Lesson Objective: To take complete notes—including general topic, key ideas, and more specific ideas— while listening.
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hen students have mastered the skills in the previous lessons in this chapter, I expect them to take notes independently . However, I continue to support them in ways that ensure their ultimate success . Because students are now responsible for taking notes on the complete passage, I return to shorter passages with fewer key ideas and specific details and give the number of specific/key ideas and the more specific ideas they should expect to find . Knowing the number of more specific ideas I expect them to write down helps reduce students’ anxiety and focus their attention . I also continue to reassure students that they will still have a second chance to pick up any information they missed through pair-share or whole-class share-out .Preparation
On the day before teaching this lesson, ask a student to be the reader of the passage and suggest that he or she practice reading it aloud . On the day of the lesson, create a display copy of the T-chart or draw it on the board . Include the number of key ideas and of bulleted more specific ideas in each paragraph . Make a copy of the T-chart reproducible for each student or have them create their own on lined notebook paper (see page 9) . Write unfamiliar and difficult-to-spell words on the board .
Direct Teaching-Modeling
Ask the student-reader to read the passage at a normal speed and stop reading when you raise your hand . This pause will give you the time to think aloud . At the first pause, model your note-taking process . Here’s how your modeling might begin:
Ask the student-reader to begin with the title . (After hearing the title, repeat it and write it next to the T = .) Tell the student-reader to read the passage .
(At the end of the first sentence, raise your hand .)
“The first sentence tells about how colorful hummingbirds are . I’ll write color in the left-hand column as the first key idea .”
(At the end of the first paragraph, raise your hand .)
“The rest of the paragraph describes the colors of males and females . In the right-hand column, I’ll write males: brilliantly colored beside the first bullet . Under that, I’ll write females: dull colors . I remember the No More Than 4 rule, so I don’t want to write too many words . I know, too, that I can come back and add more details .”
Then ask students to copy your notes . Before moving to the second paragraph, remind them to skip two lines between each key idea so that notes are in paragraphs just like the passage .
Materials
expository paragraph with clear transitions* (three to five paragraphs long) T-chart reproducible or lined notebook paper (page 73)
markers (two colors) colored pens and pencils for students (two colors each)
* This lesson uses “Hummingbirds: Mother Nature’s Flying Jewels” on page 87.
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If your students need additional modeling of the thinking necessary for taking notes, remain in Stage 1 of the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model . Have the student-reader continue with the second paragraph and model listening to and noting down the specific/key ideas and the more specific information .
If your students are ready to move to Stage 2, ask the student-reader to read the second paragraph . Tell students to raise their hands when they hear the specific/key idea . Call on a volunteer and write his or her response in the left-hand column after skipping two lines . Continue with the rest of the paragraph, scribing students’ responses about the more specific ideas . At the end of the second paragraph, pause while students copy the notes .
Small Group Practice: Have pairs take notes as you read or lecture . One of the partners should raise a hand for you to stop and the other writes down the information after the two confer .
Independent Practice: Use a two- to three-paragraph passage and challenge students to listen and take notes at the same time . Continue to provide the number of the specific/key ideas and more specific ideas . Assure students that they will have a second pass at the information if they need it, but they must attempt to take notes while you’re speaking . Slow your speech and pause briefly at the end of each paragraph . Over time, speak more normally and shorten the pauses at the end of paragraphs .
Notes From My Classroom
I provide students with many opportunities to practice their note taking—and it can be practiced in many different ways: guest readers, video clips, morning announcements, brief lectures to preview or review content material, and so on.
Some Final Thoughts
Taking notes while listening is a complex skill . Students must listen to a flow of words and make immediate decisions about separating specific/key ideas from more specific details and about the relative importance of the information they are hearing—and write it all down .
Teaching students to be effective note takers also teaches them to be effective listeners . The process takes time initially; however, as students become more confident in their skill, they become more engaged in class, and when you use content material to practice, you’ll make up the time later .
Personalizing, Studying,
Reviewing, and
Condensing Notes
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ersonalizing notes helps students create a context for new information by creating ownership of their notes . They choose the words and phrases in their notes that have the most meaning for them, and they create nonlinguistic clues for information . Teaching strategies for personalizing notes also provides students with additional opportunities to learn the information because they have to review their notes to carry out the tasks . Personalizing notes involves the techniques of adding color by highlighting, underlining, boxing, or circling essential words or phrases in the notes and adding pictures or other graphics to represent the information . Some students use the three colors representing the general-specific- more specific pattern; however, using just one or two colors is also acceptable .Since notes are effective only if used, we need to teach students how to use their notes for studying and reviewing and provide a timetable that promotes the acquisition and retention of information .
Finally, as students master the information, they need fewer word or picture cues to remember what they have learned . We then teach them how to condense their notes for ongoing review of what they have learned .
The Purpose of This Chapter
The lessons in this chapter help students develop the following skills that they need to personalize, study, review, and condense notes:
emphasize essential words in notes by adding color
add graphic representations to notes to more easily recall information use notes for effective study and review
condense notes for easier review of information