Interactive Notebook Labels

Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Do you use Interactive Notebooks? I have always LOVED using them in my classroom so I am busy preparing my labels for my students notebooks.  I usually have 4 solid notebooks going in my classroom for my students to use.  They are wonderful tools for giving the students a reference throughout the year and also serve as a great record for student learning.  I TRY to follow one GOLDEN rule when using interactive notebooks.  That is to have the students make an entry at least ONCE a week.  The 3 notebooks that I use are for #1)SCIENCE, #2)MATH, and #3)READING RESPONSE and finally this year I am also dedicating an entire notebook to MAKING INFERENCES.  And I am here to share the labels that I have made with you so that you can prepare yours for this year...
SCIENCE INTERACTIVE NOTEBOOK
For Science, I have my students take their notebooks to the lab EVERY week so that we can record the scientific method, etc.. into their notebooks.  The students LOVE making weekly entries into their notebooks AND they TRULY stay organized.  I like to pop supplemental materials to the curriculum like those I have made here (MIXTURES AND SOLUTIONS) to bulk up the students knowledge and to provide fun and creative ways for recording data, etc....
READING RESPONSE INTERACTIVE NOTEBOOK
I love having students keep track of what they are reading using different weekly skills that they focus on with my READING RESPONSE NOTEBOOK.  Students glue the focus skill into their notebook and then they practice that skill with ANY TEXT the class is working on at that time.  This notebook has been extremely helpful when it comes to conferences, grading, portfolios, early finishers, you name it...
MAKING INFERENCES INTERACTIVE NOTEBOOK
This year I am SO EXCITED about my first ever Making Inferences Interactive Notebooks.  Students will walk in every day with a different picture displayed, practice writing facts/inferences and then have some sort of a follow up activity (paragraph writing, interpreting informational text, writing simple/compound/complex sentences) to STRENGTHEN their inference skills more than ever. This is SUCH a hard skill for students at all levels and GOOD readers NEED this skill.  If you would like to take a look at this click on MAKING INFERENCES OF THE WEEK

 MATH INTERACTIVE NOTEBOOK
This is the MOST important notebook of them all! There are SO many different skills that students need to remember in math, this notebook is a MUST! Something I have created for students at ALL different levels is a differentiated interactive notebook so that a teacher could access strategies for a student that may not be on grade level and possibly needs to back-track a bit.  This Math Interactive Notebook has materials for students that are working at 2nd-5th grade levels.  Check this bundle out by clicking on MATH INTERACTIVE NOTEBOOK....

Please test these out on your Avery 5164 labels (31/3x4in) BEFORE printing them out to make sure they align up correctly!  You can also just print them out on paper and have the students cut/glue them onto their notebooks.  Either way works well! Hopefully these work for you....and hopefully they will ease your load a bit in the beginning of the year...IF that is even possible!

ALL ABOUT MAKING INFERENCES!

Saturday, July 18, 2015
I am just beyond excited about something new I have been working on for my students this year! Good readers make inferences when reading, however I always feel like the students really struggle with it.  It is just NOT AN EASY SKILL!
All of the following standards require students to make SOME sort of inferences!

CCSS.ELA-Literacy. RL.5.1
Students here need to quote accurately from the text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.2
Students need to determine the theme of  story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.3
Students compare two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (especially how characters interact)

So, to teach the skills above, I like for the students to have a CLEAR understanding of what inferences are, especially so we can use academic language during discussions on making inferences.   I came up with a list of different ways you can explain making inferences to your students....Here is what I came up with!

#1) Putting Two and Two Together
#2) Using Clues to Figure Out Text
#3) Using our Schema or Background Knowledge
#4) Using Evidence to Support our Thinking
#4) Understanding the Characters Intentions
#5) Figuring Out the Author's Message
#6) Interpreting How a Character is Feeling
#7) Forming a Conclusion Based on Evidence AND Reasoning
#8) An Educated Guess
#9) Speculation about Something
#10) An Assumption
#11) Reading Between the Lines
#12) Logical Judgement based on Evidence
#13) Information that is Implied or NOT Directly Stated
#14) Putting the Pieces of the Puzzle Together
#15) Something the Text Suggests

Pin the image below to keep this list at your fingertips!

This year, I am going to use "INFERENCE of the WEEK" to help the students with making inferences.  Using a different THEME each week, students will see a different picture posted when they walk in the classroom every day where they will make observations and then turn those observations into inferences.  In addition to this, the students will do the following.  
Day One: Students will read an informational passage to build background knowledge related to the Inference Theme of the Week.
Day Two: Figurative Language, Writing Prompt, Synonym and Antonym Practice related to the Theme of the Week
Day Three: Students use a structured template to help them write about the picture that day related to the Theme of the Week
Day Four: Students practice writing Simple/Compound/Complex sentences related to the Theme of the Week
Day Five: Weekly Assessment GREAT for student portfolios
The themes for Inference of the Week are:
Relationships
Sportsmanship
School Days
Weather
Pests
Sharks (GREAT for your own SHARK WEEK!)
Entertainment
Hiking
I experimented a bit with FLIPAGRAM to give you a glimpse of what it looks like!

We are your TRICKS and TIPS for teaching students to make inferences? Please share!
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