LESSON FOUR: Note-Taking Skills

                             

LESSON DESCRIPTION

Students study note-taking methods and strategies to summarize information effectively.

 

GRADE-LEVEL EXPECTATIONS

IL1C        The student will be able to summarize information clearly and concisely in a multi-paragraph text routinely using appropriate methods for note-taking.     

 

LESSON MATERIALS

§         Sources of literature 

 

§         Supplies 

o        Text to practice note-taking skills with

 

§         Handouts provided

o        Note-taking strategies and methods

 

§         Words to Know

o        note-taking

o        keywords

o        main idea

o        summarize

o        summary

o        topic sentence

 

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT 

From the text utilize an appropriate method of note-taking to summarize the material.  Provide a text students have not already used.

 

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

1.        Distribute the note-taking strategies handout.  Provide samples of various note-taking methods (examples may include informal and formal outlines, webbing, graphing, SQRRR, Cornell Method, or any established method) from the same text, focusing on the following in the model: 

    1. Appearance: focus on use of white space, abbreviations, symbols for the points, and margins
    2. Content: focus on the need to include ALL main ideas, ONLY main ideas, and original wording.  Make sure to identify topic sentences, headings, graphs, etc.
    3. Provide a sample of a summary from that same text and model the criteria under (b) from that sample.
    4. Create a method for using symbols to signify headings and subheading in your notes.

NOTE:  The text may be either fiction or nonfiction but should contain multiple paragraphs.

 

Questions

for

Students

What do you notice about the format of different examples of note-taking methods?

From your reading, what do you remember as the main points?

What similarities can you find between your summary and the model summary?

What differences can you find between your summary and the model summary?

Which part of the text would contain the main idea?  How can you group these?

Based on the criteria for note-taking, what would the main ideas be called in my notes?

 

2.        Select a new text and students circle key words and main ideas for a summary from the text.  Students fill in the answers on a partially completed example of note-taking from the same text.  Do the same with a summary.

 

3.        Provide students with a completed model of note-taking and a completed summary for this same text.  (Answers will be open-ended, but should include the criteria above).  Ask students to refer to the original text or their example and star all the words that appear on the sample.  Students highlight all the deleted material.

 

4.        For closure, students could prepare a brief pamphlet entitled “Note-taking and Summarizing for Dummies,” that lists steps for the proper process of taking notes and summarizing.

 

Scoring Guide

for

Formative

Assessment

3 points:   Student responses will include the correct content (all the main ideas and only the main ideas) and the format will follow the criteria for correct note-taking.

2 points:   Student responses will include partially correct content (some main ideas may be missing or unimportant/redundant material may be included as well)and correct format OR Student responses will include correct content and partially incorrect format.

1 point:  Student responses will include incorrect content and correct format, OR Student responses will include correct content and incorrect format.

0 points:  Other

NOTE:  To be correct, students must utilize one of the formats discussed in the activities.