Mostly, I have turned to using interactive notebooks as the heart of all my classes because I like order but, in all honesty, I have the object permanence of a squirrel. And the notebook has all the pages altogether so you don\u2019t have to keep track of where everything is.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Also, I really believe it should be seen first and foremost as a vehicle for the writing process (<\/span>and thinking process<\/span><\/i>).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The interactive notebook (<\/span>or in this case, the History Notebook<\/span><\/i>) transcends grade level\u2026 In fact, I start out my Notebook set up, instructions, and expectations the exact same way whether the students are in in 7th grade or 12th grade. (<\/span>Ok\u2026 yes, maybe a LITTLE different\u2026:) if you have taught at both levels you are also laughing<\/span><\/i>) but the overall idea and structure remains the same. Ultimately, the only real element that varies among grade levels and classes is the content.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

I like to break down the thought process of analysis because I think it is important to model it for students who have never seen it before. With this in mind, I LOVE \u201cinteractive notebooks\u201d which is mostly to say I love having a space to record the learning process for myself and for the students. [<\/span>As a side note, in my personal life, I LOVE bullet journals. I love journals and notebooks of all kinds, really. Turns out\u2026. So do lots of the students:-)<\/span><\/i> ]<\/span><\/p>

Anyway, back to the point\u2026.<\/span>We cannot possibly remember every thought we have or observation that we make about the world.. Or at least, I certainly can\u2019t. Kind of how I can barely remember the topic I am supposed to be talking about on this post\u2026<\/span><\/p>

We need to write things down: we need to be able to go back, reflect, edit\/revise, cut\/paste, delete as needed throughout the analysis process – so we see what patterns emerge, in our own lives, in our creative processes, and in our analysis. This is true not just of our own lives, but of our thinking processes as well- This works for me because its from my heart, and it makes sense with the way I think.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The<\/span> interactive notebook<\/a>\u00a0is an effective tool for teaching history with maps because it helps students in keeping their work organized and is an easy-to-access resource for their reference throughout the year. Whether you do the print or digital version, the interactive notebook\/history notebook\/journal\/workbook\/ [<\/span>whatever you want to call this<\/span><\/i>] allows you and your students to slow down the analysis process so that students show their thinking, and so that you can focus on the process of analysis, not the end product. Because when we we are teaching historical thinking, it really\u00a0 is the process that matters so much more than the final product, which, let\u2019s be honest, at this point, they can just google or chatgpt, or whatever. And I’m not really interested in how well they can “cheat the system” or outsmart me, or cut corners. I get it, I’m old, and I don’t know computers as well as they do. Yawn. Unfortunately, I actually love this stuff, and want to see how their brains make sense of it too.\u00a0<\/span>There are so many different ways to explore maps<\/a>, this is just one of the ways to start getting their thinking onto paper, and to get everyone to slow down so that w<\/span>hen the actual <\/span>analysis<\/i> part is done well, the <\/span>writing<\/i> of their analysis is no longer a daunting task, it just becomes a matter of putting the pieces together. And then, when THAT time comes, the students who have paid attention and have actually gone through the thinking processes will not have any problems, while the ones who have been doing the bare minimum will simultaneously begin whinging about how nothing makes sense all of a sudden and it will become clear to you who needs alternative approaches to learning\u00a0<\/span>and who has mastered the basic concepts and is ready for enrichment. \ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t