HOW TO SET-UP YOUR SOCIAL STUDIES BINDER
For Social Studies you will need five tabs.
Your binder will be divided into five sections using your binder tabs. Your tabs should be labeled:
CLASSWORK
WRITING
NOTES
PROJECT
REFERENCE
The classwork tab should come first and be the first label you read when you open the cover of your binder. Each of the next tabs should follow behind the Homework tab with the Reference tab being the last tab in your binder. After the WRITING tab, you should place a supply of three-hole punched, lined writing paper - about 20 sheets.
* You may abbreviate the words if they do not fit on a tab - example: REF. in place of REFERENCE.
HOW TO MAINTAIN YOUR SOCIAL STUDIES BINDER (KEEPING IT NEAT!)
Most often, if you understand the purpose of each section of your binder, it is much easier to remember where you need to put your papers. So, let's review the purpose of each section of your binder, label-by-label.
CLASSWORK -
Much of the work completed in class will be posted on a "playlist". This is just a mini Web page that is essentially an online listing of all the tasks that need to be completed in a unit, as well as links to extra copies of worksheets or handouts.
All playlist work should be kept in the CLASSWORK section unit the playlist is completed. A student work tracker is also given out for each playlist so that work start, due, and complete dates may be recorded for each task. I´ll explain more about the tracker during class.
WRITING -
You will place your lined paper in this section. We will be practicing various types of writing to support non-fiction reading duirng the 6th grade. You will keep your examples and writing practice pieces in this section.
NOTES -
Your NOTES section is for your....notes! Your notes will come in a few different forms - textbook reading sheets, textbook review sheets, corrected homework sheets, study guides and your own handwritten notes.
All notes for an entire unit must be kept in the NOTES section until the unit exam is taken and reviewed. At that point you will be told to clear out your notes section before a new unit begins.
PROJECT -
This section is for all handouts and rubrics or checklists related to a project. This is also where research notes on an assigned topic should be placed to keep the project materials organized. Materials for any assigned project should not be removed from the binder until the final grade is received for the project.
REFERENCE - Last, but not least!
All materials given you with the instruction "put this in your Reference section" should go into your Reference section and remain there until the end of the year. Reference items should be with you in class everyday. Once you have been asked to put an item in the Reference section you should not discard it until the end of the year. (End of Unit/Marking Period binder clean-out DOES NOT include the papers in your Reference Section)
Hint: When you are given an item for the Reference section you should write the work "Reference" on the top, right corner. In this way, if the paper ever winds up in the wrong section (binders do drop and explode from time-to-time) you will remember which papers are "keepers".
EVERY CLASS - EVERY DAY
The easiest way to keep your binder neat and organized is to put each paper in its correct section at the end of each activity or class. Do not fall into the habit of sticking papers in the back pocket of your binder assuming you will put them away later. Most students who lose their materials do so because they do not take the extra few seconds to open the rings of their binder and put materials away in the correct section at the end of class.
THINK ABOUT IT - it takes a lot more time to borrow and copy materials from a classmate than it does to open the rings of your binder and put your papers away at the end of class.
Class Participation is part of your total grade - it is very hard to participate if you do not have your materials with you!