School Tool Box: Using the Interactive Student Notebook (title and unit pages)

This is the first of a two day lesson.

Before class starts, have your copy of the Interactive Student Notebook prepared to show as an example.  Use the photos attached in the resource section to guide making your notebook.  

When students enter the room, have the Smartboard presentation open to the tool box picture. Begin class by asking the students if they know what the picture is and what it's for.  Continue the conversation asking students if they can think of any toolboxes we use at school.  Accept all student responses and then show the students your copy of the Interactive Student Notebook and tell them that this a tool we're going to use this year.

Before this lesson, it is helpful to have students' names labeled.  

Hand out the students' notebooks and explain that this is their (insert subject) toolbox. Explain that this notebook will hold all their learning and all the answers to all the tests and quizzes for the year.  It will be their place to show their learning and express their creativity. It will also be a way to share their learning with their parents.  (Smartboard- slide 2)

Instruct them to open to the first page.  The first page is the title page.  Review with the students what a title page is in general.  (Smartboard- slide 3) Instruct the students to write the subject nice and big in the middle of the first page.  Below the subject have the students write their own name and below that have students write the school year. Refer to the resource photo as a guide.

The students will then open to the first two page spread.  It is now time to make the unit page. The unit page is a right side activity so the left side will be intentionally blank.  Refer to the photo in this section for the way to make the title page.

Break the drawing down into pieces to make it easier for students- making the middle lines to form the box and then the large V on top and the "mountain" on the bottom.   

Allow students to flip through the section you're going to begin so students "preview" what they're going to learn about during the unit.  Students should draw one picture in each triangle space (6 total pictures) about what they think the class will be learning about.  Alllow time for coloring and designing.

After students are done with the unit page, allow them to draw and color images that represent them on the title page.