Using Sketch Notes with Interactive Notebooks – 5 Things to Try

I used interactive notebooks in my classroom for many years, but it wasn’t until my last few years in the classroom that I was introduced to sketch notes.

Sketch notes, sometimes known as doodle notes, are a way of using student-produced sketches and drawings. These sketching strategies are used to help students retain the information they have learned.

Once I was introduced to sketch notes I knew they would be a big winner for my students. Still, I wasn’t ready to give up on interactive notebooks either. This meant I had to find a way to integrate the new sketch notes into our already established interactive notebooks.

Over the years I found five strategies for integrating the sketch notes into our notebooks that really complimented student learning and allowed them to synthesize the information. These strategies worked with my students and I believe they will be a hit in your classroom as well.

10 Second Sketch Notes

A ten-second sketch note is exactly what it sounds like. After we learned about a topic or completed an interactive notebook activity I would give students about ten seconds to create a sketch that represented what they learned.

These ultra quick sketches usually turned out like some sort of icon that represented the topic and was very individual. It was always amazing to see how each student represented their learning in the quick sketch.

The benefits of this strategy are that they were, of course, quick, but they could also be compiled into a learning record.

As a review at the end of each unit, I would show different students’ ten-second sketch notes under the document camera. We would then talk about what they represented from the unit.

Emphasize Important Parts

Another strategy that is easy to implement and has a big impact is using text boxes, bold, and underlining to emphasize important items in an interactive notebook activity.

Using colored pencils, crayons, or markers to create boxes around, underline, or bold important parts of text is a quick and simple way to add color to an interactive notebook activity while also emphasizing important facts, formulas, or dates. This means that when students go back to look at their learning these emphasized parts will jump off the page at them.

Block Letter Headings

Often our interactive notebook activities do not have a strong title to them or are very basic. Students can use block lettering techniques to create their own titles for each page in their interactive notebooks.

This style of sketch notes serves the purpose of organizing learning by naming the topic that page is covering. Also, the action of creating the title for each activity allows students’ brains to make one more connection to their learning.

Full Sketch Notes

This strategy takes a little more time but is oh so worth it.

Similar to the ten-second sketch note, students use what they have learned to create icons of their learning. Full sketch notes are more detailed and include specific facts in picture form.

When we first began with full sketch notes many students were discouraged. I spent A LOT of time repeating the phrase, “This is not art class and it isn’t about the drawing, it is about making a connection to your learning you won’t forget.” By also producing my own sketch notes it helped students to bridge the gap of thinking their sketches had to be perfect as mine were FAR from it.

Creating a Sketch Note Frame

One of the easiest ways to integrate sketching into our interactive notebooks is through creating a frame for learning.

Frames are used to contain many different kinds of information. By sketching a frame, whether basic or detailed, around a specific piece of information or activity you are giving it importance.

• Some items you can contain in a frame:
  • An interactive notebook activity or fold-up
  • An important date
  • A quote
  • The name of a historical figure
  • Vocabulary words and their definitions

Getting Started

Pick a strategy and jump right in!

Start small and introduce one item at a time and give your students room for creativity!

Are you ready to start integrating sketch notes with your interactive notebooks? Try this Texas History Interactive Notebook or this U.S. History Interactive Notebook to get you started.