As math teachers we need to be honest. Teaching geometry in high school is not at all like teaching algebra. In geometry, it’s not enough for students to remember how to solve problems. For the first time in math, they need to remember definitions, all of the properties of a shape, and a long list of postulates and theorems. It’s a lot for students. That’s why I love to teach using a geometry interactive notebook.
What is an interactive notebook?
An interactive notebook is a method for organizing note taking. Notes are taken in a notebook, not a binder. They often include a table of contents, and can include foldables that students literally interact with. If you do further research, you may come across a method that requires something different on the left and right pages. This is a specific strategy where students use the left page for “output” and the right page for “input.” Output refers to students demonstrating what they learn, and “input” refers to the notes students take from what they learn.
Personally, I don’t use the left page, right page method because I find it to be too restrictive. As the teacher, you get to decide how you implement interactive notebooks.
Are interactive notebooks effective?
Short answer: yes!
Interactive notebooks are a tool for students to use that reinforce their learning. They are organized, making it easy for students to find what they need.
But what is remarkable about using interactive notebooks is how students take ownership of their learning. They are creating a product all year long that demonstrates how much they learn. Guided notes that are added to a binder just don’t have the same effect.
Why use a geometry interactive notebook?
Ultimately, geometry interactive notebooks are more efficient.
Before using interactive notebooks in geometry, I would project the notes, and students would use all period to painstakingly copy the notes down. I would have to stop and pause throughout the lesson to give students more time to draw diagrams and copy long-winded postulates and theorems.
Now, I provide printed pages for my students to add to their notebooks. Those printed pages include diagrams, fill-in-the-blank definitions, postulates, theorems, and practice problems. Students glue these pages into their notebooks at the end of the lesson. It saves me so much time, and every student is getting all of the information that they need.
Interactive notebooks for math
As an added bonus, since the practice problems are included in the notes, students have the context of the problem in their notes.
Usually in math classes, if students don’t have pre-printed notes, they just show their work. And when they come back to their notes later, they don’t know why they followed the process they did to solve that problem.
What to include in an interactive geometry notebook
Short answer: anything you want! But here are some suggestions.
You can include foldables. Foldables are a note-taking method that include folding and cutting paper to create flaps and doors. I love to use foldables anytime a lesson includes topics that can be broken down into categories. Each flap or door is one of those categories. The category title is on the outside, and the details are on the inside.
Foldables don’t have to be intimidating. You can skip the formatting, and go right to typing in your notes with these templates.
You can include guided notes. Not every page needs to have a foldable. You can use simple pre-printed notes that students can glue into their notebook.
Add practice to your geometry interactive notebook
You can include practice. I like to build practice into my note print-outs. But you could use the notebook as a place to store separate practice too.
You can include sorting activities. Since students are already cutting and gluing, a cut-and-paste sorting activity can be added to your interactive notebook for geometry. There are so many topics where students need to analyze diagrams. And an activity where students have to categorize what they see in diagrams is beneficial practice.
Ideas to use interactive notebook geometry
But how do students actually use an interactive notebook in geometry? Here are some ideas.
Use the interactive notebook for reference. Here’s the real strength of an interactive notebook in geometry. It has everything. It’s like a mini-textbook that students actually want to open And it’s organized in a way that makes sense. And, since students are the ones creating it, they know where everything is and how to find it. Students can use their interactive geometry notebook while completing practice and homework assignments.
Use as a study aid. Beyond just reference, students can use their interactive notebook to study. This is why I love including foldables. Those flaps and doors are ideal for students to use to quiz themselves.
A bold idea
Use on assessments. This is completely at your discretion of course. Personally, I like to surprise students by allowing them to use their geometry interactive notebook on a few quizzes throughout the year. Letting students know that they can use their notebook from time-to-time on assessments creates buy-in for those students reluctant to put the work into creating the notebook.
Geometry Interactive Notebook Bonus Idea
Of course, a geometry interactive notebook in high school must include all of the important symbols, definitions, properties, and postulates and theorems. There is so much more information where students need to know the names of things compared to other math courses, like Algebra 1 and Algebra 2. Geometry is almost like learning a new language too.
One helpful tip for helping students to differentiate between definitions and postulates and theorems is to color code. I recommend to my students that they use a color-coding system consistently throughout their notebook. For example, I highlight all of my definitions in blue, and all of the postulates and theorems in green. It’s a simple practice, but it helps students understand the difference.
Want to use an interactive geometry notebook with your students?
If you’re just getting started with interactive notebooks, I know it can feel overwhelming. But don’t worry! I’ve made it easy for you. I have an entire year’s worth of geometry notes and foldables prepared and ready for you to print. Click here for the bundle. And if you want more information about teaching each geometry unit with an interactive notebook, you can start here.
