HIT elem notetaking

[Doug Alichwer <dalichwer@CDSD.K12.PA.US>]

Some of you have been requesting the information about note taking I
gathered from others, so I thought I'd post a HIT (as per Peter's request)
Thanks for all your input. Have a good day!!  Doug

Model. model, model.  Have the same passage or article for each student.
Preferably on the topic they are researching.   Discuss what type of
information they are looking for.  Have them label their note cards.  Index
cards or half sheets of notebook paper work.  Read the first passage out
loud. Does this passage have any information we need?  How can we write that
in less than 3 words..  You write on the board they write on their cards.
walk around the room to see if they have the idea. Debbie Balsam

Try the Big6 website, look for trash and treasure notetaking skills.
http://www.big6.com <http://www.big6.com>     Terrie Hinojosa

the only one I teach now is called 2-column notes.  Have kids fold notebook
paper vertically so that there is a narrow column on the left and a wider
column on the right (rather than in half with 2 equal columns).  Choose an
interesting article from a magazine or other source and run it off.  Go
paragraph by paragraph for this first lesson - main idea of paragraph goes
on the left in just words or short phrases.  Details about that idea go on
the right, again just words or short phrases.  For the first lesson, you
might want to prepare the note pages in advance and provide the words on the
left, then have them add the details on the right.  If you do that, be sure
to leave space between each main idea so that kids have room for related
notes on the right side.  This works in all subjects.  You can then show
them that each left term becomes the topic sentence of a paragraph and each
right term becomes a supporting sentence in the same paragraph.
This system is part of a great writing program called Step Up to Writing,
developed by Colorado teachers and published by Sophris West who also
provide training for teachers.
Judy Smith

I like using an article from World Book (reprint for each child with
permission from WB - they are very generous with this).  Go through
highlighting on overhead or with computer (using Inspiration software).
Have students transfer their highlights to paper. Put articles away, then
have students write a paragraph using their notes. This second part could be
done on the 2nd visit depending on how much gets done in
lesson 1.

I had success with a quick one-day intro lesson on this.  We discussed the
"one fact per card," then I began telling them my "life story," and asked
them to imagine they were reading it in a book.  By making me the subject of
the "book," they were highly motivated to write down three key facts.  (I
only covered minor stuff -- school, pets, city of birth -- nothing too juicy
for the sixth graders, but stuff relevant to them).  From there, you can
discuss what facts were relevant, categorizing, or whatever comes next.
Leya Booth

I just gave my seventh graders an exercise by reading about five paragraphs
of President Bush's speech.  I told them to write only key words and phrases
and to abbreviate as much as possible.  Then I gave them ten minutes to
transcribe their notes into sentences.  They did miserably.  They need lots
of practice so I'm going to do it again and again using current events
material.
Joan Edwards

Another fun way is to do "Tarzan Talk" - explain to the kids that Tarzan
didn't walk up and say "how do you do, my name is Tarzan, and you might be
Jane?", he said "me-Tarzan, you-Jane" - they can take turns doing Tarzan
Talk to simplify sentences in an encyclopedia article.
Christie Hamm, Librarian

Make it interesting!  Visual note-taking -- show a high interest short film
(I use episodes of the Twilight Zone .... do do do do ...) and have them
answer detailed questions.  They won't get many right, but reward the
highest scores with a candy bar.  Show a film the next week.  The second
time -- knowing there is a reward, they will all get a lot right.  And they
learn that when watching a film for information, you have a different
"stance" of listening and watching in your mind.

Auditory note taking -- Write a script that involves three people.  First
one calls, second answers the phone.  Caller says something like, I need to
leave a message for your father.  My name is George, you probably don't
remember me but I remember you from the time you were a little girl.  In
fact the first time I saw you you were just a baby and I wasn't even married
yet.  Anyway I need to tell your Dad that I will meet him at that restaurant
like we planned, except that I have to change the time because my wife
....etc.  You get the idea.  LISTEN for the important facts.  The third
person
gives the message to the Dad.  Cutting out all the unnecessary stuff because
he or she knows how to listen for important stuff.  You could play this part
and prepare the teen who answers the phone with the actual message that
she/he delivers to the Dad -- who is grateful.  Dad in fact could make a
comment like, I can't believe you got this so clearly -- he usually goes
onforever.  And teen answers, well it helps when you know how to listen.
Betty Ann Picone

1. Webbing-Pick a main character (or main idea) in each chapter and web all
the things that happened
2. Draw a picture of what went on in the chapter. It can be stick figures
but it does help to get your ideas down on paper.
3.Outlining ( I taught this with a unit on sea turtles.)
4. Summarization - Write three or four sentences of what went on in the
story at the end of each chapter. When you put them all together, it makes a
summary of the book.

I had one Mom who helped her son write a sentence or two on a yellow
"sticky" note at the end of each chapter in the book. When he connected all
the yellow "stickies" he had a summary of the book. You could do this in
groups when they are in the library.
Marjie Podzielinski

I had three rules to note taking.

1.  Not complete sentences
2.  One note per line.  If it went longer than one line to get it down, do a
reverse indent so the note stands out.
3.  Your own words.  (Facts are facts, you can't change numbers or names.)
One piece of paper per source.  Put the five things you need for
bibliography on the top of the page.
title
author
publisher
city of publication
copyright.

for your own benefit, you might want to put the call number of the book.in
case you loose the paper, your name is helpful.
Then you are ready to start reading.  Read each piece and decide if it's
"noteworthy."  Write down a brief summary of what you read.

We practiced using a short article from Ranger Rick or something.  I gave
them the five bibliography pieces and then I would read a sentence and stop,
I'd ask the class if there was anything in that sentence that needed to go
on their paper.  If they said yes, then I'd ask what to put down.  After
they start getting good at it, then I'd start reminding them that so and so
just said that so you can't put that down.  They'd get the idea and stop
giving hints, they were writing!!! Gather the papers and send them out to
check out books.
Next week hand them their notes and ask for a paragraph created using the
notes they took last week.  (read through them and find one that is average,
make a couple of copies incase you had any absent or new students)
Next week hand out a short article from a magazine or a page in a book that
pertains to something they are working on in the classroom.  Give them the
twenty minutes or so you have allotted and then collect.
Next week hand back the papers and ask again for a paragraph written from
their notes.  They will begin to see the need for good notes to create good
paragraphs.  Because a week later memories aren't very good.  I'm mean too,
I don't let them see the original, if they forgot to put down the correct
spelling for something, they'll just have to use their notes.
My other rule was a paragraph had at LEAST 5 sentences or didn't qualify as
a paragraph.
Jean Gustafson

Doug Alichwer
Librarian
South Side Elementary
Central Dauphin SD
Harrisburg, PA

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=
All postings to LM_NET are protected under copyright law.
To quit LM_NET (or set-reset NOMAIL or DIGEST, etc.) send email to:
listserv@listserv.syr.edu   In the message write EITHER:
1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL or 3) SET LM_NET DIGEST
4) SET LM_NET MAIL  * Please allow for confirmation from Listserv.
For LM_NET Help see: http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/
Archives: http://askeric.org/Virtual/Listserv_Archives/LM_NET.shtml
 See also EL-Announce for announcements from library media vendors:
    http://www.mindspring.com/~el-announce/
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=