NotebookLM foundations
By the end of this session you will have created your first notebook, added a source, asked a grounded question and — most importantly — opened a citation.
"A notebook is a workspace built around a topic or purpose. Sources are the materials NotebookLM should work from. Chat is where we ask questions and give instructions. Studio is where we generate structured outputs such as study materials and presentations."
👀 Watch the demo
Your trainer will walk through these six steps in the Water Cycle notebook. Watch first — you reproduce them right after.
- The interface Notebook title, Sources area, Chat area, Studio area, sharing controls, and settings with the output language. Ignore everything else for now.
- The basic model Sources in → questions and instructions → outputs out. NotebookLM works from the sources you selected, not from the whole internet.
- Ask a basic question "What are the five most important ideas in these sources?" — notice the response refers back to the selected sources.
- Open a citation The most important habit of the day. Don't only read the answer — open the evidence and compare the statement with the source.
- Select and deselect sources With two sources loaded: what changes when only the textbook source is selected? Source selection narrows the response.
- A Studio artifact, briefly A pre-generated quiz, infographic or slide deck — just to see where outputs live. Long generations wait for later sessions.
🖐 Now you do it
- Create a notebook and name it using this format:
Class – Subject – Topic – Your name
Example: Class 5 – Science – Water Cycle – Srilatha - Add the shared practice source your trainer provides.
- Ask your first grounded question — copy it below.
- Open one citation and find the sentence in the source that supports the answer.
If something goes wrong
Wrong Google account? Check the profile icon before creating more work. Use one account consistently for the whole programme.
Can't find your uploaded source? Confirm the upload completed, refresh only if necessary, and check whether you accidentally created a second notebook.
Reading answers without opening citations? For certification, showing the answer is not enough — you must show how you checked it.
✋ Checkpoint — show your trainer
Checkpoint complete — you have the foundations!