Good internotes start before the first scene{} block. Planning keeps the lesson focused, prevents overloaded scenes, and makes it easier to choose where examples, diagrams, and exercises belong.
Start with the Learning Goal
Write one sentence that names what the student should be able to do after the internote.
- Weak goal: Understand quadratics
- Strong goal: Factor a quadratic expression when the leading coefficient is 1
- Strong goal: Explain how the graph of $y = ax^2$ changes as $a$ changes
If the goal needs an "and", it probably wants more than one internote.
Choose the Prior Knowledge
Name the ideas students need before this lesson begins. Keep the list short and concrete.
- Vocabulary they must already know
- Procedures they should already be able to perform
- Notation that should not be introduced for the first time here
- Misconceptions that are likely to appear
Planning
Prior knowledge is not just background. It tells you which terms can be used freely and which terms need a definition, example, or reminder.
Sketch the Scene Sequence
A useful first draft is usually five to eight scenes.
- Hook: show the problem, question, or surprising example
- Recall: remind students of the one idea they need
- Explain: introduce the new concept in plain language
- Show: work through an example slowly
- Practice: ask a near-match question
- Transfer: ask a slightly different question
- Reflect: ask students to explain what changed
Not every internote needs every step, but skipping both practice and reflection makes the lesson feel more like a note than a learning activity.
Decide What Goes in the Detail Panel
Use the detail panel for material that students should see while reading the body.
- Use equations when symbolic form clarifies the explanation
- Use diagrams when position, change, shape, or relationship matters
- Use code when the procedure itself is the object of study
- Leave the detail panel empty when the body already carries the idea clearly
Planning Checklist
- The internote has one learning goal
- Each scene makes one point
- The first exercise appears after enough explanation
- Diagrams and equations support the body text instead of replacing it
- The final scene gives students a way to check or explain their understanding