INTRODUCTION TO NOTE-TAKING STRATEGIES

You can find the slides for facilitation linked below in the RESOURCES section.

WHY???

• Have 1-2 students share why effective note-taking is important.

• Have 1-2 students share ways they've taken notes that they found effective.

CORNELL METHOD

• Ask if anyone wants to explain what the Cornell Method of note-taking is.

  • • If students groan about this one, have students who have used it before explain what they like about it AND what they don't like about it.

• Explain what the Cornell Method is and why it is an effective method of note-taking. Share the example with students.

  • • If you have a model of Cornell notes for your class to share with students, show them what it looks like for your class specifically!

MIND MAPPING

• Ask if anyone wants to explain what the mind mapping method of note-taking is.

  • • If students groan about this one, have students who have used it before explain what they like about it AND what they don't like about it.

• Explain what mind mapping is and why it is an effective method of note-taking. Share the example with students.

  • • If you have a model of mind mapping for your class to share with students, show them what it looks like for your class specifically!

OUTLINE

• Ask if anyone wants to explain what the outline of note-taking is.

  • • If students groan about this one, have students who have used it before explain what they like about it AND what they don't like about it.

• Explain what the outline method is and why it is an effective method of note-taking. Share the example with students.

  • • If you have a model of outline notes for your class to share with students, show them what it looks like for your class specifically!

WHEN TO TAKE NOTES

• Have 1-2 students share how they approach taking notes BEFORE class.

• Have 1-2 students share how they approach taking notes DURING class.

• Have 1-2 students share how they approach taking notes AFTER class.

• Adjust any of the information on these slides to fit what you expect students to do for your class!

ACTIVITY/PRACTICE

• Provide students with a short segment of a lecture or a written passage related to the subject being studied.

• Instruct students to individually practice note-taking using one of the introduced note-taking methods.

• Invite a few students to share their notes or discuss their experience with the different note-taking methods.

REFLECTION

Choose any (or all) of the prompts below for students to reflect on:

• Which note-taking method did you use during the activity, and why did you choose it?

• How did the chosen note-taking method help you capture and organize the information effectively?

• Did you encounter any challenges while practicing note-taking, and how did you overcome them?

• How can you apply the effective note-taking methods you have learned to your future lectures or reading assignments?

Cornell Method template (once students have their own copy, they can type directly into this document!)