Writing/Communication

Focused Note Taking

Focused Note Taking is a five step process that allows students an opportunity to remember information by interacting with their notes frequently

Focused Note Taking In 5 Easy Steps.pdf

One Pager

A one pager is a way for learners to respond to a resource that incorporates creativity while being concise and brief. Think of a one page flyer that gives graphics and info about a product. One pagers can include facts, graphics either drawn or cut from a magazine, quotes, a title, color, vocabulary words/phrases around the images, a decorative border, and Costa’s Level 2 or 3 questions and answers to them.

Copy of One Pager.pdf

Sample of instructions for a one pager.

Quickwrite

Quickwrites are short written responses to open ended questions or prompts. Learners think about a topic and then write nonstop for anywhere from 2-10 minutes. It allows learners to write something meaningful to them while creating a habit of reflection.

KWLA

Conduct a KWLA where students start by writing what they Know about a topic and anything they Want to know. After the lesson have students write what they Learned, and how they will Apply that learning.

DLIQ

  • Have students write a :

    • What did I Do?

    • What did I Learn?

    • What did I find Interesting?

    • What Questions do I have?

Word Bank

Create a list of possible words that students can use in some type of written response (i.e. Quickwrite, Summary, open-ended response, etc.)

Timed Writing

Have students practice writing to a prompt under a

timed writing situation.


Link to more info about Timed Writing

Open-Ended Question

Open-ended, short answer questions, based on literary selection or word problems that require students to interpret the text and support/justify their answer.

Sentence Frames

  • Use sentence frames to have students reflect/review their learning. Remember to keep the sentence frames open-ended to ensure they can be used repeatedly.

  • Link to AVID Sentence Frames

3-2-1 Exit Ticket

The 3-2-1 exit slip strategy is a specific type of exit strategy that asks students to summarize three things they learned, two things they liked, and one question they still have.

CORNELL Notes

CORNELL notes were developed by Dr. Walter Pauk in 1940. Research has proven that students who use the CORNELL system have a higher chance of remembering the content taught. CORNELL notes can be taken during class lectures and activities.

Copy of Cornell Notes Template

Learning Logs

The Goal of a learning log is to reflect on what students have learned during class. By focusing on what they have learned in class often students can see growth over time.

Learning Log.pdf

30 Second Expert

This activity is similar to Think-Pair-Share. It allows a student to write down what they already know about a topic and then collaborate with a partner to fill in any gaps. To complete this activity, students form pairs and take turns sharing what they know about a particular topic. Each student shares for 30 seconds.

30 Second Expert.pdf

Processing Menu

This menu gives students the opportunity to apply their Focused notes in a variety of ways.

Processing menu #1.pdf