"But my child doesn't like to draw."

10 other ways to demonstrate learning

Dear Mama,

One day, I was posting about notebooking when a mother told me, “But my child doesn’t like to draw.” I quickly responded, they can color a coloring page and add it to their creative box. But the fact is you can do so much more!

How is the notebook divided?

The notebook is divided into three sections -

1. Left-hand side: The left-hand page is for teacher instruction. Here the teacher can go over a map, poem, primary document, chart, etc, with the student. The left-hand page is part of the lesson.

2. Right-hand side: It includes two sections: the creative box and the lined paper for narrations.

What are the options for the creative box?

The creative box is an artistic way to demonstrate understanding. This section is traditionally left open for drawing; however, there are many more creative ways to demonstrate understanding.

1. Vocabulary: Define and illustrate

2. Collage: create an illustration using construction paper, magazines, newspapers, the internet, and/or clipart

3. Advertisement: create an advertisement that could appear in a magazine or newspaper (This could be done on Canva)

4. Newspaper Article: This could take up your whole right-hand side. Your newspaper article would include a headline (short and to the point). The picture could be hand-drawn, created on Canva, or printed straight from the Internet. Write an article explaining the event, including: who, what, where, when, how, and why.

5. Monument: Have your child create a possible monument to an event or person and write in their narration who, what, when, where, and why. Explain where they would locate the monument, and why it’s worth remembering this person or event.

6. Epitaph/Gravestone: Draw a grave stone with a short epitaph stating

   1. Here lies…born

   2. Died…

   3. Husband/sife of …father/mother/brother/sister/son/daughter of …

   4. Famous for …

   5. Remembered for … (add two pictures of the person)

7. Wanted/Hero Poster: Create a wanted person poster for a villain and a Hero poster for a good person with a quote. In the narration, explain why the person was a villain or a hero.

8. Magazine Cover: Create a news magazine cover like Time (can be done on Canva). The magazine should include at least three clear, easy-to-understand news story leads that accompany the cover story, interviews, and stories about events or people. For the narration, write a magazine article.

9. Venn Diagram

10. Postcard from the past: create a postcard that you would send home to tell your family about the civilization you are studying. For the narration, write a short note describing something amazing about the era you are learning about.

I sure do hope this list helps expand the possibilities you can do with your notebook. Let me know if you have any questions.

Warmly,

Mirley

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