Can I just say how much I LOVE Interactive Science Notebooks?!? Like, my love for them is really extreme and maybe slightly worrisome to those who don’t yet understand…

So, for those sitting on the fence on whether or not you want to include an interactive science notebook in your class this year, I present to you the:

TOP FIVE REASONS You Should Be Using an Interactive Science Notebook!

REASON #1- Interactive Notebooks are WHERE IT’S AT!!!

Literally, they are where it is ALL at, as in- EVERYTHING is in ONE PLACE. No looking for those notes they took, or the handout you gave them, or the foldable graphic organizer they made...They are ALL in the notebook! Everything we do in class- in the notebook. There is a table of contents to make it easy to find anything you need. It is all organized in one place. I even add pockets to our notebooks and give students miniature sized anchor charts to keep in their notebook to refer to as needed.

I am a HUGE fan of Composition Books as Interactive Notebooks, because they are nearly impossible to rip paper out of- which means nothing gets “accidentally” lost because it ripped out (unlike a binder or spiral). I often use one composition notebook for each semester and then super glue the back cover of our first notebook to the front cover of the second notebook to create a GIANT interactive notebook.

REASON #2- Interactive Notebooks Give Students OWNERSHIP

Students decorate the covers of their notebooks to personalize them. The first few pages of the notebook are individual learning goals, and then a table of contents followed by beautiful student work- their notes, their labs, their reflections everything that they do in class. It is an artifact of their organized thought. A place that they can SEE their growth throughout the year. Seeing how they have changed and improved is a POWERFUL TOOL for motivation.

REASON #3- Interactive Notebooks are INTERACTIVE

Students do not want to sit and get at school, and especially not in science. Science is supposed to be HANDS-ON & ENGAGING!!! Interactive notebooks allow students to record their observations and reflections in a more engaging way. Graphic organizers, foldable notes, card sorts, and circuit activities all allow students to engage more than just their brains- they get to manipulate materials, physically move, and connect learning with that movement- which improves retention!

REASON #4- Interactive Notebooks MAKE STUDYING A BREEZE

Need to prep for that test coming up? Students look at the table of contents and figure out what will be covered. Find the Key Concepts and then flip to those pages. The foldable notes, and graphic organizers provide a great study tool, as students can use them to quiz themselves. Test Reviews can be completed using the notebook to further prepare students.

REASON #5: Interactive Science Notebooks become a PERSONAL TEXTBOOK

As students complete their interactive notebooks, the notebook becomes more important than an issued textbook, because it not only houses the information that they have learned, but the reflections and AHA moments they have had. It becomes a record of evidence of learning. Many of my students have contacted me well into high school to tell me how their interactive notebooks helped them through Biology or Chemistry. The building blocks were all there for them to look back over and review before getting into more complex concepts.

I know I said FIVE REASONS- but here is a BONUS REASON: Interactive notebooks MAKE GRADING EASIER.

Instead of having hundreds of loose pages to take home in stacks to grade, I would have my classes turn in their notebooks on a certain day each week. So first & second periods turned theirs in on Mondays, etc. I would use my conference period to grade most of their work, and then take home any notebooks I hadn’t gotten to. No worrying about pages going missing, or who the work belonged to…. Organization made it a snap! I would give completion grades for foldable notes, graphic organizers, etc., then carefully grade work evidence/reflections/reviews. In my own interactive notebook (which I used to model as I taught) I would put notes on sticky tabs of which students needed extra help in certain areas as I graded. I could then pull those students for a quick reteach or tutorial (If you choose to use sticky notes to do this, just be sure to remove the notes if you will be projecting your notebook for your classes. I used these as temporary place holders while grading, but always removed them before class the next day).

So, there you have it! SIX Awesome reasons to utilize interactive science notebooks in your classroom this year! To get you started, here is a FREE Interactive Notebook Pocket! It is perfect for keeping formula charts/anchor charts all in one place!

You can also check out these premade anchor/formula interactive science notebook charts that are ready to use in your classes!