Visual Journal — 2-Page Spread (Specific Requirements)

Detailed Instructions and Student Example (Bottom) 

Required Components

1. Vocabulary (3–4 words)

• Choose 3–4 key terms from the lesson

• Write each word with a short definition in your own words

2. Central Image (at least 20% of the total spread)

• Draw and color one large image that represents the main idea

• The image should take up at least one-fifth of the two-page spread

• Diagrams should be clearly labeled

3. Fun Facts or Interesting Details (2-4 sentences)

• Include 3–5 sentences with interesting, surprising, or memorable facts

• These should help someone else learn from your spread

4. Key Takeaway (2–3 sentences)

• Summarize the main idea of the topic

• Explain what you learned and why it matters

• Note: At times these will be replaced with specific questions

5. Connections (2–3 sentences)

• How does this topic connect to your life, your community, or the world around you?
  Explain why this information matters beyond the classroom.

 Design Expectations

• Use both pages intentionally

• Use color to organize sections

• Writing should be neat and easy to read

• Labels, arrows, borders, or icons are encouraged

Checklist Before Turning In

☐ Two-page spread fully used
☐ 3–4 vocabulary words with definitions
☐ Large, colored central image (20% of spread)
☐ 2-4 fun facts
☐ 2–3 sentence key takeaway
☐ 2–3 sentence science connection
☐ Pages are colorful, organized, and complete

Accommodations

For students with accommodations they will be assigned a one page spread with these requirements

1. Vocabulary (2-3 words)

• Choose 2-3 key terms from the lesson

• Write each word with a short definition in your own words

2. Central Image (at least 10% of the total spread)

• Draw and color one large image that represents the main idea

• The image should take up at least one-fifth of the two-page spread

• Diagrams should be clearly labeled

3. Fun Facts or Interesting Details (2 bullet points)

• Include 2 bullet points with interesting, surprising, or memorable facts

• These should help someone else learn from your spread

4. Key Takeaway (2 bullet points)

• List the main idea of the topic

• List what you learned and why it matters

• Note: At times these will be replaced with specific questions

5. Connections (2 Bullet Points)

• How does this topic connect to your life, your community, or the world around you?
  Explain why this information matters beyond the classroom.

  Checklist Before Turning In

  ☐ One-page spread fully used
  ☐ 2-3 vocabulary words with definitions
  ☐ Large, colored central image (10% of spread)
  ☐ 2 fun facts
  ☐ 2 bullet point key takeaway
  ☐ 2 bullet point  science connection
  ☐ Pages are colorful, organized, and complete

Template and Student Example