Interactive Notebooks (I.N.B) in Grade 8: Front Matter & Rational Numbers
Last year I used Interactive Notebooks with my Grade 8-10 Math classes with some success. My Grade 8 and 9 students used them the most but my implementation lacked direction and I don’t feel my students got as much out of them as they should have. I still taught my lessons regularly and then we would do an Interactive Notebook entry at the end of that topic as a type of review activity. So, while useful, I wasn’t using them to my full potential and my students could pick up on that,
This year I was much more prepared and had class sets of notebooks for all student ordered before summer break even started! While I found lots of great ideas through basic Google searches and Pinterest, I spent the majority of my time scrolling through the great resources offered by Jennifer at 4mula Fun! Here is what I recommend:
– Introductory I.N.B Blog Post
– Webinar Video Page (Over 2 hrs of video explanations!)
– The 4mula Fun Teachers-Pay-Teachers store
(I bought the Flippable Template Pack & use it all the time)
Since I found Jennifer’s sharing so helpful and starting my journey, I wanted to return to the favour and share some things that I’m doing too (who knows, maybe someone will find it helpful!). All of the pictures come from my copy of our Grade 8 Math Interactive Notebook which is kept at the front of our classroom at all times for students to reference if they are absent.
What I like about Interactive Notebooks:
– All students have standardized notes (I know everyone has the
same information)
– I can easily say, “Check page ___” when students ask a quick
question
– All of their notes are in one place, easy to find, and don’t get lost
in their binder
– The foldable aspect provides an activity for kinaesthetic learners
– Students have to focus more on the information when making sure
they are putting it in the right spot
– I have easy formative assessment products through the output
activities
– Students have built-in flashcards from the foldables for when
they study
– They headings and organization helps teach note-taking &
study skills
We follow the Input-Output rule where, if you open up your I.N.B, the left-hand side is the Input page (meaning the information comes from the teacher) and the right-hand side is the Output page. The input side is what essentially replaces the traditional notes that we would have normally taken. The output side is a short activity or reflection piece that is completed independently by each student. It is completed anywhere from 1-5 days after and is used as a formative assessment tool for me to gauge where the student’s understanding is. Here is a copy of the anchor chart I made for our room explaining this system.
At the start of the year I had student’s create their own “S.M.A.R.T” Math Goals.
Now that we are in our second term, students have filled in a second goal on page 6 as well.
– Definition of an Integer
– Adding with Positive Integers
– Adding with Negative Integers
– Subtracting Integers
– Multiplying Integers
– Dividing Integers
– Examples of Each Operation
Working with Integers (output)
– Equation Practice & Reflection
– 2 Step Explanations
– Examples
Equations with Repeating Decimals (output)
– 3 Equation Practice Questions
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Whew! Are you picture-overloaded yet?