Mrs. Rosensteel’s students are now required to create and maintain an Interactive Notebook. The instructional purpose for this is to have students "interact" with concepts and skills learned in class.  

Below are some FAQ's that should help parents and students become more familiar with "The Notebook" that will be used in class.

Exactly what is an "Interactive Notebook"? 

• The Interactive Notebook is an instructional tool that requires students to "interact" with content in meaningful ways.  As students learn new concepts, they use several types of writing and graphic techniques to record and process new information.  Students use their notebooks to record any class activity aka INPUT assignment (in-class notes, reading notes, handouts or any other "teacher input").  Then, students are required to review new concepts from class by interacting with the content.  This student input is added to the notebook through a OUTPUT assignment.
• An OUTPUT Assignment is designed and created by the student.  Usually, a specific type of OUTPUT assignment is not given by Mrs. Rosensteel.  That means, students have free range to create and design whatever OUTPUT assignment they choose.
• The Notebook is kept through the entire year and should include no other subjects.

Why is Mrs. Rosensteel using this tool in her classroom?

• Students can show what they have learned through the best way that they learn.  In other words, it allows students to use both their visual and linguistic intelligences.  Students are encouraged to draw and to find images that link to content learned in class.  They are free to apply concepts, develop a deeper understanding, and to see connections in the best way they learn.  This could be visually, using graphic organizers, or processing a topic learned in class by connecting it to a current event article.  Students can do anything from creating an acrostic about Israel, to illustrating a political cartoon that shows the wealth distribution of the castes of India. The possibilities are endless!
• Note taking becomes an active process.  In my experience, students "take notes" in class but never make any connections to those notes, do not understand what they just wrote down and usually never look at them again until the night before a test or quiz. Using the interactive notebook, students take their notes initially, then are required to revisit them that same day to "process" the information.  In this way, students are learning about history in an engaging way.  Students use critical thinking and analytical skills to organize information and ponder historical questions.

• Notebooks help students to organize as they learn.  Students are encouraged to use a variety or organizational techniques with their notes.  These include topic headings, highlighting, different writing styles to analyze historical concepts and make sense of what they learn.  The set-up of the notebooks allows assignments to be kept together in a regular place and in a logical order.
• Notebooks become a portfolio on individual learning.  These personal, creative notebooks become a cumulative record of each student's growth.  Throughout the year, Mrs. Rosensteel, students, and parents can review a student's progress in writing, illustrating, recording, thinking and organizational skills.

What are Mrs. Rosensteel’s general expectations for student use of the notebook?

The Interactive Notebook is a critical component of my classroom.  Students are required to bring their notebook to class every day!

• The basic set up of the notebook is "The Entry".  Every lesson is considered an entry.  Every entry consists of Teacher Input and Student Output.  The Student Output = the Processing Assignment. 
• Each entry must contain the following
  • Date
  • Essential Question
  • Teacher Input (notes, graphic organizers, questions, etc.) Right Side of notebook
  • Student Output  Left Side of notebook
  • Page #
• Each assignment and entry must have a heading or title that will correspond to what you have in your Table of Contents.
• Usually, but not always, individual Output Assignments will not be checked or graded daily, but will fall under the larger Notebook Evaluation that will occur randomly.  Therefore students are strongly encouraged to keep up with their Processing Assignments daily so they do not fall behind and will not be penalized during a surprise notebook check.
• Sometimes class time will be given to work on a Processing Assignment.  Students are to take advantage of this time, as it will not come often.

What should I do if my notebook is misplaced or lost?

First of all.......I feel really sorry for you!  Here are some suggestions to help you slow your heartbeat down after realizing you have lost your notebook:

• Get a new notebook IMMEDIATELY!  (Not to make you panic again!)
• Set up your notebook as you did your original.
• Get all handouts that you lost from the current Unit and get them into your notebook pronto!
• Make up all processing assignments for the entries that are now gone!

This may seem like a lot, but you need to have your work for your next notebook evaluation.

BOTTOM LINE... DO NOT LOSE YOUR NOTEBOOK!

I'm spending too much time working on my notebook.  Why?

• In most cases, you should take advantage of instructional time in class, resource, or study halls. Continually maintain your notebook.  Otherwise, once you anticipate a notebook evaluation in the next few days you aren't rushed to update all the assignments you did not do when each was assigned.