Interactive Notebook – 4 Freebies for Any INB

Do you use an interactive notebook in your class? You’ve come to the right place! I did it for the first time this year, using a Greek and Latin roots interactive notebook to build vocabulary. It was so effective and the kids loved it! Here are some freebies I found or made along the way.

1. An Interactive Notebook Rubric

I use this rubric with my Greek and Latin roots interactive notebook. Students cut it out and attach it to the inside back cover of their notebooks, opposite their notebook pocket. It’s in Microsoft Word format so you can edit it to suit your needs.

Of course, just because there’s a rubric doesn’t mean you have to meticulously grade every notebook each grading term. I don’t. It would take too long! But it doesn’t take long at all to flip through a notebook and get a sense of the quality and completeness. I don’t fill the rubric out each time. Rather, I use it as a justification for the grade I enter in the grade book. Then, I fill it out completely at the end of the semester.

Some teachers don’t grade interactive notebooks at all. I have tried this before with some success. But inevitably, students catch on and parents want to see grades. A single grade in the grade book every six weeks does the trick.

Another grading trick I use to keep kids on task and manage my workload: tell them early on that I will grade the INB at any time during the grading term. Sometimes I grade it after two weeks, sometimes after four weeks. I started doing surprise grading last year when some students were not keeping up in class but then would copy notes at the last minute from their classmates.

2. A Notebook Pocket

This happens all the time in my classes: we’re 30 minutes into the INB project when the phone rings. It’s the main office. They need to see Sally Student right away. So what is Sally supposed to do with all those INB parts she colored and cut so carefully?

Enter the notebook pocket! No interactive notebook is complete without one! It gives students a place to put paper parts they need but haven’t had time to glue.

I use these super-simple one-page instructions every time. Three steps!

3. Table of Contents for any Interactive Notebook

Every INB needs a table of contents. It keeps the notebook organized and lets students see their progress at a glance! This one has 50 spaces, so two of them is perfect for a 100 page notebook. Don’t forget to reserve the last couple pages of the notebook for a notebook pocket.

4. Editable Tabs for Any Interactive Notebook

Looking for some editable interactive notebook tabs? This freebie has side tabs and top tabs that you can edit in PowerPoint. Side tabs are nice for the obvious reason that you can fit more of them – five as opposed to four. Top tabs seem to get beat up less going in and out of backpacks and desks. You can even change the font to one of your favorites. There are instructions on how to do it included in the free download.