Taking Notes

6th GradeSkills Needed for Post-Secondary

Success: Overview

Microsoft, 2011

Discussion

• Tell me about reading for your classes.– How often do you read something for class and get to

the end of the page and realize you have no idea what you just read?

– What strategies do you know to help you read smarter?

• Tell me about taking notes in your classes.– How many of you look back at your notes after you

take them? – How do you use your notes to study?– What note-taking techniques do you know?

Objective

• The purpose of today's lesson is to help you read smarter and to help you take worthwhile notes

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Pre-test

• What are the steps in SQ3R?• What do you record in the columns for

Q-Notes?• How can you use SQ3R or Q-notes in

your classes?

Reading Smarter: SQ3R

• S = Survey• Q = Question• R = Read• R = Recite• R = Review

Microsoft, 2011

SQ3R Practice

• Directions:1. Read the brief paragraph and complete the SQ3R

notes on your own.2. Pair up with a partner and discuss what you have

written for each part of the SQ3R process.

Survey

1. First, I’ll look over, or survey, the article. – The headers and table tell me it’s about

Oklahoma in the 1930’s, the dust bowl, farmers’ lives, and rainfall.

• What else can I learn from a quick survey of the passage?

Question

2. To help me focus on each section, I’ll turn the headers into questions.– What was Oklahoma like in the 1930’s?– What was the dust bowl? – What was a farmer’s life like in Oklahoma in the

1930’s? – How much rainfall did they have in Oklahoma in the

1930’s? Was this normal?• What other questions did you have written

down?

Read

3. Now I’ll read carefully to find the answers to my questions and record my answers.Questions Answers

What was Oklahoma like in the 1930’s?

It sounds like it was dry and that caused problems for farmers and so probably others, too

What was the dust bowl? Because there wasn’t much rain, wind blew dust everywhere

What was a farmer’s life like in Oklahoma in the 1930’s?

Farmers couldn’t farm because of the dry conditions

How much rainfall did they have in Oklahoma in the 1930’s? Was this normal?

They received 13.52 inches from 1931-1936, about 4 inches less per year than they received from 1921-1930.

Recite

4. I can recite, or say the most important ideas in each section in my own words.– In Oklahoma in the early 1930’s, a drought

caused the soil to dry out and the wind blew the soil everywhere. They called this a dust bowl. Farmers could not farm because there was so little rain. In fact, there was about 4 inches less rain per year than in previous years.

Review

5. Were all my questions answered? I’ll review to find out.– All of my questions were answered.

• Reviewing is an ongoing process, so I can keep these notes to review regularly.– These notes may be helpful for completing an

assignment or studying for a quiz or test.

Q-Notes

• Q-notes are two-column notes that can be used to study for quizzes and tests.• Divide your paper in half vertically

– In the left column you write questions.

– In the right column you write notes that answer the questions.

• Q-Notes can be taken during class lectures, while reading, or to re-write notes you’ve already taken

Questions Notes

Reading: Write Questions 1st

Questions Notes•What was Oklahoma like in the

1930’s?

•What was the dust bowl?

•What was a farmer’s life like in Oklahoma in the 1930’s?

• How much rainfall did they have in Oklahoma in the 1930’s? Was this normal?

Take Notes as You Read

Questions Notes•What was Oklahoma like in the

1930’s?• It sounds like it was dry and that

caused problems for farmers and so probably others, too

•What was the dust bowl? • Because there wasn’t much rain, wind blew dust everywhere

•What was a farmer’s life like in Oklahoma in the 1930’s?

• Farmers couldn’t farm because of the dry conditions

• How much rainfall did they have in Oklahoma in the 1930’s? Was this normal?

• They received 13.52 inches from 1931-1936, about 4 inches less per year than they received from 1921-1930.

Lecture: Take Notes 1st

Questions Notes• Oklahoma was very dry in the

1930s because they didn’t get much rain

• Because there wasn’t much rain, wind blew dust everywhere

• Farmers couldn’t farm because of the dry conditions

• They received 13.52 inches from 1931-1936, about 4 inches less per year than they received from 1921-1930.

Write Questions Later

Questions Notes•What was Oklahoma like in the

1930’s?• Oklahoma was very dry in the

1930s because they didn’t get much rain

•What was the dust bowl? • Because there wasn’t much rain, wind blew dust everywhere

•What was a farmer’s life like in Oklahoma in the 1930’s?

• Farmers couldn’t farm because of the dry conditions

• How much rainfall did they have in Oklahoma in the 1930’s? Was this normal?

• They received 13.52 inches from 1931-1936, about 4 inches less per year than they received from 1921-1930.

Q-Notes Practice

1. Pair up2. Use the passage provided to practice writing

Q-notes.– You may use your own paper or the paper

provided

3. Fold the notes in half vertically4. Quiz one another

Reflection

Update Your Readiness Rubric

• Self-Management– I take notes in class and when I read textbooks• Never, Rarely, Often, Never

– Developing or Meeting

Post-test

• What are the steps in SQ3R?• What do you record in the columns for

Q-Notes?• How can you use SQ3R or Q-notes in

your classes?

Review

• The 5 Steps in SQ3R are:1. Survey2. Question3. Read4. Recite5. Review

• Q-Notes:– Record questions in the left column and notes in the

right• How can you use SQ3R or Q-notes in your

classes?

References

• Burke, J. (2002). Tools for thought. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann

• Landsberger, J.F. (1996). SQ3R reading method. Retreived from http://www.studygs.net/texred2.htm

• Microsoft Office Images. (2011). Retrieved from http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/