Writing Internotes

An internote is a structured lesson document. Unlike a slide deck, it combines a narrative reading experience with rich visual detail — equations, diagrams, code, and interactive exercises — in a single, coherent piece.

The Authoring Workflow

Writing an internote follows a simple loop: write, preview, refine. The editor shows a live preview of your Chalk source, so you can see your content taking shape as you type.

• Start with a clear topic — one internote should cover one idea or concept well
• Write the narrative first — get the explanation in plain language before adding visual detail
• Add the detail panel — diagrams, code, and equations go in the [] block alongside the text
• Add interactive elements — exercises should follow explanation, not precede it
• Preview and share — use the Preview tab to see it from a student's perspective

Scenes as Your Unit of Thought

Every internote is made up of scenes. A scene is not a slide — it is a unit of thought. Each scene should make a single point clearly, then either continue to the next scene or invite the student to act (answer a question, explore a diagram).

A good rule of thumb: if a scene's body text would take more than a minute to read, it's probably two scenes.

The Body / Detail Split

Each scene has two areas:

• The body ({}) is the narrative — prose, headings, lists, callouts, and exercises. Students always see this.
• The detail panel ([]) is the visual complement — diagrams, code, equations displayed alongside the body. It's optional, but powerful.

Think of the body as what you'd say, and the detail panel as what you'd draw on a board while saying it.

What Makes Good Educational Content

• Be explicit about structure — use headings and definitions liberally. Students are learning, not skimming.
• Show before you tell — a worked example before a formal definition helps most learners.
• Layer complexity — introduce a simple version of a concept, then add nuance in later scenes or internotes.
• Ask before you explain — a well-placed question before an answer builds anticipation and retention.
• Diagrams should earn their place — only add a diagram if seeing it changes the student's understanding.