Left Hand Page Activities for an Interactive Notebook

Picture It

• Students use the information given to them by the teacher and what they have recorded on the right side of their notebook to make drawings or cartoons to interpret the information. For instance, in a science class studying the composition of atoms, the right side shows how an atom is made. The explanation includes the placement of protons, neutrons and electrons. The left side of the notebook is where the student's interpretation of this data is recorded. They draw an atom of their choice using the information from they listed on the right side to properly label the parts of the atom. In an United States history class, the right side contains the student's notes derived from the teacher or textbook on why the colonists were rebelling against British rule. The left side contains the pupil's interpretation of the action of the colonists with a drawing of the American residents throwing tea into Boston Harbor.

Diagram It

• Make a diagram, flow chart or cause and effect "T" chart to show understanding of the concepts introduced by the teacher and documented on the right side of the notebook. For instance, in a seventh-grade social studies class the students make a flow chart showing the sequence of events leading to the fall of the Roman Empire. Another example of a diagram is a "T" chart showing the cause and effect of battles from the Civil War. If the students can take the information given to them and then assemble it into a diagram, they will be able to more readily retain that information.

Question It

• Grasping new concepts spurs more questions for the active learner. The students write down their questions on the left side of their interactive notebook. Questioning is a strategy of comprehension. When the student records their questions on the left hand side it will help them understand what they have been exposed to from class, as listed on the right side.

Be Creative with It

• Writing a song, poem or mnemonic device about the knowledge learned in class and documented on the right side will help the students reflect and absorb the information. To learn the order of the original 13 colonies, for example, the students could write a creative piece to help them master the order.