have in common (A complete thought but not necessarily a complete sentence.)

Line 5: Three action words (-ing) about Topic 2 Line 6: Two words to describe Topic 2 Line 7: Topic 2

SCIENCE - CONTACT PAGE

The interactive notebook is the major tool for success in science class this year. Students will be working in their Interactive Notebooks (IANs) daily and will need to keep up with all assignments. The IANs will serve as a major part of the student’s success in science and will act as a study guide, and portfolio of their work. IANs will stay in the class on a daily basis and will go home as needed (to study or to request a parent signature). I have read and understand the above statement as it relates to the expectations regarding the Interactive Science Notebooks. ________________________ _____________ Student Signature Date

________________________ _____________ Parent Signature Date

Parents, please give me at least two numbers and an email address where I can contact you during the day. Thank you!

Try this number first:_____________________________________ The next best is: ________________________________________ My e-mail address:_______________________________________