Do you use foldables in your high school chemistry class? Maybe you have never heard of a foldable and know nothing about this strategy. Maybe you think that foldables and interactive notebooks are only used in middle school, but that is just not true. Lots of chemistry teachers are using foldables in their classrooms and I will tell you how you can too. The engagement and learning will increase in your classroom when you use foldables and similar strategies.
For years, you have done things the old-fashioned way – you present the info, and you ask your students to take notes. And the students never take down notes as effectively as you hoped. They just write down a few words. When they go back to their notes to study, they find that there is not enough detail to help them. You have tried to teach students how to take better notes. Maybe you have even provided a notes outline to students that gives them some structure to start with as they take notes. Of course, you have given students links to helpful videos and sections of an online textbook.
But do your students ever consult those resources? Are you sure that they do? I know that I am tired of this vicious cycle of students not taking notes or knowing how to study, and I am spending time convincing them that they need to learn these skills.
Foldables as part of a multi-pronged approach to pedagogy
Interactive notebooks have been a trend in education for some time now. Students paste things into their notebooks like diagrams, handouts, and foldables to create a resource of the material as they progress through the content. It assures that all their information goes into one place and it allows students to express their creativity as they assemble material.
If you decide to use interactive notebooks, it can feel like a lot of effort upfront. And there is no need to jump into the deep water from the start. You can start with some info in a format that goes into the interactive notebook and add more each semester. It can take a while to build up to teaching a whole semester that way, and there is nothing wrong with that.
How to use foldables in the classroom
A foldable is one convenient option for info in the interactive notebook in the format you want and with accurate information. If you are new to this concept, I am about to make your day. The foldable is printed double-sided on a single sheet of paper. The student cuts out the shape, cuts along a few lines, and folds along other lines. It creates an object with little flaps where definitions or examples are behind each flap. The main area of the back of the foldable is glued or taped into the notebook. Students can also color and decorate their foldable before or after gluing it into the notebook. Check out this example for a set of 6 foldables specific to teaching chemistry.
With the info on the foldable, and taped into their notebook, you can be assured that they have easy access to the correct information. They will have the information whether or not they consult the textbook. You no longer need to worry that they wrote down incorrect or incomplete definitions while taking notes. The info is there and glued in.
Using foldables in the classroom
So what kinds of information in chemistry lends itself to a foldable? Topics that have two or more related terms that require definitions or examples. Ionic vs covalent bonding comes to mind. Nomenclature rules would be perfect. The different famous scientists who proposed atomic theories are a great option. The various gas laws are great in a foldable. Anything with multiple terms that are easily distinguished or defined with a few words can be a foldable.
Another great way to use a foldable is when explaining an equation. The different variables can be on the flaps, and the units for the variables or their definition can be under each flap.
Any concept that has at least two facets or terms works well on a foldable, with the reasonable maximum being around 6 flaps.
It is also an option to leave the information on the foldable partly blank so that students can fill in the definitions or the examples of each term. It depends on how well you think they will do if they write their own definitions vs you providing them. We all know that there is quite a range of how accurately students write down information.
For more on interactive notebooks and using them in the science classroom, consult the following articles:
- Fold for Victory: When and how foldable paper prompts can help your students grasp complex topics by Faisal Khan
- Scientific Reasoning Interactive Notebook Unit at ChemEd Exchange
- Foldable Graphic Organizers for Secondary? Have you discovered the benefits of foldable graphic organizers yet? by Amy Pleet-Odle
Benefits of foldables
The benefits of using interactive notebooks in the classroom include many things, such as
Active learning – students participate in the gathering and organization of the information so their role is more active compared to the old-style group instruction methods.
Personalization – students decorate the pages of the notebook, and often decorate the items inserted into the notebook. Allowing them to express their creativity while learning stimulates additional portions of the brain.
Visualization – many learners need a visual to go with the concept they are learning. Chemistry, in particular, is very math heavy and having pictures and diagrams helps associate concepts together differently than information that is presented only as words or as math
Review of material – with each student having their own interactive notebook, they have a resource they can refer to while doing practice problems and while studying for assessments. The information they need is on hand and easily available to them without having to consult a separate resource or text.
Versatility – as the teacher you can help the students set up their notebooks any way you like. They can focus mostly on content and concepts, or you can have them leave room for practice problems and lab data. The options are endless, and things can be organized however works best for you and your students.
Many options for content lend themselves to a foldable
Foldables are a key part of an interactive notebook in science. So many topics lend themselves well to a foldable – nomenclature, acid-base, equations, bonding, VSEPR shapes, etc. Many foldables are available online where someone has done all the formatting work for you. If you prefer your own, there are sources of templates where things are setup for you to just add the content and print.
Once things are printed, all you need to engage the students is tape, scissors, and perhaps some colored pencils for decorating. Even though the students are high schoolers, I can promise you that they will love the opportunity to cut and color for a few minutes. Their engagement in class will increase, their understanding of the material will increase, and they will learn more in spite of themselves. Why not give it a try today?
Want to read more about student engaging pedagogy? Check out previous posts including 5 Ways to Increase the Fun of Learning Solution Calculations and Why are Real-world Examples of Moles and Grams Best for Learning?