Note Taking Made Easy

Deana Hippie
Strategies & Scaffolded Lessons

for Helping All Students Take Effective Notes,
Summarize & Learn the Content They Need to Know
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Grades 5 & Up
Note Taking Made Easy Deana Hippie, Scholastic Teaching Resources
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andwhosesteadfastsupporthasopenedupopportunitiesIwouldneverhaveknown
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Acknowledgements
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especiallySarahGlasscock,whosecommentsandsuggestionshelpedmewritean
immeasurablybetterbook
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~ LindaAustin,mydearestfriend,whocaughtthenexttranscontinentalfightwhen
Ineededher
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~ Tom,whothroughoutourlifetogetheralwayslovedandsupportedmeandallowedme
tobethepersonIwasmeanttobe
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3
Introduction 5
Bibliography 10
Chapter 1 Building Essential Concepts and Skills for Note Taking 11
Lesson 1: Classifying Specifc Ideas Based on a Stated Criterion 12
Lesson 2: Understanding the Hierarchy of General, Specifc, and More Specifc Ideas 13
Lesson 3: Understanding the Meaning of General, Specifc, and More Specifc 15
Lesson 4: Understanding the Rhetorical Structure of Expository Text 17
Lesson 5: Recognizing the Rhetorical Structure of Expository Text in Paragraphs 19
Lesson 6: Recognizing Expository Structure in Textbook Passages 21
Chapter 2 Identifying Important Informational Words and Phrases 23
Lesson 1: Identifying Informational Words and Phrases 24
Lesson 2: Using the 5Ws + H to Classify Information 25
Lesson 3: Classifying Information From Expository Text 27
Chapter 3 Developing Note-Taking Skills for Written Information 29
Lesson 1: Understanding the T-Chart Format for Note Taking 30
Lesson 2: Taking T-Chart Text Notes 32
Additional Strategies for Guided and Independent Note-Taking Practice 34
Lesson 3: Analyzing the Format of Textbook Passages 35
Lesson 4: Using the Format of a Textbook to Take Effective Notes 36
Note Taking for Nonlinear Thinkers 37
contents
4
Chapter 4 Developing Note-Taking Skills for Oral Information 38
Lesson 1: Taking Picture Notes 39
Lesson 2: Taking Two-Pass Notes 40
Lesson 3: Taking Framed-Bulleted Notes 43
Lesson 4: Using Transition Words to Identify Key Ideas 44
Lesson 5: Taking Complete Notes While Listening 46
Chapter 5 Personalizing, Studying, Reviewing, and Condensing Notes 48
Lesson 1: Emphasizing Essential Words in Notes 49
Lesson 2: Adding Graphic Representations to Notes 50
Lesson 3: Using Notes for Study and Review 52
Lesson 4: Condensing Notes 53
Chapter 6 Developing Text-Marking Strategies 54
Lesson 1: Reviewing How to Color-Code a Paragraph 55
Lesson 2: Identifying and Marking Essential Information 56
Additional Strategies for Guided and Independent In-Text Marking Practice 58
Chapter 7 Writing Summaries 59
Lesson 1: Determining the Purpose of a Passage 60
Lesson 2: Reviewing Categorizing 61
Lesson 3: Identifying Categorical Terms for Abstract Ideas 61
Lesson 4: Stating the Purpose of a Passage and Categorizing the Specifc/Key Ideas 62
Lesson 5: Understanding the Requirements of a Summary 64
Lesson 6: Writing a Complete Summary Statement 65
Lesson 7: Creating the Key Idea Outline 67
Lesson 8: Writing the Summary Paragraph 68
Additional Ideas for Summaries 69
Using Summary Writing for the Interpretation of Informational Graphics 70
Appendix: Reproducibles and Passages 71
5
Introduction
I
t was one of those days when I remembered too late the old adage that begins, Be careful what you
wish for Looking for a new project, I had volunteered to teach a new intervention class for
students who had failed the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE), but that day I was truly wishing
for a less challenging one About half of the reading comprehension passages on the CAHSEE were
expository, so I had decided I should begin there I instructed my students to read a short passage silently
and then asked them recall and comprehension questions, including questions about the main idea of
specifc paragraphs My success rate was nil Finally, I asked students what they did recall, and their answer
was nothing I knew them well enough by then to know that most were trying and that they were being
truthful
My students were also unable to organize and draft an expository composition, and I wondered if this
was related to their inability to comprehend and learn from expository text Since knowing the structure
of expository compositionthe movement from a general idea to increasingly more specifc ideasis a
prerequisite to being both a profcient reader and a writer of expository text, I began to wonder if teaching
students the structure of expository text through note taking would improve their reading comprehension
and their expository writing
During the course of my career, I have learned that when a lesson is not successful there are at least
two reasons: (1) students lack a conceptual basis or skill, or (2) I have left out a crucial link in their
chain of learning and comprehension Furthermore, Ive discovered that if I omit a link in this chain of
instruction and learning, my students just dont get it The art of the teaching profession is in fnding
what those missing concepts and skills are and then developing lessons that help students fll in the gaps
Not too much later, I was introduced to Robert Marzanos meta-analysis of instructional methodology
presented in Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement
(Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock, 2001) In the frst strategy Marzano presented, the ability to see
similarities and differences, I found the key to unlocking the puzzle of my students inability to work with
expository text either as readers or writers And it was the second strategy, the ability to take good notes
and write effective summaries, that helped me realize that I needed to develop my students abilities to
read, comprehend, and learn from expository text Through experimentation, refection, and revision, I
learned how to scaffold the conceptual knowledge and skill-based strategies contained in Marzanos book
A Tool for All Teachers
Unless students are taught otherwise, many assume that the strategies they use for reading narrative
fction will suffce for reading informational text They couldnt be more wrong Not only are the purposes
of the two types of writing different, their organizational patterns are also very different Until we teach
our students the organizational pattern of expository text, they will not be able to learn from its content
effectively, nor will they be able to write such text well
As students make the transition from learning to read to reading to learn, they need our continued
support to help them make sense of the expository passages they are expected to comprehend and learn
from It is my hope that the lessons in this book will help teachersin all grade levels and in all subject
areasprovide this support For if we do not provide students with the skills and strategies to access
information, all their time and effort will be fruitless; like the students in my intervention class, they will
not be able to recall a single thing they read In that intervention classroom, I learned that if students do
not know how to do something, no matter how hard they try, they will not succeed
6
How to Use This Book
Note taking and summary writing are skills No one is born knowing how to do them, yet too often we
think that students will develop these skills independently as theyre needed This is not the case These
skills need to be taught directly to students, and we teachers have to become coaches for note taking and
summary writing
The lessons in this book are scaffolded, but after students understand the concepts in Chapter 1 and
can use the skills in Chapter 2, you have the fexibility to jump around If its more important for your
students to be able to develop their skills in taking lecture notes rather than notes on written material,
teaching the listening and note-taking skills in Chapter 4 should take precedence over Chapter 3 The
skills for summary writing, discussed in Chapter 7, can be taught simultaneously with Chapters 36
If you are confdent that your students understand the structure of expository text and the concept of
categorization, you can begin teaching summary with Lesson 3 in Chapter 7
Here is an overview of the structure of this book:
Chapter 1: This chapter presents lessons to help students develop the conceptual basis for expository text
The lessons in this chapter are based on Marzanos most effective strategythe ability to see similarities
and differences Students learn to establish categories and criteria for sorting After students understand
how to sort and classify, they are introduced to the hierarchy of information in expository text: the general
or main idea is followed by specifc ideas, which are followed by more and most specifc information
Students also learn how to color-code text to help them visualize this expository pattern
Chapter 2: Students learn to identify key ideas and signifcant details Oftentimes, they are overwhelmed
by the sheer number of words in a passage and have diffculty isolating the truly important information
from the words that provide the structure of sentences Students also learn a system to categorize
information and determine which information is important enough to learn and remember
Chapter 3: The lessons in this chapter teach students to take notes from written text, condensing large
amounts of text into a more useful format for learning The lessons develop students confdence in their
ability to take effective notes and to understand the value and usefulness of text note taking Alternatives to
traditional linear note taking are provided for students who are nonlinear thinkers and processors
Chapter 4: These lessons help students develop the listening skills necessary for effective note taking The
lessons and strategies support students who do not have a strong auditory modality, ensuring and building
upon successful note taking experiences
Chapter 5: The suggestions in this chapter help students personalize their notes by adding color through
highlighting, circling, and underlining They further personalize their notes by adding sketches and other
graphics, personal connections, and so on Students also learn to condense their notes for review and how
to study and review these notes
Chapter 6: Students apply what they know about text note taking to marking a passage When students
must read and comprehend expository text independently, they need strategies to help them fnd and
return quickly to the key ideas and signifcant details
7
Chapter 7: These lessons develop students ability to write effective summaries Summary writing requires
the higher-order thinking skills of analysis, evaluation, and synthesis The step-by-step process taught
in this chapter helps students write a summary statement, outline key ideas and signifcant details, and
draft a summary paragraph Also included are methods for using the summary process for analysis and
interpretation of graphical information, such as charts, graphs, maps, timelines, and illustrations
The Appendix contains reproducibles of passages, graphic organizers, and word lists to help you
teach the strategies in this book
Addressing the Different Learning Modalities
Most of the students in my intervention class had a strong kinesthetic modality; therefore, I needed to
develop lessons that met their learning needs Kinesthetic learners have great diffculty dealing with
abstract concepts, so I had to create lessons that made the abstract more concrete Using different colors
to identify the concepts of general-specifc-more specifc information and to show the organization in
expository text proved to be a huge help Also, kinesthetic learners are trial-and-error learners They prefer
to have new concepts presented to them in a way that allows them to experiment with possibilities until
they understand the concept, so I began by having them physically sort objects and identify the criterion
that was the basis of their decisions
The strongest modality of most of my other students was visual Visual learners are attuned to color,
placement of text, and formatting cues These students, too, benefted from the color-coding of the general-
to-more specifc organization and were able to grasp quickly the formatting aids in textbooks when I
pointed them out and explained their function
The few auditory learners in my classroom benefted from listening to my think alouds as I modeled
the cognition necessary to learn and use the skills and strategies I was teaching
The Gradual Release of Responsibility Model
for Direct Teaching
In The Instruction of Reading Comprehension, Pearson and Gallagher explain the Gradual Release of
Responsibility Model for teaching students reading comprehension skills; however, the model can be used
for the teaching of any skill (Pearson and Gallagher, 1983) The effectiveness of this instructional model
comes from talking through the cognition that is required to perform the skill If students do not know
how to think about a task, they will not be able to perform itno matter how many times they see it done
or how many examples we show or model for them
I encourage you to think of the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model as recursiveas a spiral rather
than a line We remain in a particular stage for as long as our students need us to be there, and if the need
arises, we return to a previous stage for re-teaching or reinforcement The use of the model helps me be a
more effective teacher and helps my students reach mastery of skills more quickly
Heres an overview of the four stages of the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model:
Stage 1: Modeling/Demonstrating
The teacher models while students watch, listen, and copy the teachers actions
The teacher thinks aloud, modeling the cognition required for the task
Students copy the model that they have seen and heard the teacher create
8
Stage 2: Shared Practice
The teacher acts as scribe so students can focus on cognition
Students begin to think aloud
The teacher prompts and guides when necessary
Students copy the model they have created
Stage 3: Guided Practice
Students work in small, teacher-created groups
The teacher monitors and guides when necessary
Students create the product collaboratively
Stage 4: Independent Practice
Students work independently
The teacher monitors and re-teaches when necessary
In the lessons in this book, Stages 1 and 2 occur in the Direct Teaching-Modeling section The
decision to move to Stage 2 is based on the abilities and needs of your students Some classes need to
spend more time in Stage 1, while others can make the transition quickly Stage 3 occurs in the Small
Group Practice section, and Stage 4 occurs in the Independent Practice section, but not every lesson has
these sections Because students have mastered the skill by Stage 4, I encourage them to use it with their
content learning
Cloze Reading
Sometimes, I suggest you use Cloze reading during a lesson This strategy helps students focus while
someone else is reading aloud To use the strategy, you will need to preview the passage and identify single
words in a few sentences that students can easily pronounce before you display it or hand it out You read
aloud up to one of those words, stop, and have students say the word aloud You then continue reading
When I frst introduce the strategy, I have to try it several times before all students participate
The following examples use part of the paragraph on page 78 of the Appendix:
Teacher: Healthy eating requires making wise choices Selecting fruits and
Teacher pauses.
Students: vegetables
Teacher as snacks is a healthy alternative A crisp apple has few
Teacher pauses.
Students: calories
Teacher: and its crunchiness makes it
Teacher pauses.
Students: satisfying
Teacher: to eat
9
Display Copies
Many of the lessons call for display copies of passages and/or reproducibles You can create the display
copies with clear transparency flm for use on an overhead or display the material onscreen
Guidelines for Note Taking
T-Charts: In this book, I use a T-chart on folded, lined
notebook paper as the format for note taking in addition to
the reproducible on page 73 I teach my students to create the
T-chart on notebook paper because school budget restraints
often require that photocopying be kept to a minimum I explain
to my students that this is a modifcation of the hot dog, or
vertical, fold Instead of folding the paper in half, we take the left
side of the paper with the holes and fold it to the margin line on
the right side On 8-inch x 11-inch paper, the left column is
approximately 3 inches wide We create the T-chart by drawing
across the top line of the paper, and from that line, we draw a
line down the crease We then write the following at the top of
the chart to represent the general topic: T = As we add specifc
details in the left-hand column, we sketch in a key, and as we
note more specifc details in the right-hand column, we use
bullets When we add the most specifc information, we precede
it with a dash
Skip Lines: After completing the notes for each key, or specifc, idea, we skip several lines so the notes are
in paragraphs
The No More Than 4 Rule: To discourage copying entire sentences, I introduce the No More Than 4
Rule: no more than four words per key idea or bulleted more specifc idea Limiting the number of words
requires students to look closely at the information and to make decisions about what is signifcant
Personalize and Condense: Whenever students take notes, whether from a text or a lecture, they
should personalize and eventually condense their notes See Chapter 5 for suggestions
Choosing Passages for Instruction in Note Taking
While the structure of expository text generally moves from general ideas to increasingly more specifc
ones, some written passages do not adhere to this pattern When choosing passages for teaching note-
taking skills, I always ensure that the general-specifc-more specifc pattern is consistent; for example,
in stand-alone paragraphs, the topic is always contained in the frst sentence, the second sentence has a
specifc/key idea, followed by several sentences with more specifc and then the most specifc information
This specifc to more/most specifc pattern can be repeated several times within the paragraph In
multiparagraph passages, I ensure that the topic is a stand-alone, a one-sentence paragraph, a boldface
topic, or the last sentence in the frst paragraph I want students to focus on learning the skills that I am
teaching rather than analyzing the structure of the passage The passages in the Appendix follow this
standard format
T-chart for Note taking on notebook paper
T =
J0
Bibliography
Marzano, R J, Pickering, D J, Pollock, J E (2001) Classroom instruction that works: Research-
based strategies for increasing student achievement Alexandria, VA Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development
Pearson, P D & Gallagher, M C (1983) The Instruction of Reading Comprehension,
Contemporary Educational Psychology, 8, 317344
Some Final Thoughts
When teaching the skills of note taking and summary writing, we have one advantage: we can teach and
practice the skill with content material All textbooks, including literature books, have expository sections
We can, in effect, accomplish two objectives: (1) to teach or practice the skills of note taking and summary
writing and (2) to help students learn the curricular content at the same time I encourage you to keep
this in mind when the enormous demands placed on our instructional time create what seems to be two
untenable choices: to attempt to teach the curriculum without teaching the skills to help students master
the content or to take time from teaching content to teach the necessary skills Truthfully, the time you
allocate to teaching the skills in this book early in the year will help your students become more effcient
learners later
This book is the result of my learning to teach my students the skills that are essential for their
academic success, and my hope is that you will fnd it valuable for both your own and your students
learning In retrospect, I understand what a wonderful gift my students gave me on that day they told me
that they could recall nothing
JJ
Building Essential
Concepts and Skills
for Note Taking
W
e all love a good story: we tell each other the story of our day, stories from our lives, stories that
we make up Stories are read to us as children, and as we become readers ourselves, we continue
reading them They provide entertainment, enrich our lives, and offer insights into what it means to be
human We are taught to read using stories because the suspenseful element of narrative engages our
curiosity about what comes next However, at some point in our education, we are expected to read not
only stories but also informational or expository text Our task then becomes to read to learn rather than to
learn to read
When we introduce our students to expository text, we also need to ensure that they have the
conceptual foundation to be able to comprehend what they read The structure of expository text is very
different from that of narrative text Unless students know this structural pattern of general, specifc, and
more specifc, they will have diffculty making sense of the information they read
The Purpose of This Chapter
This chapter develops the following conceptual understanding and the skills students need to comprehend
expository text:
Sorting and Classifying: Unless students can sort and classify, they cannot understand the
rhetorical structure of expository text: the movement from the general idea to increasingly
more specifc ones Developing the ability to establish criteria for sorting and grouping
information is an essential skill for both effective note taking and summary writing The
diffculty is that very often students cannot see beyond the concrete examples to the abstract
criterion Lessons 13 lay the foundation for being able to establish criteria You should expect
to work with this concept over time because it requires students to synthesize a new idea from
existing information
Structure: Understanding expository structure helps students see the relationship of ideas in
what they read and facilitates their comprehension Having an awareness of this pattern aids
students in becoming effective note takers Lessons 36 help them learn the general idea to
increasingly more specifc ideas pattern found in expository text They begin by working
with words or phrases and move to seeing the pattern in simple paragraphs and then in
multiparagraph passages
chapter 1
J2
Lesson 1: Classifying Specifc Ideas
Based on a Stated Criterion
Lesson Objective: To learn the concept of using a criterion for sorting objects.
Preparation
Copy the Shapes for Sorting reproducible in four different colors: green, yellow, pink,
and blue and cut out the shapes (You can copy it on card stock backed by magnetic
tape or colored transparency flm or create the shapes on a computer and print them
on clear transparency flm) Make a display copy of the Animal Pictures for Classifying
reproducible Gather pictures with a common themefood stores, sports equipment,
and so onthat can be sorted using a number of criteria
Direct Teaching-Modeling
Display the cutout shapes to students and ask, What do you see? After students
respond, ask them what they notice about the shapes and note their responses on
the board (Students usually give the following answers: shapes, circles, squares,
rectangles, triangles; the shapes are different sizes and colors, and so on)
Then write the following sentence on the board and have students list as many
ways to fll in the blank as they can, for example, size, shape, color: Some of these
objects are the same ____________.
For the next step, write the word criterion on the board and its plural, criteria,
and explain these terms Heres how I might do this: When you discover a similar
characteristic you can use to group objects or ideas together, you have identifed a criterion for sorting them
Being able to fnd a similarity between two objects or ideas helps our brains remember information more easily
Show the display copy of the Animal Pictures for Classifying reproducible Tell students that youre
going to try to fnd several criteria to sort the animals and then think aloud: I notice that some animals
swim, some fy, and some walk However, none of those is a criterion Swimming, fying, and walking are
all examples of movement, so the criterion would be movement I also notice that some animals have fur,
others have feathers, and still others have scales Can someone suggest a criterion for those examples?
(outside coverings of animals)
Students may continue to have diffculty in fnding criteria because they focus on the concrete, so
keep working with them in establishing criteria for sorting the animals For example, they can see that
some animals live in water, others live in forests, and others live on farms; however, they may have trouble
naming the abstract criterion of habitat for sorting You will probably fnd that you need to move back
and forth between Stages 1 and 2 If students cannot suggest a criterion for a list of examples, model your
thinking to arrive at one
Small Group Practice: Give the group pictures from the collection you gathered and ask students to
identify three or four possible criteria to sort them
Independent Practice: Have students draw or collect pictures with a common theme and list possible
sorting criteria
Materials
Shapes for Sorting
reproducible (page 71)
Animal Pictures for
Classifying reproducible
(page 72)
scissors
four different colors of
card stock with magnetic
tape backing or colored
or clear transparency flm
(optional)
pictures with a common
theme

J3
Lesson 2: Understanding the Hierarchy of General,
Specifc, and More Specifc Ideas
Lesson Objective: To sort objects and create a simple T-chart outline
W
hen I frst developed this lesson, I had my students do sorting tasks For
example, I had them sort a variety of itemsbuttons, beans, ads cut from
telephone books, and so on into piles based on a stated criterion Later, however,
I was unable to transfer their new understanding of sorting into an understanding
of the concept of general, specifc, more specifc information in expository text
We did the lesson again, but this time we created an outline based on their sorting
This laid the foundation for students being able to understand the structure of
expository text Because we were working with objects, students did not have to
grapple with reading and analyzing a passage at the same time they were trying to
learn the structure of expository text Creating an outline at this stage established
the format of the graphic organizer we would be using later to take notes The
symbols on the outline and the position of each level of idea are nonverbal cues
that my kinesthetic and visual learners could then use to learn the concepts of
general-specifc-more specifc
Preparation
Create a display copy of the T-Chart reproducible Students will need lined notebook paper and pencils
Show the shapes from Lesson 1 and review several criteria for sorting them into smaller groups After
listing the criteria on the board, review them For example, you might say the following: One way we
can sort is by using size as the criterion We can sort the shapes into groups of small, medium, and large
Another criterion we can use is color We can sort the shapes into groups of green, blue, pink, and yellow
Then ask students what they know about outlines (Typical responses usually reveal that students
know theyre supposed to use outlines when theyre writing, and some know that outlines can be used to
take notes The replies show me that most students know when to use outlines but very few know how
Notes From My Classroom
I work with students on establishing criteria for sorting and grouping information
throughout the school year. As my students became more profcient at working with
expository text, their ability to establish criteria for sorting and classifying continues
to improve.
Materials
T-Chart reproducible
(page 73)
shapes from Lesson 1
variety of objects or
pictures (buttons,
beans, pictures from
magazines, ads from
telephone books, clip
art, and so on)

J4
or why) Explain that one of the important reasons
for making an outline is that it helps us understand
how ideas relate to each other When we have many
ideas, we need to sort them into groups that share a
common criterion so we can learn the information
Mix the shapes into one large group and reveal
that youre going to sort, or organize, this large
group of shapes into smaller groups and then create
an outline to show how these smaller groups relate
to each other
Begin modeling how to create an outline
by showing the display copy of the T-Chart
reproducible Heres how you might proceed:
For my outline, Ill use this graphic organizer
called a T-chart My topic is shapes, so Ill write that
next to T at the top of the chart Im going to use size
as my frst criterion for sorting the shapes (I sort
the shapes by size: small, medium, large)
Ive sorted the group of shapes into three
smaller groups: small, medium, and large Do you
see the keys in the left-hand column of the T-chart?
Next to each key, Im going to write the name of one
of the three groups: small, medium, and large I can continue to sort each of these three key groups into
even smaller groups For example, I could sort them by color, type of shape, or number of angles I think
Ill sort the small shapes by color (I sort the small shapes by color: green, yellow, pink, blue)
On my outline, Ill list the colors next to the bullets in the right-hand column: green, yellow, pink,
and blue Now Ill sort the group of medium shapes I could sort this group by color, too, or number of
angles or type of shape I think Ill sort them by type of shape (I sort the medium group by type of shape:
square, circle, triangle, rectangle)
Ill write square, circle, triangle, and square beside the bullets in the right-hand column of the outline
Okay, I have one key group left, the group of large shapes Again, there are several criteria I could use to
sort this group: color, number of angles, type of shape This time, I think Ill sort by number of angles
(I sort the large shapes by number of angles: 0 angle, 3 angles, 4 angles)
In the right-hand column, Ill write 0 angles, 3 angles, and 4 angles beside the bullets Notice what
happened each time I sorted a group of shapes: each new group had fewer objects in it When I did the
frst sort by size, the original pile was divided into three smaller piles: small, medium, and large All the
objects in each group share a similar characteristic or criterion with all of the other objects: each is small,
medium, or large in size When I sorted the small size group by color, each of the color groups had fewer
objects in it than the original group it came from, and each color group only has one color in it
During the lesson, whenever you feel your students are ready to move to Stage 2 in the Gradual
Release of Responsibility Model, ask for their ideas about sorting and categorizing, but scribe for them so
they can focus on thinking
Name Date
K$:_Xik
T = Shapes
small
green

yellow

pink

blue
medium
square

circle

triangle

rectangle
large
0 angles

3 angles

4 angles
Sample T-chart outline for sorting shapes
J5
Small Group Practice: Give each student a copy of the T-chart reproducible or demonstrate how
to make a T-chart using lined notebook paper (see the model in Guidelines for Note Taking, page 9)
Distribute the objects or pictures for each group to sort and outline Ask students to sort them and create
at least three different outlines with at least two key ideas each (Each student should make a copy of
the outlines) Monitor the groups as they are working and guide and reteach when necessary Collect the
outlines for use in Lesson 3
Independent Practice: Have students collect their own objects or pictures and then sort and outline
them in at least two different ways
Lesson 3: Understanding the Meaning of
General, Specifc, and More Specifc
Lesson Objective: To learn the meaning of the terms general, specifc, and more specifc.
K
inesthetic learners need concrete experiences with concepts before we
introduce them to the vocabulary of the concept Although my students agreed
that they had heard the terms general, specifc, and more specifc before, they didnt
truly understand what the terms meant or how the words related to each other After
seeing the sequence move from a large group to a smaller one to an even smaller one
in Lesson 2, they were ready to move into the abstraction of words and terms
Preparation
Duplicate a copy of the Color-Coding: General Specifc More/Most Specifc
Ideas reproducible for each student and make a display copy Also make a display
copy of the T-chart reproducible Make copies of the General Specifc More/
Most Specifc Ideas Sort #1 reproducible and cut apart the sets (make a set for every
two students)
Part 1: Show several outlines created by groups in Lesson 2 and explain that the
outlines show how information is presented in most of the textbooks they read and
in lectures they hear in school Then display the shapes outline you created with
students in Lesson 2 Label it with the following terms: general (topic); specifc (key
ideas); and more/most specifc (bullets/dashes) Explain that youre going to use a
different color to represent each term
Materials
Shapes T-chart outlines
created in Lesson 2
(display chart and
group charts)
T-Chart reproducible or
lined notebook paper
(page 73)
Color-Coding: General
Specifc More/
Most Specifc Ideas
General Specifc
More/Most Specifc Ideas
Sort #1 and Sort #2
reproducibles
(pages 7576)
scissors
three different colors of
highlighters or colored
pencils for each student

J6
After distributing a copy of the Color-Coding: General Specifc More/Most Specifc Ideas
reproducible to each student, talk about the defnition of each term and how it relates to what appears
on the Shapes T-chart Then tell students that youre going to use different colors to highlight the terms:
These colors will always represent the same parts of an outline For example, blue will always be the
general idea or topic; green will always be specifc/key ideas; and yellow will always be more specifc or
bulleted ideas and the most specifc or ideas with dashes (These colors are suggestions only You can
choose any colors to represent the three levels of specifcity Consistency is the only requirement)
Then color code the squares beside each term and the terms Have students identify the corresponding
parts of their own outlines from Lesson 2 and color code them
Part 2: In the next phase of the lesson, show students a set from the General Specifc More/Most
Specifc Ideas Sort #1 reproducible in random order, for example, two-wheeled vehicle, transportation,
motorcycle Demonstrate how to arrange the set into the general-specifc-more specifc pattern, for example:
I have to ask myself which of these is the largest category Which idea would have the most examples?
In this settwo-wheeled vehicle, transportation, motorcycletransportation is the largest category, or
biggest idea, so that is the general idea What would be the next idea? Well, a motorcycle is an example of
a two-wheeled vehicle, so two-wheeled vehicle is the specifc/key idea That leaves motorcycle as the more
specifc idea I can check to see if Im correct by working backward: Are motorcycles two-wheeled vehicles?
Yes Are two-wheeled vehicles used for transportation? Yes Im correct
Copy the words and phrases onto the display T-chart and ask students how to color-code it Use
other sets to repeat the modeling as necessary Move to Stage 2 when students are ready, scribing their
identifcation of general, specifc, and more specifc ideas in the sets
Sample transportation T-chart
Sample United States T-chart
Small Group Practice: Provide students with three sets of ideas from the Sort #1 reproducible, arranged
randomly, and have them create and highlight a T-chart for each set When you feel your students are
ready, give them additional specifc and more specifc ideas from the Sort #2 reproducible, which has
groups of fve: 1 general, 2 specifc/key ideas, and 1 more specifc idea for each set
Name Date
K$:_Xik
T = Transportation
two-wheeled

motorcycle
vehicle
Name Date
K$:_Xik
T = United States
East Coast New York
West Coast California
J7
Independent Practice: Challenge students to create groups of ideas that follow the pattern in the Sort
reproducibles and present them to the class as a game in which players compete to see who can sort the
ideas quickly and correctly Remind students to include an answer key
Lesson 4: Understanding the Rhetorical Structure
of Expository Text
Lesson Objective: To correctly reconstruct a fve- to seven-sentence paragraph using the concepts of
general-specifc-more specifc ideas.
(Note: Depending on the abilities of your students, you may want to work with three-sentence paragraphs in one
lesson, fve-sentence paragraphs in a second lesson, and seven-sentence paragraphs in a third lesson.)
O
nce my students understand the concepts in Lesson 3, they are ready to apply
that knowledge to understanding the rhetorical structure of expository text
Because many of my students fnd reading and working with lengthy paragraphs a
challenge, I have learned to begin with short passages to build success
Preparation
Make color-coded (for the general-specifc-more specifc pattern) sentence strips for
the following three-sentence paragraph:
Dogs have been bred for many purposes One purpose is hunting
Dogs are used to locate game or to retrieve it
(You can color code the sentence strips by using different colors of paper,
colored sticky dots, or highlighters)
Make non-coded sentence strips for the following three-sentence paragraph:
Historians have divided the thirteen colonies by geographic region The regions
are the New England, Middle, and Southern colonies Pennsylvania was a
Middle colony
Also make additional non-coded sentence strips for the expository paragraphs on the Recognizing the
Structure of Expository Text on page 77 to use at Stage 2 and Stage 3
Part 1: Review the concepts of general, specifc, and more specifc ideas and the colors you assigned to each
in Lesson 3 Then show students the three color-coded sentence strips about dogs and hunting Read aloud
the frst sentence and identify and circle the words or phrases that name the general idea; add the second
Materials
Recognizing the Structure
of Expository Text
(page 77)
white paper or three
different colors of paper
sticky dots (optional)
scissors
three different colors
of highlighter pens or
colored pencils for each
student

J8
sentence strip and identify and circle the specifc
idea; add the third sentence strip and identify and
circle the more specifc idea Heres how I would
model this process: The frst sentence contains the
general idea You can see that Ive color-coded it in
blue The sentence reads, Dogs have been bred for
many purposes Dogs and purposes could both
be general ideas, so Ill circle both words The next
sentence is the specifc sentence, and Ive color-
coded it in green It reads, One
purpose is hunting Now I know
that the general idea is purposes
for which dogs have been bred
The specifc/key idea in the second
sentence is hunting, so Ill circle it
The next sentence contains the more
specifc details, so Ive color-coded
it in yellow It reads, Dogs are used
to locate game or to retrieve it The
more specifc ideas are locate game
or retrieve it, because they explain what dogs do when hunting
Repeat this process as many times as needed In Stage 2, show students color-coded strips for another
three-sentence paragraph and ask them to identify the words or phrases that show the general-specifc-
more specifc pattern; circle the words or phrases as students correctly identify them
Part 2: When students demonstrate an understanding of the identifcation process, display the sentence
strips about the Thirteen Colonies in random order Model the process of putting them in correct order,
circling the ideas and details in the sentences, and using the appropriate color for specifcity Heres how I
would model this process of arranging the sentences in order:
These three sentences arent color-coded, but because we understand the movement from general to
specifc to more specifc, we can correctly structure them into a paragraph First, Ill read all three sentences
before I make a decision Pennsylvania was a Middle Colony Historians have divided the thirteen colonies
by geographic region The regions are the New England, Middle, and Southern colonies These sentences
are defnitely not in the correct order The second sentence contains the general idea: It talks about all
thirteen colonies Ill move it to the beginning The specifc/key idea is in the sentence that names the three
regions Ill move it to the second position Now the fnal sentence contains the more specifc idea because
it identifes one of the colonies in the Middle Colonies
Then circle the general-specifc-more specifc ideas in the sentences and color-code them When you
feel your students understand this process, move to Stage 2 Use the sentence stripes you made for the
paragraphs on page 77 and have students place the sentences in order Scribe as they identify the general,
specifc, and more specifc ideas Color-code the ideas based on students direction If students easily grasp
the concept, introduce a fve-sentence paragraph and guide them through the process of identifying the
general idea, the two specifc/key ideas, and the appropriate more specifc idea
Name Date
Dogs have been bred for many purposes.
One purpose is hunting.
Dogs are used to locate game or retrieve it.
Historians have divided the thirteen colonies by geographic region.
The regions are the New England, Middle, and Southern colonies.
Pennsylvania was a Middle colony.
Circled sentence strips, Part 1
Circled sentence strips, Part 2
Name Date
Dogs have been bred for many purposes.
One purpose is hunting.
Dogs are used to locate game or retrieve it.
Historians have divided the thirteen colonies by geographic region.
The regions are the New England, Middle, and Southern colonies.
Pennsylvania was a Middle colony.
J9
Small Group Practice: Give each group a set of non-coded sentence strips you created from the
Recognizing Expository Structure in Textbook Passages reproducible Tell students to arrange the sentences
in the correct order and have them explain their rationale for the arrangement
Independent Practice: Give individual students a set of non-coded strips created from content material
and have them arrange the sentences in the correct order and explain their rationale for the arrangement
Not all paragraphs follow the general-specifc-more specifc pattern that students
discovered in this lesson. However, once students see that there is consistency in
expository organization, they are prepared to look more closely at less uniformly
organized paragraphs. I have found that the use of color-coding truly helps my students
see and understand the structure of expository text and recognize the relationship
among general, specifc, and more specifc information.
Lesson 5: Recognizing the Rhetorical Structure
of Expository Text in Paragraphs
Lesson Objective: To identify and color-code the general-specifc-more specifc pattern in paragraphs.
U
p to this point, students have been working with sentences in a paragraph
one at a time, but they have begun to see the consistency in the pattern
of expository structure Obviously, they need to transition to working with text
in written passages The transition is usually a smooth one Because students
now have the necessary concepts and skills for recognizing expository structure,
they are much less intimidated by longer written passages I begin with single
paragraphs and gradually introduce longer multiparagraph passages as students
confdence increases
Preparation
Write or collect expository paragraphs of fve, six, and eight sentences in length and
make copies for students Create a display copy of the Types of Literature passage
from the reproducible and duplicate a copy for each student (Note: You can also use
another fve-sentence paragraph about a topic in your content area See the other
passages on the reproducible for models)
Materials
Expository paragraphs
with fve, six, and eight
sentences
of Expository Text
highlighter pens or tape
or colored pencils for
each student

20
In a later lesson, you may want to use a six- or seven-sentence paragraph that doesnt
have an equal number of more specifc ideas. Model the process again, discussing
that not every specifc idea in a paragraph will have an equal number of more specifc
ideas. Allow students to talk through the process with another paragraph. If they need
additional practice, continue modeling and taking student input until you feel they can
work in small groups.
Review the concepts of general, specifc, and more specifc ideas in expository text and the corresponding
colors youve chosen, as well as the process of identifying the words or phrases that can help us determine
the level of specifcity of an idea Next, display the Types of Literature passage, which is a fve-sentence
expository paragraph with two specifc and two more-specifc ideas, and read the paragraph aloud Then
model identifying the hierarchy of ideas in the paragraph Heres how I would model the process:
I know the frst sentence in an expository paragraph usually contains the general idea The frst
sentence in this paragraph is, Literature can be divided into two basic types Literature and types are
the two general ideas Im going to circle those words and highlight the sentence in blue, our general idea
color The next sentence should be about a specifc type of literature: Fiction is one type of literature It
is; the specifc/key example is fction, so Ill circle it and highlight the sentence in green Because of the
length of the paragraph, I expect that the next sentence will give more information about fction: Fiction is
literature that is creative and not based on fact It does The more specifc information is creative and not
based on fact, so Ill circle that phrase and highlight the sentence in the correct color, yellow
Continue with the discussion of nonfction in the rest of the paragraph Then, if your students are
ready, move to Stage 2 Use the Healthy Eating paragraph on the reproducible, and have students talk
through the process Circle the words or phrases they suggest and color-code each sentence
Small Group Practice: Give students several paragraphs of differing lengths and structure and have
them read the whole paragraph together, identify and circle the words or phrases that determine generality
or specifcity, and highlight the sentences in the paragraph
Independent Practice: Have students complete the steps in the process for identifying the level of
generality and specifcity of sentences in the The Best Place to Live paragraph on the reproducible and
highlight it appropriately
2J
Lesson 6: Recognizing Expository Structure
in Textbook Passages
Lesson Objective: To use layout clues to recognize expository structure in textbook passages.
A
s students progress through the grades, we expect them to acquire more
and more information through reading textbooks For many students, this
presents a true challenge for a number of reasons, not the least of which is they do
not understand how the ideas are organized During the time I was experimenting
with the previous lessons, I began to question what practical, lasting value these
foundational skills that we were building would have once the standardized testing
was fnished As a language arts teacher, I had had little experience with teaching
expository text, and I began to wonder if there was an application to the content-
area textbooks on my campus and discovered that the organization of these books
was an extension of the expository composition Using passages from textbooks, I
was able to show students how to apply their new knowledge to their reading of
these texts We also discussed how the layout of the books followed the structure of
expository text
Preparation
Make a display copy of the reproducible and duplicate a copy for each student Also create a display copy
of several sections from the textbooks
After reviewing the concepts and skills taught in the previous lessons, explain to students that they can
apply their new knowledge and skills when they read their textbooks for information Then show the
display copy of the reproducible Ask students to look at the passage in the right-hand column and tell
you what they notice about its structure and organization (By this time, they should be familiar with the
terminology and can recognize the expository structure) Fill in the diagram in the left-hand column with
the appropriate colors
Explain that many textbooks use formatting techniques, such as different fonts and type sizes and
boldface and italic type, to help readers see the movement from general ideas to more specifc information
Point out the difference between reading information in paragraph or essay form and reading in textbooks:
In paragraphs and essays, general and specifc/key ideas are written as sentences, but in textbooks, they are
often just words or phrases that are indicated by formatting techniques
Then read the passage and analyze its organization Call on a student to read aloud the title and the
three boldface heads aloud Ask students how the specifc/key ideas relate to the title, guiding them to see
that the passage is organized by regions Then ask them to use the title and the section heads to speculate
about what information the more specifc ideas reveal After noting students responses, read the frst
paragraph using the Cloze methods and confrm their predictions Have students read the rest of the
passage silently to determine if their predictions are still correct
Materials
Diagram for Recognizing
Expository Structure in
Textbook Passages
(page 79)
a variety of textbooks
pencils or highlighters for
each student

Although my students had been expected to learn through reading for years, many were
unaware of expository structure and how it is used in formatting textbooks. For them,
this lesson was a revelation. I suggested that before they began reading, they use the
formatting to discover the general and specifc/key ideas in the assigned chapter or
section by scanning the boldface headings. More than one student told me that for the
frst time they saw the point of scanning before reading.
22
To reinforce the connection between the diagram and the passage, tell students to highlight the passage
in the appropriate colors If you feel your students are ready, move to Stage 2 Use one of the textbook
sections display copies and have students guide you in drawing and highlighting a diagram of the section
Small Group Practice: Give students textbooks and have them analyze the organization of a section and
draw and highlight a diagram of it
Independent Practice: Have students analyze the organization of a section they are currently reading,
then draw and highlight a diagram of it
Some Final Thoughts
I feel that the lessons in this chapter are among the most important I have
developed in my career because they address the root of the problem when
students can decode but not comprehend expository text They also provide
the foundation for note taking Students who truly understand the structure of
expository text can easily see the hierarchy of information in what they read This allows them to
fnd important information more easily and organize it more effciently
The use of color-coding to learn about the structure of expository text is invaluable My
students have been told about the general-specifc-more specifc pattern for years, but when they
can actually see it and visualize it, they are fnally able to understand it
Admittedly, the preparation for these lessons is time-consuming However, once you have
collected or written the passages for teaching the lessons, you will always have access to them Also,
if you use card stock for sentence strips, they should last for several years
My normally disengaged students enjoyed the lessons in this chapter because at the beginning
they felt that they were playing games, and later, they participated because they knew how to
approach the task They could, in fact, think expository text
23
Identifying Important
Informational Words
and Phrases
T
he following lesson had seemed so simple to me: Circle the important words and phrases in an
expository paragraph about theaters in Elizabethan England As my students and I worked our way
through the passage, their diffculty in identifying the words that convey information as opposed to those
that provide structure for the sentence became very apparent I halted the lesson and tried to discover the
origin of the problem I asked students what strategies they had used to decide which words to circle Their
answers amazed me: I chose the longest word; I circled the words I didnt know; I didnt think any of
them were important, so I just picked one In the continuing discussion, I discovered that many students
are overwhelmed by the number of words in a passage and, consequently, have diffculty in deciding which
words or phrases convey important information
Until students understand that sentences are made up of meaning words and connector words, they
cannot begin to identify the words and phrases that convey important information Also, students often
lack the ability to decide which information is important enough to learn and remember The lessons in
this chapter are designed to help students do the following:
identify important words and phrases in passages
use the 5Ws + H structure to determine whether information is signifcant
chapter 2
24
Lesson 1: Identifying Informational Words
and Phrases
Lesson Objective: To identify the informational words and phrases in a sentence.
W
hen students cannot distinguish between the informational words in a
sentence and connector words used to construct it, they cannot be profcient
note takers Students who do not have this skill tend to copy entire sentences from
the text or try to write down everything they hear
Preparation
Make a display copy of the following sentence and cut it into individual words
or phrases where the hyphens occur:
All - living things - are - part of a - food cycle - that - includes -
producers, - consumers, - and - decomposers
Also make display copies of the following two sentences:
Consumers can be divided into three classifcations: herbivores,
carnivores, and omnivores
Omnivores eat both plants and animals
Explain that sentences are made up of two types of words: (1) words that provide information and (2)
words that connect these information words to create a complete thought Display the following words
from the frst sentence in the Preparation section: All, are, part of a, that, includes, and Model the concept
of informational and connecting words Heres what I might say: These words are connector words from a
sentence Can anyone tell me what the sentence is about? No? Its impossible because these are words that
help us connect information words into a complete sentence Now Im going to show you the information
words from the sentence
Display the words living things, food cycle, producers, consumers, decomposers and continue to model:
Now we know that the sentence is most likely about living things being part of a food cycle that includes
producers, consumers, and decomposers Lets see if I can combine the connector words and information
words into a complete sentence Compose the complete sentence and show it to students
Tell students that when they take notes from a lecture or from their reading, they need to make
decisions about which words will be most helpful in learning and remembering information Remind
students that complete sentences are never used in note taking, so they have to know how to separate
information words from connector words Emphasize the following: Taking notes helps us study, learn, and
remember information, so we always want to use only those words and phrases that provide information.
Then display the second sentence from the Preparation section and continue to model the process
of identifying information words: Which words are the information words in this sentence? Im going
Materials
marker
scissors
a variety of expository
paragraphs
pencils or highlighters for
each student
content material

25
to circle (or highlight)
the words Consumers,
herbivores, carnivores, and
omnivores Im not going
to circle divided, three, or
classifcations because the list
of three wordsherbivores,
carnivores, omnivores
implies the division into
classifcations When we
take notes, we are constantly making decisions about what to write down Again, we want to write only the
words and phrases that are most important for us to remember
Display the third sentence from the Preparation section and continue to model If you feel your
students need additional modeling, continue to work at the sentence level; however, if you feel they can
now distinguish the informational words, move to Stage 2 and introduce a short paragraph Read it aloud
using Cloze reading and then work with one sentence at a time Ask students to identify the informational
words in each sentence and circle or highlight their responses
Small Group Practice: Have students work together to identify the informational words and phrases in
sentences and paragraphs by highlighting, underlining, or circling them Use content materials with this
activity If students are working with passages in their textbooks, they should list the informational words
in each sentence in a chart like the one on page 80
Lesson 2: Using the 5Ws + H to Classify Information
Lesson Objective: To introduce the 5Ws + H structure to help students classify information.
A
cquiring the skill of identifying informational words and phrases helped my
students focus on the purpose of expository readingto acquire information
I discovered, however, that just being able to access the information didnt
mean students understood why it was important The words and phrases were a
hodgepodge that had no true signifcance for them Recalling the impact of sorting
and classifying, I then designed lessons that would provide students with categories
for sorting information, beginning with the basic parts of a newspaper lead: the
5Ws + H This not only gives students a framework for classifying information but
also provides an easy mnemonic when they are trying to identify important words
in sentences and making decisions about which words and phrases will be of most
importance when they are taking notes
Informational words and phrases circled in Sentences 2 and 3
Materials
collection of
newspaper leads
Consumers can be divided into three classifcations: herbivores,

carnivores, and omnivores.
Omnivores eat both plants and animals.
26
Preparation
Collect examples of interesting newspaper leads Be certain they are hard news stories rather than
human-interest stories Make display copies of several leads
Tell students that a news storywhether print, such as newspapers or magazines, or oral, such as
television or radiobegins with a lead A lead is a one-to-three-sentence summary of the story
that follows
Display a lead and ask students to identify the information words in the sentence, for example:
Yesterday, Roberta Carter, principal of Myersville School, announced the winners of the schools creative
writing contest Explain that a lead always includes who and what happened Ask students to identify the
who and what happened in the lead; in the example: Roberta Carter (who) announced (what happened)
Circle or highlight the words
Continue by saying that a lead usually reveals where and when and, depending on the news story,
how, and/or why Then identify the purpose of each of the other informational words and phrases in the
lead (in the example: Myersville Schoolwhere, Yesterdaywhen, winners of the schools creative writing
contestwhy the announcement was made)
Point out that a lead can be thought of as a fve Ws plus an H sentence: Who, What happened,
When, Where, Why, and How statements Explain to students that using the fve Ws + H as criteria
will help them identify and sort important information as they read expository text However, emphasize
that not every sentence in an expository passage in an article or a textbook will contain all the parts of the
5Ws + H structure Read additional expository sentences and have students identify the Ws and the H
found in each sentence
Small Group Practice: Ask students to work together to identify the 5Ws and the H in additional text
This is an opportunity to have them practice using sentences from content that they are currently studying
Students can circle the words if they are using a handout; however, if they are using textbooks, they should
assign each sentence a number and list the corresponding words beside each number (See the chart on
page 80)
Independent Practice: Students can practice the skills learned in this lesson as they read in
content areas
Students can practice using the 5Ws + H classifcation structure as they read in the
content areas. For example, after reading a short section in their science or social
studies book, they can write a sentence about what theyve just read that includes as
many parts of the 5Ws + H as possible. Using this technique helps students remember
important information and write detailed sentences.
27
Lesson 3: Classifying Information From
Expository Text
Lesson Objective: To identify and classify informational words in expository paragraphs.
T
his lesson begins to transition students from identifying informational words
and phrases to writing them down, which paves the way for more traditional
note taking Because students are working with a chart, there is less of a tendency to
copy complete sentences
Preparation
Make a display copy and student copies of the graphic organizer Note: Instead of
duplicating it, you can show students how to use a burrito fold to create a three-
column chart out of notebook or plain paper Have them copy the format and
headings on the Identifying and Classifying Informational Words and Phrases chart
After reviewing the 5Ws + H classifcation structure, display the Identifying and Classifying Informational
Words and Phrases chart Explain that youre going to use the 5Ws + H structure to identify informational
words and phrases in a passage and sort them in a chart Show the passage and ask a student to read the
title aloud Write it at the top of the chart
Read aloud the frst sentence in the Northeastern tribes paragraph and then think aloud, identifying
who and what happened: tribes lived Before recording this under Who/What on the chart, explain that
you want to use as few words as possible in the chart but still be able to understand them when you study
it later
Move to the When/Where column, think aloud about whether the frst sentence contains any of this
information, and note down the following: Northeast forests Explain that its important to include Northeast
in the chart because that tells which region youre reading about
Then ask yourself whether the frst sentence contains any information about Why and/or How Since
there is none, leave that column blank Emphasize that there will be gaps in the chart
Repeat this process with the second sentence in the Northeastern paragraph Depending on your
students, either continue modeling your thinking with the rest of the paragraph, or move to Stage 2 in the
Gradual Release of Responsibility Model In Stage 2, have a student read the third sentence aloud Ask the
class to identify any 5Ws + H information in that sentence (If they are confused about leaving the Who/
What and When/Where spaces blank, explain that they has already been identifed, as has the place) Have
students suggest how you should record the information in the chart (Sometimes students will suggest
eliminating prepositions from the phrases I do ask them to use prepositions at this time but tell them that
as they become more profcient at taking notes, I will allow them to make decisions about how few words
they can use to communicate meaning) If the lesson goes well, ask students to work with a partner and
complete the chart for the last sentence
Materials
Identifying and Classifying
Informational Words and
Phrases reproducible
(page 80)
Regional Differences in
Traditional Native Homes
passage (page 78)
plain or notebook paper
(optional)

28
Small Group Practice:
Have students work together to
identify important information in
the two remaining paragraphs in
the passage and record them in
charts You can also give students
paragraphs from content-area
textbooks This allows them to
practice the skill at the same time
theyre learning or reviewing the
curriculum
Sample Identifying and
Classifying Informational Words
and Phrases chart
Some Final Thoughts
The skills taught in this chapter not only help students identify signifcant
information in expository text but also begin to lay the foundation for note
taking Students learn that not every word is equally important and that if they
can identify those that are, they can then begin to organize the information in
a way that helps them to learn and remember it more easily They also begin to realize that note
taking is not about copying information, its about making decisions about what is signifcant and
using the fewest possible words to convey that meaning
When my students are capable of independence, I suggest that using the chart is an
effcient way to sort and note large amounts of information. Some students fnd the
chart so useful that they ask to use it as an alternative to more traditional notes.
Name Date
@[\ek`]pè^Xe[:cXjj`]pè^
@e]fidXk`feXcNfi[jXe[G_iXj\j
HZciZcXZ L]d$L]Vi L]Zc$L]ZgZ L]n$=dl
&
'
(
)
IîaZ/
tribes lived Northeast
forests
built longhouses long, rectangular
barrel roofs
multi-family
homes
long hallway in
middle
family rooms
inside
tie poles for
frame
cover with
bark mats
Regional Differences in Traditional Native American Homes
29
Developing Note-Taking Skills
for Written Information
T
he sheer amount of printed information that students are expected to read and learn each day can be
overwhelming This chapter provides lessons to help students condense large amounts of information
into a more manageable and useful format Traditionally, we have taught students to take notes in a very
formal, linear fashion; however, I have discovered that very few of my students are strictly linear thinkers
They need easier options and other formats that support their individual thinking styles and learning
modalities
To be truly effcient as text notetakers, students must understand how expository text is structured
the movement from general ideas to increasingly more specifc ideasso be certain that they understand
the concepts and skills presented in Chapters 1 and 2
The lessons in this chapter reinforce and develop the following skills that students need to take notes on
written material:
understand the format and use of the T-chart graphic organizer for taking effective notes
understand the thinking process required for note taking
apply their knowledge of the structure of expository text to take notes
understand how the information in textbooks is formatted and presented
use the formatting of textbooks to take notes while reading
chapter 3
30
Lesson 1: Understanding the T-Chart Format
for Note Taking
Lesson Objective: To reinforce the use of the T-chart format for note taking.
W
ith so many strongly kinesthetic learners in my intervention classes, I
constantly develop ways to introduce new skills and concepts through the
use of manipulatives While I develop the manipulatives with the needs of those
learners in mind, I have discovered that all my students enjoy using them because the
lesson looks like a game in contrast to usual instructional methods Their increased
engagement in lessons, and resulting learning, has proven the value of manipulatives
for all learners
Jigsaw Puzzle Note taking is an excellent strategy for introducing the skill of
note taking from written information Students have notes on puzzle pieces and
the original passage They use the original passage to arrange the notes in the correct
place and in the correct order on a desktop T-chart The frst time I did this lesson, my
students asked if they could work together rather than individually Im glad I acceded
to their wishes because their collaboration resulted in more students getting it the
frst time than I had expected
Preparation
Make a copy of the passage and the reproducible for each pair or triad Cut apart the
strips in each jigsaw note sheet and place them in an envelope Note: The specifc and
more/most specifc ideas on the jigsaw note sheet are in the correct location and order You can color-code
the strips by adding colored dots if you feel students need additional support in recognizing the structure
of expository text Make a T-chart for each pair or triad with blue painters tape on a student desk
Review the structure of expository textgeneral, specifc, more/most specifc ideas If youre using color-
coding, remind students of the color for each level of specifcity After grouping students in pairs or triads,
tell them that they are going to use the T-chart on the desk to take notes on an expository passage Explain
that taking the notes will be similar to putting a jigsaw puzzle together The passage is like the completed
picture on the cover of the puzzle box; the jigsaw notes are the puzzle pieces Their task is to arrange the
jigsaw notes in the correct place and in the correct order on their desktop T-chart If groups have solved
the puzzle, the order of their notes will match the order of the ideas in the original passage
Ask a student to read The Three Branches of the United States Government passage aloud Then have
students fnd the strip in their envelope that reads T = Branches of the United States Government and
place it above the crossbar of their desktop T-chart
Reread the frst paragraph of the passage together using the Cloze method Ask students to identify the
specifc/key idea of the frst paragraph (executive), locate that strip, and place it in the left-hand column of
the T-chart
Materials
The Three Branches
of the United States
Government passage
(page 81)
Jigsaw Notes reproducible
(page 82)
scissors
an envelope for each pair
or triad
colored dots (optional)
blue painters tape

3J
Then have students identify the bulleted more specifc details, locate those strips, and arrange them in
the right-hand column in the same order as they appear in the passage:
Direct students to reread the frst sentence and identify other important information in it
( president, vice president), locate the corresponding strip, and place it in the right-hand
column of the T-chart
Look at the next sentence and identify additional important information ( proposes new laws,
budget) and add it to the right-hand column under the previous strip
Have groups fnish the frst paragraph and stop Work with students to check that theyve
correctly identifed and arranged the remaining more specifc notes for the frst paragraph
Explain that the notes should be formatted in paragraphs just like the text because this allows us to
study and review the information in a more effcient fashion Reread the second paragraph, but before
adding notes to the charts, tell students to skip at least two inches below the last bulleted idea in the right-
hand column before placing their notes for the second paragraph Remind students that their notes, like
the passage, should always have paragraphs
Next, have students identify, fnd, and place the second specifc/key idea (legislative) and the frst more-
specifc idea ( Congress) Encourage students to look at the passage and the strips in their envelopes and
tell which two strips come next (- House of Representatives and - Senate) Point out the dashes and explain
that these are examples of most specifc information; remind students that we indent most-specifc notes
and use dashes to identify them
If you feel your students understand the format of the T-chart and the importance of keeping the ideas
in the same order as in the original passage, release the responsibility to them of creating jigsaw notes for
the rest of the passage Note: Since this lesson reinforces and extends the use of the T-chart, I dont think
extra practice is necessary However, if you feel your students would beneft from additional practice, you
can create jigsaw puzzle pieces for a textbook passage

My students truly enjoy this lesson, and, after completing it, they often ask to take notes
on strips rather than on a full sheet of paper. I think they fnd the individual strips far less
intimidating than facing a blank T-chart. While we cannot do this every timeand I need
to push students out of their comfort zoneI do allow them to occasionally take notes
on strips of paper and lay them out on their desks.
For those notes that I want students to keep for learning content, we pick up the
strips, beginning at the bottom of the right-hand column of the T-chart and placing
each strip on top of the previous one. Each group of more specifc strips is covered
with its specifc/key idea, and the topic or general idea appears on top. We then
staple the stack to create a fipbook of notes. Students enjoy using these fipbooks
for review because they are tactile and the specifc ideas give them clues about the
more specifc information.
A variation of this strategy is to distribute large note strips to individual students and
have them create Human Notes by arranging their chairs or sitting on the foor.
32
Lesson 2: Taking T-Chart Text Notes
Lesson Objective: To take T-chart notes on an expository passage.
T
he more we work on taking effective notes, the better my students reading
comprehension becomes When students take notes on what they read, they
are actively engaged with the text, making decisions about what information is
important, and deciding how to express it in their notes Also, they work with the
passage as a whole rather than looking for isolated bits of information to answer
questions, so they see how the various ideas relate to each other Finally, taking
notes helps students present the ideas in a manner that helps them learn, review,
and retain the information Once my students understand the format for taking
notes, I teach them the thinking process for it This lesson models how to make
decisions about what is important and how to word the notes as concisely as
possible so theyll be useful to study and review later
Preparation
Create a display copy of the T-chart reproducible and make a copy of the passage for each student
and for yourself
After having students create a T-chart on lined notebook paper (see page 9), distribute the passage and
explain that theyll be taking notes on the chart Stress that students can reduce long passages into a much
smaller, more useful package that will help them learn, review, and remember information
Then read the title of the passage and write it as the topic of your T-chart Pause to let students do
the same Using the Cloze reading strategy, read the frst paragraph of the passage aloud with students
Ask them to listen to your thinking with their pens or pencils down After youve fnished writing a note,
students can copy it onto their T-charts Give the following guidelines for taking notes:
Remember the No More Than 4 rule
Write each more specifc and most specifc note on its own line
Leave at least one blank line under the T-chart crossbar to make notes easier to read
Skip two lines between notes for each paragraph
Remind students that they can usually fnd the key idea of a paragraph in the frst sentence To model
fnding the key idea, think aloud, for example, From reading the frst sentence in the paragraph, I know
the specifc/key idea for this paragraph is climate extremes because its one adaptation the desert tortoise has
made I dont have to write adaptation because its in the title (Write the key idea in the left-hand column
of the T-chart but leave some space underneath the crossbar) I want to use as few words as possible I
need both these words, though, because climate can mean too many things, but extremes narrows the focus
to what I need to remember
Materials
Environmental
Adaptations of the
Desert Tortoise passage
(page 83)
T-chart reproducible
(page 73) or lined
notebook paper

33
Read aloud the next sentence and continue to think aloud: The
information I need to remember is what the extremes of climate are: 140
o
F
and below freezing are the essential information in this sentence They give
more specifc information about extremes of climate (Write these notes
in the right-hand column preceded by a bullet) Do the same for the third
sentence: builds subterranean burrows is important It gives more specifc
information about climate extremes Ill just write down subterranean
burrows because Im sure I can remember that the tortoises have to build
burrows I think I also need to remember that it spends 95% of its life in
them That statistic is most-specifc information about the burrows, so
Im going to indent the line under subterranean burrows and use a dash to
introduce the idea, 95% of life
Read the remaining sentence aloud, modeling your thinking as you
decide which information is signifcant enough to remember, in this case
protects from heat and protects while dormant (most specifc ideas) Explain
that you can use just those words because youve already made notes
about the winter and summer temperatures
Repeat the process for the remaining paragraphs If your students are
ready to move to Stage 2, ask them to identify the specifc/key ideas and
important more/most specifc details and scribe their responses
See Chapter 5 for ideas to help students personalize and condense
their notes That chapter also provides suggestions for teaching students
how to use their notes for study and review
Small Group Practice: When youre confdent that students understand the note taking process, allow
them to work together to take notes Emphasize that everyone must participate and work on the entire
passage, not take a paragraph each, and that each student must create his or her own copy of the notes
Independent Practice: When students demonstrate both confdence and competency in note taking,
encourage them to work independently on textbook passages
I continue to monitor my students work, and when necessary, take them through the
stages of the Gradual Release Model again. I regularly model taking notes on one or two
paragraphs, asking for student input on the next paragraph and then having them work
together to complete the passage. Also, I note when students revert to taking too many
notes and need to be reminded of the No More Than 4 rule through reteaching and
modeling.
The opportunities for students to practice text note taking are many. At frst, they can
take notes on specifc short passages in their textbooks, particularly those that discuss
information essential to mastering content standards. As their competence increases,
you can increase the length of the passages.
T-Chart Notes for Environmental Adaptation
of the Desert Tortoise passage
Name Date
K$:_Xik
T = Environmental Adaptations
of the Desert Tortoise
climate
extremes
diet
infrequent
rainfall
140
o
F; below freezing
subterranean burrows
95% of life
protects from
heat
protects while
dormant
grasses, shrubs
cacti and fowers
wildfowers
moisture from food
catchment basin
wait near for rain
adult, year without
water
34
Additional Strategies
for Guided and Independent
Note-Taking Practice
Name Date
K$:_Xik
T =
Nile River
Peret
crucial to daily life
fooding
water

prepared ground
drove sheep or goats

harvest
Framed Note Taking

When you provide part of the notes, students
have a framework for fnding and noting
additional information I create a partial
outline with blanks for some of the key ideas
and more and most specifc information
Bulleted Note Taking
Students sometimes take too many or too few
notes on the right side of the T-chart Providing
the number of bullets needed for each paragraph
of text helps them locate the appropriate
amount of information I list the paragraph
numbers on the board with the correct number
of more specifc ideas next to them
Flash Card Notes
Students can also take notes on 3-inch x 5-inch note cards and keep them on a large ring to use as fash
cards for studying The topic should appear on a separate card The specifc/key ideas are written on
one side and the more/most specifc information on the reverse side
Paragraph
Number of
Bulleted
More Specifc
Ideas
#1
#2
#3
#4
(2)
(4)
(3)
(5)
35
Lesson 3: Analyzing the Format of Textbook Passages
Lesson Objective: To analyze the format of textbook passages and understand its purpose.
T
he time we spend teaching students to take text notes is invaluable We want
them to be able to use these skills to make sense of the enormous amount of
print information that they are expected to read and remember Teaching students
to use the format of their textbooks as a structure for taking text notes helps them
become more effective note takers When they understand how to use the bold or
italicized headings in their textbooks to organize their notes, the task becomes much
more manageable
Preparation
Choose a section of a textbook with a format that uses different fonts, type sizes,
and/or boldface or italic type to indicate the movement from general to more
specifc information
After reviewing the structure of expository textthe movement from the general idea to specifc/key ideas
to more/most specifc ideasand the corresponding colors youve previously used, have students open
their textbooks to the section youve chosen Tell them to scan the pages, looking at the different sizes and
styles of print and then ask what they notice As you generate a list of responses, ask what they think their
purpose is If necessary, explain the following:
Many expository passages and textbooks are formatted to help readers identify important information
Formatting includes the use of different fonts, type sizes, boldface and italicized type, bulleted
lists, and different colored print
Knowledge of what each formatting technique signals helps us to make more sense of the information
Usually the type size of boldface or italicized headings is an indication of the movement from
the general idea to specifc/key ideas and, at times, to more specifc ideas; as the information
becomes more specifc, the type size decreases
Bulleted lists are often easier to read than paragraphs and call attention to a list of information
that is related; when a bulleted list appears in a textbook, the information in it is often a
preview or review of the passage
Some textbooks use boldface, italics, and/or different colored print to call attention to
important concepts or new vocabulary
Then read aloud and list the bold headings in the textbook passage (Depending on your class, have
students read the entire passage silently or read it aloud using the Cloze method) Ask students what
Materials
textbook
(page 73) or lined
notebook paper
highlighters

36
pattern they see in the boldface headings and the information beneath each heading, guiding them to see
that the largest print is the most general idea, and as the size of the print decreases, the ideas become more
specifc Finally, work with students to color-code the headings
Small Group Practice: Have pairs or small groups look through a chapter or section in the textbook
and, on a separate sheet of paper, list the boldface headings and boldface or italicized type in the
paragraphs in the order they appear Ask them to highlight each of the headings in its appropriate color
Lesson 4: Using the Format of a Textbook
to Take Effective Notes
Lesson Objective: To use the format of a textbook passage to take notes.
O
nce students understand the purpose of the formatting of their textbooks,
you can show them how to apply that knowledge to note taking However,
depending on the grade level, some textbooks may provide more specifc information
over several paragraphs To prevent confusion, always analyze the textbook section
prior to introducing its structure to students
Review the purpose of formatting in textbooks, emphasizing that it shows the
movement from the general idea of the section to specifc/key ideas to more and most
specifc ideas Discuss how the use of formatting can help us take notes more effectively while we are
reading the passage
Each major topic has its own set of notes The largest heading is recorded as the topic on the T-chart
The frst level of subheadings for a section becomes the specifc/key ideas on the left-hand side
of the T-chart
Smaller subheadings under the frst level become the bulleted, more specifc notes in the right-hand
side Most specifc information is listed beneath the bullet, indented, and preceded by a dash
Then have students use the T-chart reproducible or create a T-chart on lined paper Read the textbook
section using the Cloze method As students follow your lead, model how to scan the frst paragraph in the
passage to fnd and record the ideas in the T-chart Think out loud to remind students that we take notes in
paragraphs and have to skip lines between them, so we cannot list the specifc/key ideas in advance
Continue with the second paragraph Again, point out that you skip two lines between the notes for
each paragraph When students understand the process, have them to move to Stage 2 and work with you
to complete the notes Scribe their contributions on the T-chart
Small Group Practice: Have students work together to set up T-chart notes for a textbook section,
complete the notes, and share them with another group
Materials
textbook used in Lesson 3
(page 73) or lined
notebook paper

37
Some Final Thoughts
At some point in my career, I heard the advice that as we begin to teach skills, we
need to go slow at the beginning to go fast later When I realized that my students
did not truly realize the power of taking text notes, I had a decision to make:
Should I spend the time teaching them to take notes, or should I push ahead with the content that
I was expected to cover? I recalled the go slow to go fast rule and realized that the time I spent
teaching students to take text notes early on would allow them to learn content later with more
effciency and greater masteryand it did
Note Taking
for Nonlinear Thinkers
9lYYc\:cljk\i
:fcldeEfk\j
Ide^X
@Zn>YZV
BdgZHeZX^[^X
@Zn>YZV
BdgZHeZX^[^X
@Zn>YZV
BdgZHeZX^[^X
@Zn>YZV
BdgZHeZX^[^X
Ide^X
@Zn>YZV
BdgZ
HeZX^[^X
@[\XKi\\
Ide^X
@Zn>YZV
BdgZHeZX^[^X
@Zn>YZV
BdgZHeZX^[^X
@Zn>YZV
BdgZHeZX^[^X
I fnd that in spite of direct teaching and ongoing practice,
some students still struggle with the semilinear format
of T-chart note taking They need to see information as a
totality rather than sequentially The following nonlinear
note taking formats appear at the right: Bubble Cluster,
Column Notes, and Idea Tree I do not teach class lessons
on their use; however, I do show these formats to students
after I have taught T-chart notes and students have had some
practice with the T-chart I display copies of the nonlinear
note taking formats and tell students that these are other
possibilities for note taking, and they are free to choose
one or even to create their own I assure them that they
are free to adapt the strategy to meet their needs as long as
they show me that they are taking notes and learning the
information
The Picture Web shown at the right is a combination of
webbing, listing, and drawing that many of my students
fnd to be an effective note-taking strategy The topic is
written in the center and the specifc/key ideas are webbed
from it Students then add a combination of written and
picture notes Some teachers have their students create a
class Picture Web on chart paper at the end of a chapter or
chapter section and post it in the room The Picture Web
provides an easily accessible, ongoing review of previously
learned material These webs are also useful for showing
students themes that run through the curriculum
38
Developing Note-Taking Skills
for Oral Information
W
hen my students had become profcient text note takers, I felt certain that they could transfer their
skills to taking notes during a lecture However, I quickly realized that this wasnt the case Taking
lecture notes is a very complex task The note taker has to listen, make almost instantaneous decisions
about the relative importance of the information, and note it down Because I had assessed my students
learning modalities, I knew that very few of them had a strong auditory modality, making learning from
lectures a challenge I also realized that I needed to develop lessons that addressed each requirement for
taking effective lecture notes Through trial and error and a great deal of refection and adjustment,
I have developed a scaffolded series of skills that builds students confdence and increases their feelings
of competence as note takers
The frst tier of lessons works on students ability to listen to a lecture and remember information
To ease some of the frustration of being asked to do so many things at the same time, students do not take
notes at this tier Once students have confdence in their ability to listen for information, they move to
the second tier, where they recognize key ideas and signifcant details as they hear them In the fnal tier,
students frst listen and take notes on only the key ideas as they hear them As their profciency increases,
they begin to take notes on the more specifc information as they listen At the beginning of each new tier,
I use short passages of no more than three to fve paragraphs, depending on the skill level of my students
Finally, remember to regulate the speed at which you read or lecture When you move to a new tier
in the lesson scaffold, slow your speech and pause at the end of each paragraph or after each section of
key idea and more specifc information These pauses give students a chance to catch up on their notes,
reducing their frustration with a demanding task
The lessons in this chapter help students develop the following skills they need to take notes
while listening:
take notes using pictures, reviewing the pictures, and adding written notes
listen to and remember information and write it down during a pause
use framed notes to make notes while listening
identify and note key ideas while listening
take notes while listening, including title, key ideas, and more specifc ideas
chapter 4
39
Lesson 1: Taking Picture Notes
Lesson Objectives: To practice using pictures to take notes.
W
hen I began teaching students to take picture notes and then add written
notes, they became more engaged in their lessons We use picture notes for
both expository and narrative passages, and I gradually increase the length of the
passages and the amount of time I read or lecture Students tell me that the pictures
trigger additional ideas that they can write down and that pair-share helps them
acquire the information that they missed
Preparation
Make a display copy and a copy of the Picture Notes reproducible for each pair of
students On the day before teaching this lesson, ask a student to be the reader of the
frst passage and suggest that he or she practice reading it aloud On the day of the
lesson, write any unfamiliar or diffcult-to-spell words on the board
Display the Picture Notes reproducible and point out the line at the top for writing the title of the passage,
the spaces in the left-hand column for sketching notes, and the spaces in the right-hand column for adding
words and phrases Then tell students that, with the help of the student-reader, youre going to model how
to listen to a passage and take picture notes Here is how you might model taking picture notes:
Audrey, will you please read the title of the passage and then stop?
(Write the title on the display copy of the Picture Notes reproducible when the student pauses)
Audrey, will you please read the frst paragraph and then stop? Im going to put down my pen while I
listen Im not going to take any notes while Audrey reads
(When the student stops reading, begin to sketch what you remember about the frst paragraph in the
left-hand column of the Picture Notes reproducible)
Now Im sketching what I remember about the frst paragraph Im going to draw a tree and a
longhouse This picture will help me remember that the Northeastern Indians lived in the forests in
longhouses
Repeat the process for the rest of the passage, listening and then drawing a sketch for each paragraph
When the student-reader fnishes the fnal paragraph and youve completed your picture notes, explain
that youre going to review the pictures and sketch in other details or add words to the sketches Think
aloud as you do so, for example:
When I look at my sketch, I remember that this house was in the Northeastern forests So Ill write
Northeastern forests next to the frst bullet in the right-hand column I also remember that the houses were
called longhouses, so Ill write that next to the second bullet Several families lived in each longhouse, so Ill
write several families next to the last bullet
Then ask students to supply other details, written or pictures, to add to the right-hand column
Materials
2 expository passages
(each three to four
paragraphs long)*
Picture Notes

* This lesson uses
Regional Differences
in Traditional Native
Homes (page 78).

40
Small Group Practice: Have pairs
alternate between making suggestions for
sketches and drawing them Distribute a copy
of the Picture Notes reproducible to each
pair Read each paragraph of an expository
passage, pausing for about 45 seconds to
allow time for suggestions and sketching
(You can adjust the time for your students,
but the idea behind the skill is to draw
quickly) When youve fnished reading the
passage, ask pairs to review their sketches
and jot down additional details that they
remember Finally, have each pair join
another to discuss and review their notes
Students should add any information they
learn from the other partners to their own notes
Independent Practice: Ask students to take picture notes as they listen to lectures, watch presentations
or videos, and so on After they have added written details to their picture notes, ask them to participate in
a pair-share or whole-class share-out
Lesson 2: Taking Two-Pass Notes
Lesson Objective: To practice the two-pass note-taking strategy.
T
wo-pass note taking provides a bridge from taking notes in pictures to
taking notes in words It gives students another chancea second pass
at hearing information through the repetition of the reading or lecture or the
sharing of information I use three techniques for the second pass:

(1) At the beginning, when I am teaching the two-pass note taking process and
want to emphasize the importance of careful listening, I reread the passage or
redo the lecture while students jot down any information they missed the frst
time

(2) As students become more attentive, I ask them to use pair-share Each
partner adds any information he or she missed the frst time

(3) When the information is essential for content mastery, I use whole-class
share-out, moving through the notes one by one and making certain that each
student has recorded all the essential information in the chart
Sample Picture Notes sheet
Materials
two expository passages (each
three to fve paragraphs long)*
Two-Pass Note taking
markers (two different colors)
colored pens or pencils for
students (two different colors)

* This lesson uses Regional
Differences in Traditional
Native Homes (page 78).
Name Date
G`Zkli\Efk\j
IîaZ/
Northeastern forests
longhouses
several families
4J
Preparation
On the day before teaching this lesson, ask a student to be the reader of the frst passage and suggest that
he or she practice reading it aloud Make a display copy of the Two-Pass Note Taking reproducible and a
copy for each student Write any unfamiliar or diffcult-to-spell words on the board
To begin the lesson, display the Two-Pass Note Taking
reproducible and give a copy of the reproducible to each
student Point out where to write the title of the passage Tell
students that they would write the topic here when theyre
listening to a lecture Then explain that the numbers in the
left-hand column indicate the number of paragraphs in a
passage, or the number of times the reader will stop During
the pauses, youll write down key words and phrases that you
remember in the left-hand column next to the appropriate
number Then model how to listen and take two-pass notes
Here is how your modeling might look:
Samir, will you please read the title of the passage and
then stop?
(When the student stops, hold up one of the markers)
For my frst-pass notes, Im going to use a red marker Ill
start by writing the title at the top
(Have students copy your work When they have done so,
I ask the reader to continue)
Samir, will you please read the frst paragraph and then
stop? Im going to put down my marker while I listen Im not
going to take any notes while Samir reads
(When the student stops reading, think aloud as you write
your responses in the left-hand column next to the number 1)
I remember that Native Americans in the Northeast lived in forests in longhouses Several families
lived in them Im only going to write down key words and phrases: Northeastern; forests and longhouses;
several families Remember the No More Than 4 ruleno more than four words for each thought and no
complete sentences This is the frst paragraph, so Ill write those words next to the number 1
Since this is the frst pass, deliberately leave out some information The second pass will give you the
opportunity to add information you missed the frst time
Then pause for students to copy your notes Proceed to the second paragraph Put down your marker
and ask the student-reader to read the second paragraph; at the end of that paragraph, call on three
students to share one idea that each of them remembers Write their ideas in the left-hand column next to
the number 2 Again, deliberately omit some information, even when students volunteer it; explain that
youll use that information later Pause to let students copy your notes
After the student-reader fnishes the third paragraph, ask students to work in pairs to write down what
they remember next to the number 3 (If youre working with a longer passage, continue having students
work together to note down the information they remember next to the appropriate number)
Knf$GXjjEfk\j
&#
IîaZ/
Northeastern; forests
longhouses; several
families
&#
IîaZ/
longhouses; several
families
rectangular; barrel roof
bark mats cover frame
long hallway; family rooms
on sides
Knf$GXjjEfk\j
First Pass
Knf$GXjjEfk\j
&#
IîaZ/
longhouses; several
families
&#
IîaZ/
longhouses; several
families
rectangular; barrel roof
bark mats cover frame
long hallway; family rooms
on sides
Knf$GXjjEfk\j
Second Pass
Sample Two-Pass Note Taking sheet
42
Tell the student-reader to read the frst paragraph again Hold up the second colored marker and reveal
that youre going to use it for your second-pass notes Write down any information you missed during
the frst reading in the right-hand column Have students use the second colored pen or pencil to copy
your additional notes After listening to the second paragraph, call on students to provide the missing
information and then write it in the right-hand column Pause while they copy the information When the
student-reader has read the third paragraph, have students work in pairs to fll in any missing information
Students easily master this strategy The security of knowing that they will have a second opportunity
to hear the information makes them willing to participate I believe that your students, like mine, will be
ready for independent practice very quickly and that you will fnd many opportunities to use this strategy
However, if you feel your students need additional practice, they can take notes in pairs and triads with
each student creating a copy of the group notes
If your students can only process one or two ideas at the beginning, adjust your think-
aloud to refect that. As students become more profcient, add more information. I have
discovered that students can remember numerical facts and statistics more easily than
abstract ideas, so I use passages with dates, speeds, height, weight, and so on when
beginning to teach the skill and gradually reduce the amount of numerical information.
As students become more confdent about their ability to listen and remember
information, they will begin to feel more comfortable noting the information as they
listen because they know that they will have a second opportunity to hear what they
missed the frst time. If students ask whether they can try to take notes while Im
reading or lecturing instead of waiting for me to pause, I always let them. However,
I never require all students to make the attempt at this point.
Using the two colors of pens holds students accountable for participating
throughout the lesson. I can look around the room and see who has been working
for the entire lesson because the amount of information in each color indicates the
students effort. The two colors also provide an ongoing assessment of each students
developing profciency because the amount of information in the frst color indicates his
or her ability to listen and take notes.
Two-pass note taking is particularly effective when you introduce new content
to students. A brief note taking lesson on the new information not only provides an
advance organizer for students but also allows them to practice their new skills. A K-W-L
chart is a wonderful advance organizer, but when students dont have any knowledge
of a topic, these charts lose their value. Two-pass note taking can provide some basic
knowledge about new content that allows students to begin a K-W-L chart.
An alternative to rereading the second pass is to have students do pair-share or
small-group share or whole-class share-out. I use the whole-class share-out when I want
to ensure that all students have access to the information. Throughout the scaffolding of
lessons in this chapter, I continue to give students a second opportunity to acquire the
information because it lessens their frustration about note taking.
43
Lesson 3: Taking Framed-Bulleted Notes
Lesson Objective: To take notes while listening to a passage.
W
hen my students have developed confdence in their ability to remember
oral information, I begin to transition them to the next tier of the scaffold:
the ability to listen and take notes at the same time To accomplish this, I support
students by framing the notes I provide the key ideas from the reading and then
have them listen and note some of the more specifc ideas as they hear them
Because by this point my students have developed confdence in their ability to
take notes during lectures and reading, Im usually able to model the process using
just two of the four paragraphs in a passage and then move to independent practice
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 Choose an expository
passage with one key idea per paragraph Create a display copy of the T-chart
Duplicate a copy for each student or have students use lined paper for the T-chart
instead (see page 9 for directions)
Explain that the objective of the lesson is to begin to move toward taking notes while listening instead
of waiting for a pause, but reassure students that they will not be responsible for writing down all the
information they hear They are taking the frst steps and are not expected to immediately master this skill
On the T-chart, list the title of the passage, the specifc/key ideas for students to copy in the left-hand
column, and the number of bullets for each key idea in the right-hand column (I ask for about half of the
more specifc ideas in the passage For example, if there are four more-specifc ideas about a key idea, I
give students a target of two)
Then pass out the copies of the T-chart reproducible, or have students create one on lined paper Ask
them to copy the specifc/key ideas from your T-chart and add the appropriate number of bullets in the
right-hand column beside each key idea Remind students to skip two lines after the last bullet beside each
key idea so their notes are in paragraphs Explain that your goal is to write one specifc idea next to each
bullet, but that the passage contains more specifc ideas than there are bulletshowever, they are only
responsible for the number of bullets on the T-chart
As the student-reader reads the passage, have students watch you take notes Ask the reader to read
more slowly than usual When you hear the frst key idea, point to the frst key idea in your chart Then,
as you hear the more specifc details, note them next to the bullets (In your modeling, try to get one
bulleted idea from the frst part of the paragraph and one from the middle or end of the paragraph)
When you hear the second key idea, point to that key, write the key idea, and fnish taking the notes in
the right-hand column
Materials
expository passages
(three to four
paragraphs long)
T-Chart reproducible or
(page 73)
markers (two
different colors)
colored pens or
pencils for students
(two colors each)

44
At the end of the second paragraph,
emphasize that you were able to take notes
on about half of the specifc details This
should be students goal as well, and assure
them that they will have an opportunity to
note all the information in a share-out later
Take over the reading and return to
the beginning of the passage Read slowly
and emphasize when you move to the next
key idea When you fnish your frst read-
through, have students change to a different
color of pen and add additional notes as
you read the passage again At the end of
your second read-through, do a pair-share
or whole-class share-out to support those
students who may not have been able to
complete the notes
In later sessions, gradually increase the
number of bullets in the chart and continue
to read slowly, building students ability
and confdence in hearing and noting more
specifc ideas Practice often Continue to
list the specifc/key ideas on the board or on
screen, provide a target number of bullets,
and remind students to skip two lines
after the last bullet for each key idea You dont have to practice with long passages Using two-to-three-
paragraph passages for review or preview of content information two or three times a week develops and
reinforces the skill and provides repeated access to important content material
Lesson 4: Using Transition Words to
Identify Key Ideas
Lesson Objective: To use simple transitions to identify key ideas when taking notes on oral information.
T
o be truly profcient note takers, students must be able to identify key ideas as they hear them When
frst teaching this skill, I use explicit transitions, such as frst, also, another, fnally at the beginning of
each new specifc/key idea If students already know transition words, this lesson should be a quick review
of transitions and their purpose of introducing a new key idea
Name Date
K$:_Xik
T = The Original Thirteen Colonies
New England
Middle
Southern
(3 bullets)
(4 bullets)
(4 bullets)
Sample Framed Bulleted Notes T-Chart (Display Copy)
45
Preparation
Make copies of the Expository Transitions Bookmark for each student and cut them
apart Also make a copy of the Two-Pass Note taking reproducible for each student
or have students create their own on notebook paper Write any unfamiliar or
diffcult-to-spell words on the board
Introduce or review the purpose of transitionsto signal a new idea I fnd that
using the analogy of comparing transitions to road signs helps students understand
their purpose Just like road signs that read Stop Ahead or Curves Ahead alert
drivers to a change in road conditions, transitions alert readers to a change in ideas
These changes include introducing or adding another specifc or key idea, changing
the direction of the discussion, signaling a comparison or conclusion, and so on
After distributing the Expository Transition Bookmarks,
review them with students, explaining that when they hear
or see one of the transitions in a passage, they should be
prepared for a new specifc idea
Then discuss the changes in the use of the two-pass
note-taking format Instead of listening for information in
the passage and writing it down after a pause, students will
listen for the transition that indicates a new key idea When
they hear the transition word or phrase, they will immediately
write it next to the correct number on the Two-Pass Note
taking sheet In this lesson, they will not write anything in
the right-hand column
Read the passage just a little more slowly than you
normally would After the frst paragraph, pause to ensure
that students have correctly identifed the transition word
When students can easily recognize the transition when
they hear it, move to the second step This time students
listen for the transition words or phrases in the passage and
use them as a clue that a specifc/key idea is coming up
When they hear the specifc/key idea, they write it next to the
appropriate paragraph number and the transition, separating
the transition and key idea with a comma Again, read the
passage just a little more slowly than normal and stop after
the frst and second paragraphs to ensure that students have
written down the correct key idea At the end of the passage,
have students compare their answers with a partners
Small Group Practice: If your students need additional practice, divide them into pairs Read aloud
passages with explicit transitions for key ideas and have them work together to identify and write down the
transitions As an alternative, you can have them give a thumbs-up or raise their hands when they hear the
transition word
Materials
expository passage with
clear transitions (three to
four paragraphs long)
Expository Transition
Bookmark reproducible
(page 86)
Two-Pass Note Taking
scissors
Knf$GXjjEfk\j
&#
'#
(#
IîaZ/
one
Three Kinds of Rocks
another
third
&#
'#
(#
IîaZ/
one, igneous
another, sedimentary
third, metamorphic
Knf$GXjjEfk\j
First Pass
Knf$GXjjEfk\j
&#
'#
(#
IîaZ/
one
another
third
&#
'#
(#
IîaZ/
one, igneous
another, sedimentary
third, metamorphic
Knf$GXjjEfk\j
Second Pass
Sample Two-Pass Note Taking With Transitions
46
Lesson 5: Taking Complete Notes While Listening
Lesson Objective: To take complete notesincluding general topic, key ideas, and more specifc ideas
while listening.
W
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 specifc details and give the number of specifc/key ideas and the more
specifc ideas they should expect to fnd Knowing the number of more specifc 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 specifc 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 diffcult-to-spell words on the board
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 frst pause, model your note-taking process Heres
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 frst sentence, raise your hand)
The frst sentence tells about how colorful hummingbirds are Ill write color in the left-hand column
as the frst key idea
(At the end of the frst paragraph, raise your hand)
The rest of the paragraph describes the colors of males and females In the right-hand column, Ill
write males: brilliantly colored beside the frst bullet Under that, Ill write females: dull colors I remember the
No More Than 4 rule, so I dont 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
fve paragraphs long)
T-chart reproducible or
(page 73)
markers (two colors)
colored pens and pencils
for students (two colors
each)

* This lesson uses
Hummingbirds: Mother
Natures Flying Jewels
on page 87.

47
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 specifc/key ideas and the more specifc
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 specifc/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 specifc 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 specifc/key ideas and more specifc 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 youre speaking Slow your speech and pause briefy at the end of each paragraph Over
time, speak more normally and shorten the pauses at the end of paragraphs
I provide students with many opportunities to practice their note takingand 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 fow of
words and make immediate decisions about separating specifc/key ideas from
more specifc details and about the relative importance of the information they are
hearingand 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 confdent in their skill, they become
more engaged in class, and when you use content material to practice, youll make up the time later
48
Personalizing, Studying,
Reviewing, and
Condensing Notes
P
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-specifc-
more specifc 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 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
chapter 5
49
Lesson 1: Emphasizing Essential Words in Notes
Lesson Objective: To select and emphasize the most important words or phrases in notes.
T
his lesson shows students how to make decisions about
which words in their notes will be most helpful in learning,
reviewing, and recalling information and to emphasize the words
or phrases through the addition of color As students decide which
words to emphasize, they begin to change their notes from just
words on a page into an effective, individualized learning tool
Preparation
Make a display copy of either your notes from a previous lesson or a students
Ask students to choose notes they made in a previous lesson or in another subject area
Explain that personalizing notes helps us learn and remember information more easily We want to make
the most important words and phrases in our notes stand out because they help our brains unlock and
remember the rest of the information Ask students to watch and listen as you make decisions about which
words and phrases will be most helpful when
youre studying and reviewing your notes later
Then display the notes youre going to use
to model this process If the general topic or title
contains more than one word, ask: Which one
or two words are the most essential? I can do
one of the following to emphasize these words
underline, highlight, or circle them Today Im
going to highlight them with a marker So Ill
highlight the words Hounds and Hunt in the title
Dogs is a synonym for hounds, so I dont need to
highlight it The other words, of and the, dont
reveal any important information
Work through the notes from general
to specifc to more specifc information and
continue to discuss which words or phrases are
essential to remembering the information
Ask students what other ways they can
think of to make the important words stand out
in their notes and assure them that any of their
suggestions are acceptable because everyone is
personalizing his or her own notes
Materials
Student or teacher notes
(Save for Lessons 24)
Highlighters, markers, or
colored pencils
Name Date
K$:_Xik
T = Hounds: Dogs of the Hunt
breeds
greyhound, Saluki,
whippet
hunt fight animals
physical characteristics
good vision, smaller
ear flaps
thin, wiry bodies
strong cardiovascular
syste m
breeds
beagles, foxhounds,
bloodhounds
hunt animals that hide
hunt in packs for success
long ears
concentrate odors
loose lips trap odors
scent
hounds
sight
hounds
Sample for Lesson 1
50
At the beginning, be very direct about how many words and phrases students can highlightusually
one or two words in the topic or title, one word in each specifc idea, and depending on the length of the
more/most specifc ideas, four to six words per paragraph of notes Without these limits, students tend
to highlight almost everything rather than making decisions about which information is essential The
highlighting, boxing, circling, and so on, in color, emphasizes words and phrases in notes and is valuable
in and of itself because the markings draw the eye to key words and phrases Equally important, it also
requires students to review their notes in order to make effective choices Later, as students review their
notes, theyll use these words to help them recall the other information in the notes
Independent Practice: Have students review their own notes to decide which words and phrases are
essential to remember and choose a method to emphasize them
Lesson 2: Adding Graphic Representations to Notes
Lesson Objective: To add pictures or other graphics to represent information in notes.
T
wo or three days after students add color to their notes is the optimum time
for them to review their notes again During this second review, I ask students
to add sketches to their notes The transfer of verbal information into a graphic
representation provides a key to unlock the information stored in long-term memory
When adding sketches to their notes, students choose pictures that connect to
previous learning or experience, strengthening their ability to remember new ideas
Remind students that the purpose of personalizing notes is to make them more useful
for study and review Then explain that adding pictures or other graphics to notes can
make them even more personal; pictures and other graphic representations are like
keys that can help us unlock information stored in our brains
Ask students to watch and listen as you review your notes and make decisions about what you can
sketch on the notes to make them even more personal and helpful Display your notes from Lesson 1
Think aloud as you decide what kind of picture will help you remember the information in the frst
paragraph For example, you might say:
I could sketch an eye to represent sight, but that might not be enough to remind me that the topic
is hunting dogs Another possibility is sketching a dogs head with an arrow pointing to its eye (pause to
think) I dont think thats the best idea because not all dogs are sight hounds Im going to review my notes
I have about sight hounds I see that sight hounds are similar to greyhounds, so Ill draw a greyhound
with large eyes and a running deer These two sketches will help me remember not only that these hounds
locate prey by sight but also the breeds, fight animals, and physical characteristics
Materials
Display copy of teacher
notes from Lesson 1
Student notes from
Lesson 1
highlighters, markers, or
colored pencils

5J
I fnd that most students master this strategy quite easily. Therefore, I can release
responsibility to them after modeling at Stage 1. When a student is having trouble
fnding an idea for a picture, I make a suggestion and ask other students what they drew
for that part of their notes. This often helps the student move forward. However, I always
emphasize that the best pictures to include are those they create themselves. The
pictures students choose themselves create a personal connection to the information
and draw on their own background knowledge or previous learning, so they are more
likely to remember the information.
Pictures are not the only possibility. Some of my students have used the names
of people, books, or movies. My more linear thinkers have used mathematical
representations and charts and graphs. I also emphasize that if the original picture or
graphic isnt proving useful in unlocking other information, students can replace it with
another one.
I often ask students to explain why they chose a certain picture or other
representation, and their answers always give me an insight into their thinking
processes. During the conversations, I begin to understand which students are
global thinkers and which are more linear. Not only do I begin to understand my
individual students better, I am also reminded that my teaching must accommodate
both thinking styles.
Ask students if they can think of any other
possibilities and emphasize that there is no best
or right way to create a picture for notes because
the only person for whom the picture has to
make sense is the note taker
Sketch your picture in the left-hand column
underneath the specifc or key idea If necessary,
continue with the rest of the paragraphs;
however, if youre confdent that your students
understand what to do, release the responsibility
to them
Sample for Lesson 2
Name Date
K$:_Xik
T = Hounds: Dogs of the Hunt
breeds
greyhound, Saluki,
whippet
hunt fight animals
good vision, smaller
ear flaps
thin, wiry bodies
strong cardiovascular
syste m
breeds
beagles, foxhounds,
bloodhounds
hunt animals that hide
hunt in packs for success
long ears
concentrate odors
loose lips trap odors
scent
hounds
sight
hounds
52
Lesson 3: Using Notes for Study and Review
Lesson Objective: To learn a process for studying and reviewing notes.
T
eaching students a timetable for study and review will help them use their notes
more effectively Notes should be reviewed and studied for the frst time within
24 hours of being taken During the frst review, students should emphasize essential
information through highlighting or using colored pens or pencils to underline, circle
and so on The second review and study should happen within two or three days,
and at this time, students should add pictures or other clues to their notes From
that point on, study and review should take place on a regular basis; weekly is the
optimum interval
No matter how well students take notes, they are not effective
unless students know how to use them to learn and review
information; therefore, we need to directly teach and rehearse
with students how to use their notes to both learn and review
information Setting aside time each week for students to review their notes will
promote their retention of information and provide multiple opportunities for them to
learn and then review information
Tell students that just reading and rereading notes does not help our brains organize information To do
this, we need a system that follows the general-specifc-more specifc pattern Then show the display copy
of your personalized notes and cover the right-hand column with a blank sheet of paper Read aloud the
frst specifc idea in the left-hand column and think aloud, for example, When I read this section of my
notes and look at my sketch, what do I remember about this idea? Recite some of the information you
remember, but omit about half of it Then uncover the right-hand column and read aloud the more specifc
information in it, emphasizing which information you remembered and what you still need to learn
Finally, cover the right-hand column again and recite the information you remember for the second time
At this point, have students practice the strategy with one paragraph of their own notes Ask for their
feedback about the process: What did you notice about your use of the strategy? Why do you think
studying and reviewing notes in sections is more effective than simply reading through them?
Small Group Practice: Have students work together to study their notes, taking turns reciting
information aloud and quizzing each other by asking what each knows about the specifc ideas Later, ask
them to show the partner only his or her picture for each specifc idea so the partner can recite the specifc/
key idea and the more specifc ideas
Independent Practice: When students are able to study and review their notes independently, allow
them to choose to work with a partner or on their own
Materials
notes from Lessons 12
Student notes from
Lessons 12
Blank sheets of paper for
teacher and students

53
Lesson 4: Condensing Notes
Lesson Objective: To condense notes.
Begin by explaining that after using notes to learn and study information, you still
need them for ongoing review so you can retain the information Condensing notes
onto index cards helps us review them on a regular basis Point out that as students
have personalized their notes, theyve made decisions about what is important
in the notes: (1) Theyve emphasized essential information through highlighting,
underlining, and so on, and (2) theyve represented a great many words in a single
drawing or graphic
Tell students that in a sense, theyve been continuously condensing
their notes A fnal step in this process is to create note cards using
their graphics and a few key words or phrases
After displaying a copy of your personalized notes, explain that
youll use the frst note card for the topic or title Write the title or
topic on an index card After completing the title card, tell students
that youll use one note card for each paragraph of your notes On
the front of a new index card, draw the
picture associated with the frst paragraph of
your notes; on the back, write the specifc/key
idea and then three to fve important words
or phrases As you do so, emphasize that you
want to choose the words that will unlock the
most information
Allow time for students to work
through the process with two or three
paragraphs of notes
Materials
notes from Lessons 13
Student notes from
Lesson 13
One 3-inch x 5-inch or
4-inch x 6-inch index card
for each paragraph of
notes
colored markers, pencils,
or pens
Sample Note Cards

Some Final Thoughts
As my students learn to personalize their notes, their ability to use them for
effective study and review increases I think this is primarily because the words
they choose to emphasize and the sketches or connections come from their own
experiencesthey now have ownership of them Also, being taught how to use
notes for study and review and being shown how to condense notes onto small cards changes their
perception of the purpose of note taking They begin to see the taking of notes as the frst step in
creating a valuable tool for learning, rather than just an academic exercise
fight animals
vision
wiry
cardiovascular
sight hounds
54
Developing Text-Marking
Strategies
W
e want our students to be able to use all types of note-taking strategies in their learning process
However, we also need to recognize that in high-stakes testing situations, knowing how to make
in-text notations is critical because of the large amount of reading required Teaching students text-marking
strategies accomplishes two objectives First, students are more focused on what they are reading because
they are making decisions about what to mark Second, they are emphasizing words and phrases that will
allow them to quickly fnd information in the passage to answer test questions
In-text marking strategies are not a replacement for text notes Very few students can use them to
study and learn new information At least once a year, a student asks why they cant just take notes by
highlighting their textbooks like theyve seen college students do I explain that marking text has a different
purpose than taking text notes When we mark the text while reading, we focus our attention on what
we are reading by asking ourselves which are the truly important words and phrases that will help us
fnd information to answer questions However, the purpose of text notes is to help us study and review
information To show the difference, I put a marked passage and the resulting text notes side by side
Students see that the text notes are more useful as a study tool because the important information has been
isolated and reduced to just a few words
The lessons in this chapter review or develop the following skills that students need for marking text while
reading in order to fnd information quickly and to answer questions:
identify general, specifc, and more specifc information through the use of color-coding
identify and mark only essential informational words in a passage while reading
learn alternative strategies for text marking
chapter 6
55
Lesson 1: Reviewing How to Color-Code a Paragraph
Lesson Objective: To review color-coding a paragraph by identifying general, specifc, and
more specifc information.
T
he prerequisite skills for this lesson were taught in Chapters 1 and 2, so
the amount of time you spend on this lesson will depend on your students
level of mastery
Preparation
Make a display copy of the paragraph and a copy for each student
Tell students that youre going to review some of the skills they have already learned
Then display the paragraph and read it using the Cloze method Ask student to help
you color-code the paragraph to fnd the topic, specifc/key ideas, and more specifc
ideas
Usually, I only need to demonstrate one paragraph, because by this time, students have
internalized the structure of expository text as general-specifc-more specifc ideas However, if your
students need additional instruction or practice, provide it by having them work together to practice
and review color-coding
I use highlighters in the teaching process for the text-marking strategy, but I also
transition students to using pens or colored pencils and underlining or circling essential
words. A highlighter obviously places the emphasis on words or phrases and makes
them stand out, but this tool cannot be used on certain tests. When students master the
strategy through the use of highlighters, the transition to underlining or circling is easy.
Materials
expository paragraph with
two or three specifc/key
ideas and more specifc
information
highlighters, pens, or
colored pencils (three
different colors for
each student)

56
Lesson 2: Identifying and Marking
Essential Information
Lesson Objective: To identify and mark only the essential information in a passage.
Preparation
Select two or three paragraphs from the reproducible Make a display copy of each one
and a copy for each student
Explain that in this lesson youll be making decisions about which words or phrases to
highlight as you read Review the purpose of in-text marking and how its done: The
purpose is to locate information in a passage effciently This is done by eliminating
non-essential words or phrases and highlighting as few words as possible to fnd
information when answering questions
Display the frst paragraph, read the title, and think aloud about which words to highlight and to
eliminate (this modeling is based on the sample on the next page): I need to highlight both Advantages
and Disadvantages so Ill remember that both will be discussed in the passage Im also going to highlight
Solar Power.
After reading aloud the entire paragraph, return to the frst sentence and reread it Ask yourself which
words will help you fnd information when answering questions about the paragraph and then model
your answer: I dont have to highlight Sun because I have highlighted Solar in the title, and thats a word
related to the sun I dont want to highlight any words that Ive already highlighted or any synonyms
for those highlighted words Ill highlight delivers more energy and every two weeks because thats one of
the advantages of solar power Ill also highlight found, all, and fossil fuels because they will help me fnd
information to answer questions later I wont highlight oil and coal because theyre examples of fossil fuels
and Ive already highlighted that phrase
I fnd that unless I regularly reteach text-marking strategies with a least one or two
paragraphs, my students begin highlighting too much information The lure of the
runaway highlighter is too strong to resist for long.
Materials
Model Paragraphs
With Different Purposes
reproducible
(pages 8889)
highlighters, pens, or
colored pencils

57
Reread the second sentence and
model your thinking: I dont have to
highlight advantages because I already
did that in the title Inexhaustible is a
defnite advantage, and I know what
the words means, so Ill highlight that
instead of it cannot be used up
Continue to reread each sentence
and model marking the essential
information and explaining your
decision-making process When your
students are ready, work with them in
marking a new paragraph Ask a student
to read aloud the entire paragraph as
the others follow along Then call on
individual students to tell you which
words and phrases to highlight and to
explain their reasons for their choices
Small Group Practice: Have students
practice the strategy as you monitor
Stress the importance of stating the
justifcation for their choices Ask groups
to compare their marked passages and
explain why they highlighted the words
they did
Independent Practice: Assign a short passage for homework The following
day, tell students to compare their highlighting with a partner and explain their
reasons Then ask questions based on the passage and have students raise their
hands as they locate the information
Some Final Thoughts
I think in-text marking is the most neglected note-taking skill Yet, for our
students who must read long passages of informational text, particularly in testing
situations, it is truly important This strategy helps students maintain focus while
reading and locate information quickly Because my students have had experiences with deciding
which information in a text is important in lecture and text note taking, they are able to master this
strategy in a relatively short period of time However, I do have to continually remind them that in
the case of in-text marking, less is defnitely more
The Advantages and Disadvantages
of Solar Power
Although the sun delivers more energy to Earth
every two weeks than can be found in all of the fossil
fuels, such as oil and coal, that exist on our planet, solar
power has both advantages and disadvantages. One of
the advantages is that solar power is inexhaustible; it
cannot be used up. Also, solar power is clean energy. It
does not create exhaust or poisonous waste products.
One of the disadvantages is that solar energy is not
concentrated but is spread thinly across the surface
of the Earth. Another drawback is that the power is
not constant. Solar power can only reach Earth in the
daytime. Also, some areas of the planet do not receive
enough solar energy to make it an effcient alternative
to fossil fuels.
Sample Marked Passage
58
You can introduce the following strategies when students understand the purpose and process of text-
marking I demonstrate the strategy, but I do not move through all the stages of the Gradual Release of
Responsibility Model I allow my students to adapt the strategies to their needs; however, they must always
demonstrate that they understand the purpose of text marking
Circling and Underlining
Once my students master the concept of in-text marking, I transition them to using pens or pencils in case
they are in a situation where highlighters cannot be used We regularly practice test-taking strategies, and
during this time, I limit them to using only a pen or pencil Students can choose to underline, circle, or
box words and phrases Some students have developed the strategy of circling the key/specifc idea and
then underlining the essential words in the paragraph
Highlighter Tape
Highlighter tape, available in various sizes, can be used for in-text marking on non-consumable products,
such as textbooks I put a variety of lengths of highlighter tape on a piece of transparency flm and
distribute them to students Students use the lengths of tape to highlight in their textbooks and then
replace them on the flm for storage
Number Please
This strategy helps students make careful judgments about what to highlight I choose a number of words
that can be highlighted in a paragraph; students can highlight up to that number I begin with about 10
words and then gradually reduce the number to four or fve This is easy to assess and grade because the
choices students make truly show whether they understand the strategy and whether they have read the
whole paragraph before making those choices
Cut and Paste
Students who thrive on kinesthetic activities will enjoy cutting and pasting Print a paragraph or two on a
colored sheet of paper Increase the type size and line spacing so that essential words and phrases can be
cut out of the paragraph and pasted on another sheet of paper in the approximate position they held in the
original paragraph The colored paper mimics the highlighting, and the resulting markings demonstrate
the concept of specifc/key ideas and signifcant details
Developing Codes
Demonstrate to students how margins can also be used for in-text marking A self-developed symbol code
written in the margins can help students locate information quickly; for example, a box can indicate an
important person; a circle, an important date; a triangle, a place; a capital C, a cause; and a capital E, an
effect The possibilities are endless Stick-on notes can be used in nonconsumable materials
Pictures in the Margin
Visual learners can locate and recall information that is represented in graphics Adding pictures in
the margins not only helps visual learners locate information quickly but also helps them remember
the information
Additional Strategies
for Guided and Independent In-Text Marking Practice
59
Writing Summaries
A
fter having my students read a lengthy article, I asked them to write a brief summary of it After
sighing, groaning, and rolling their eyes, most of them began to write However, the results showed
that their idea of a summary was to list what they remembered rather than to provide a short, organized
recap of the main idea of the article and its specifc/key ideas and signifcant details My students needed
an understanding of the purpose of summary writing and a structured strategy for writing an effective one
In Classroom Instruction That Works, Robert Marzano concludes that the ability to take good notes and to
write effective summaries is a powerful strategy for helping students learn, second only to seeing similarities
and differences The skill of summary writing is complex, involving multiple higher-order thinking skills
including analysis, synthesis, and categorization Clearly, students need a structured, sequential strategy for
this task and ongoing practice
Summary writing involves the following three steps:
1 Creating a three-part summary statement that (a) names the passage, (b) states its purpose,
and (c) summarizes the specifc/key ideas into a main idea, using categorical terms
2 Selecting and outlining the specifc/key ideas and choosing the most signifcant details
3 Writing the summary passage
These three steps are taught in Lessons 68 Lessons 14 deal with the prerequisite skills for summary
writing: the ability to determine the purpose of a passage, to categorize, to group ideas and objects based
on a shared criterion, and to identify that criterion Summary writing is, in essence, a form of note taking
Both entail condensing large amounts of information into key ideas and signifcant details However, if
summary writing is used after note taking, it reintegrates those key ideas and signifcant details into a prose
format When students have mastered note taking, summary writing can, in effect, become their note
taking strategy All the lessons in this chapter will help students review or develop the following skills they
need to write effective summaries:
determine the purpose of a passage
review categorizing
identify categorical terms for abstract ideas
state the purpose of a passage and categorize its specifc/key ideas
understand the requirements of a summary
write a complete summary statement
create a Key Idea Outline
write a summary paragraph
chapter 7
60
Lesson 1: Determining the Purpose of a Passage
Lesson Objective: To analyze a passage and determine its purpose.
W
henever students read an expository passage, we should ask them to determine
its purpose Knowing the purpose of a paragraph helps them to understand its
organization and to learn the information it contains
Preparation
Make a display copy of the Purposes of Expository Writing reproducible and a
copy for each student Note: You may want to divide this lesson into two or three
parts, so students become familiar with two or three specifc purposes at a time
Also, make a display copy of one of the paragraphs on the Model Paragraphs With
Different Purposes
Explain that informational or expository passages are written for a variety of purposes including to list
information; to describe people, places, or objects; to show steps in a process; and so on Then distribute
the Purposes for Expository Writing reproducible to students Review each purpose and its description
If necessary, teach the vocabulary required, for example, comparison and contrast
After displaying the model paragraph from the Model Paragraphs With Different Purposes
reproducible, read it aloud Then ask students to listen as you think aloud to decide its purpose and give
evidence to support your ideas For example, you might say, The paragraph on Athens and Sparta shows
the ways in which they were alike, for example, Both Athens and Sparta were powerful city states It also
shows how they were different For example, in Sparta the boys were trained to be army offcers; while in
Athens, the boys were enrolled in academies to learn about a variety of subjects Therefore, the purpose of
the passage is to compare and contrast
The most effective time to directly teach and model how to identify a particular purpose is just prior
to having students read a passage with that purpose in their textbooks or other materials I model my
thinking process aloud with a sample passage, citing text evidence for my observations, such as shows
ways they are alike and ways they are different and drawing a conclusion by stating the purpose Then,
I have students read the passage for that days content lesson and ask that they use the same process to
determine the purpose of the passage
Whenever students work on reading passages in small groups or independently, they should determine
the purpose or purposes of the passage after having read it
Materials
Purposes for Expository
Writing reproducible
(page 90)
Model Paragraphs
reproducible
(pages 8889)

6J
Lesson 2: Reviewing Categorizing
Lesson Objectives: To review the concept of categorizing and identifying a categorical term for
concrete objects.
W
hen writing summary statements, writers often need to use categorical terms,
such as characteristics, causes, effects, or ideas for the specifc and more specifc
information in a passage This lesson is a review of the concept of categorization
students learned in Chapter 1
Begin the lesson by telling students that you are going to review categorizing
Remind them that a category is a word or phrase that explains the characteristic shared by several objects
or ideas, and give an example, such as the following: The category transportation includes cars, trains,
airplanes, bicycles, and so on All of these objects move people or freight from one place to another
Read aloud the frst list on the Sample Lists for Categorization reproduciblewithout giving away
the category: Preschool, elementary, middle school, high school, college What characteristic do all the
examples have in common? They are all places of learning, so they belong to the category of schools
Repeat with additional lists on the sheet, calling on individual students to identify which characteristic
the examples share and to name the category until you feel students recall or have learned the concept
Small Group Practice: If students seem to need additional reinforcement, provide additional lists from
the reproducible and have them work together to categorize the terms Students can also create lists of
related terms and share them with the class, which then identifes the shared characteristic and category
Lesson 3: Identifying Categorical Terms
for Abstract Ideas
Lesson Objective: To identify a categorical term for abstract ideas.
T
his lesson can be repeated to introduce the categorical words that students
need when they learn new content For example, if a science lesson is about
acid rain, introduce the terms causes and effects This skill is often the most diffcult
part of teaching summary writing because students are required to analyze the
information in the passage and then synthesize an abstract categorical term or terms
However, through repetition and ongoing rehearsal, my students become familiar
with the categorical terms and learn when to use them appropriately
Materials
Sample Lists for
Categorization
Materials
Categorical Terms
for Summary Writing
Bookmark reproducible
(page 92)
scissors

62
Preparation
Copy and cut apart the Categorical Terms for Summary Writing Bookmarks reproducible so each
student has a bookmark Create a list of physical characteristics, such as 6 feet tall, 180 pounds,
brown hair, a list of actions, such as running, jumping, talking, and lists for other categorical terms
appropriate to your curriculum
After reviewing the concept of categorization, stating how a group of objects and ideas are alike (see
Chapter 1, pages 1215), show students the list of physical characteristics Ask them to complete the
following statement: These are all examples of ____________. List students responses on the board If
no one knows the words characteristics and traits, introduce the words and explain that these are two
categorical terms that are helpful in describing how people or things look
Next show the list of actions and ask students to complete the above statement If no one suggests
actions or behaviors, introduce these words Because the purpose of this lesson is to introduce new
categorical terms as students need them, you will not need to move beyond the direct teaching stage
because students will use the new terms immediately
Lesson 4: Stating the Purpose of a Passage
and Categorizing the Specifc/Key Ideas
Lesson Objective: To write a sentence that states the purpose of a passage and categorizes its details as a
main idea.
A
summary statement uses an active verb to identify the purpose of a passage and
a global statement that categorizes the specifc information in the passage On
the surface, this seems to be an easy task; however, it requires that students use both
analysis and synthesis Because of the complexity, I fnd that many students need
multiple instances of direct teaching-modeling and guided practice, or Stage 2 in the
Gradual Release of Responsibility
To state the purpose of a passage and categorize the details in it, a writer must do
the following:
identify the purpose of the passage
select a corresponding verb
categorize the signifcant details as a main idea
insert additional words
Materials
Model Paragraphs
reproducible
(pages 8889)
Verbs for Summary
(page 93)

63
Preparation
Make a copy of the reproducibles for each student and distribute them
Remind students that all expository passages have a purpose and that they have learned how to categorize
lists of details Explain that you are going to write a sentence that states the purpose of a paragraph and
categorizes its specifc/key ideas Then use the Cloze method to read Bats, the frst paragraph on the
reproducible, aloud After asking students to identify the purpose of the paragraph, model how to create a
sentence that states the purpose and categorizes the details in it Heres what you might say:
My goal is to write a sentence that states the purpose of the paragraph and categorizes its specifc/key
ideas I know the purpose of the paragraph is to provide information about the topic of bats, so Im going
to look at the Verbs for Summary Writing sheet for verbs that go with this purpose I could use any of
them, but I think Ill use the verb describes Next, I want to be fnd a categorical term for the signifcant
details in the paragraph When I read the paragraph, I learned several ways in which bats are helpful to
humans For example, bats pollinate plants and eat insects that damage crops, and scientists are studying
them to help people All of these are things that help people, so a categorical term for the specifc/key
ideas is benefts Now I can write a sentence that states the specifc purpose of the entire paragraph: The
paragraph describes the benefts that bats provide to humans
If necessary, work through several more paragraphs on the reproducible using the same procedure
When you feel your students are ready, move to Stage 2 of the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model
After reading the paragraph together, call on a student to state the purpose of the paragraph, and ask
another student to suggest a verb that you can use to state the purpose Have students tell you what the
key ideas are and list them on the board Then ask students to suggest possible categorical terms to cover
the key ideas
Small Group Practice: Provide students with other paragraphs from the reproducible that have different
purposes and ask them to work together to write a sentence that describes the purpose of the paragraph,
using verbs for summary writing, categorical terms, and additional words to extend the sentence Later,
have students repeat the process with their textbook reading by asking them to write a sentence that
identifes the purpose and categorizes the details in the section
Independent Practice: When students have had multiple opportunities to practice this skill with
guided practice and small group practice, ask them to independently create statements of purpose and
categorize details as a main idea after reading in their textbooks
64
Lesson 5: Understanding the Requirements
of a Summary
Lesson Objective: To state the requirements of an effective summary.
E
ffective summary paragraphs have a three-part topic sentence that (1) identifes
the passage; (2) uses an active verb to state the purpose of the passage; and
(3) provides a global statement about the key ideas in the passage The rest of the
sentences in the summary state the key ideas and most signifcant details about those
ideas Summaries also use categorical terms for details For example, if a passage lists
several fowers, such as roses, carnations, petunias, and daisies, the categorical term
common garden fowers might be used Summaries usually do not have a conclusion,
and the writer of the summary does not comment on the information
Preparation
Make a display copy of the
reproducible and a copy for each
student
Explain that summaries are useful
tools for remembering information
and that there are requirements for an
effective summary Tell students that
today theyll be looking at an original
passage and a summary of it, and
theyll identify and label parts of the
summary
Then display Learning
Preferences and its summary After
reading the passage and the summary
aloud, explain that the topic sentence
of a summary has three parts: the frst
part names the title, author, and genre
of the passage; the second uses an
active verb to state the purpose, and
the third gives the key ideas of the
passage by categorizing the specifc
details Ask students to underline the summary topic sentence (the frst sentence)
Show them how to use vertical lines to divide the topic sentence into its three parts
and identify each with a letter: N (Names), P (Purpose), M (Main Idea)
Materials
Learning Preferences
and Summary
Sample Marked Learning Preferences Summary Statement

The article Learning Preferences, by Jason Evans
describes the characteristics of the three learning
modalities. Visual learners learn by studying graphics
and watching demonstrations. Text formatting and the
location of information assist them in learning and
remembering. Auditory learners need to hear and
discuss information. Oral communication is important
to them, but organizing writing may be diffcult.
To hear as they read, they may move their lips.
Kinesthetic learners are grounded in reality, learning
by doing and experimenting. Concrete examples of
abstract ideas help them understand. They need to see
big pictures before they can learn the details.
No Conclusion
N
P M
categorical
term
65
Have students identify the three specifc/key ideas in the original passage and then locate and circle
them in the summary statement Explain that only really important more specifc information should be
included, so they have to make choices about what to include Ask students to compare the more specifc
information in the original passage with what is included in the summary and decide whether they
agree with the choices and why (This will give you a chance to explain that summaries are like notes in
paragraph form Not everyone will make the same choices)
Then explain that one way to summarize information is to use categorical terms for details in a
passage For example, if the original passage used the words hawks, eagles, and owls, you could use the
categorical term birds of prey or raptors in your summary Ask students to fnd a place in the summary
where a categorical term, in this case graphics, is used in place of details Have them draw a box around the
word or phrase and then draw an arrow to the margin and write categorical term Finally, tell students
that summaries do not usually have a conclusion, and ask them to write No Conclusion at the bottom
I emphasize that summary writing is not a substitute for note taking, but it is a fnal
step in learning and studying expository text.
Lesson 6: Writing a Complete Summary Statement
Lesson Objective: To write a three-part summary statement
W
hen students have become profcient at writing sentences that identify the
purpose of a passage and categorizing its details, they are ready to write a
complete summary statement
This lesson also demonstrates how students can use the notes they have taken
to help them write the summary statement
Preparation
Prior to the lesson, have students take text notes on Hummingbirds: Mother
Natures Flying Jewels or a passage of your choice that has at least two key ideas
Make a display copy of your own notes for the passage you have chosen for the
lesson Instead of using the Creating the Summary Statement reproducible, you can
use a half sheet of lined paper folded into three vertical columns (a burrito fold)
Explain that in todays lesson youll be writing a complete summary statement, a
sentence that has the following three parts:
Materials
Hummingbirds: Mother
Natures Flying Jewels
passage (page 87)
Teacher and student
notes on Hummingbirds:
Mother Natures
Flying Jewels from
Lesson 5
Creating the Summary
Statement reproducible
or lined notebook paper
(page 95)
Verbs for Summary
(page 93)
Categorical Terms
for Summary Writing
Bookmarks from Lesson 3

66
The frst part names the title, author, and genre of the passage
The second part uses an active verb to identify the purpose of the passage
The third part states the main idea of the passage, using categorical terms
Point out to students that they have already been practicing how to write the second and third parts of
a summary statement
Display the Creating the Summary Statement reproducible or have students create a burrito fold,
draw lines in the folds, and copy the following headings to create a chart: Name It, Tell the Purpose (Verb),
and Write the Main Idea Point to the frst column and say that youll write the title, author, and genre of
the passage there Because students have had practice in identifying the purposes of passages, ask them to
identify the purpose of this passage, and after referring to the Verbs for Summary Writing chart, write the
active verb they choose in the second column of the chart
Then tell students that theyre going to look at their notes on the passage to write the last part of the
summary statement Ask them to review their text notes to identify the specifc/key ideas List students
ideas on the board and then have them refer to their Categorical Terms for Summary Writing Bookmark for
suggestions of categorical terms that ft the key ideas
When I teach this skill, I fnd that I need to repeat Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the Gradual Release
of Responsibility Model several times Its cognitive complexity and the multiple steps need repeated
demonstration and guided practice Consider having students write summary statements daily on anything
they read, hear, or see
Small Group Practice: Have students work together to write summary statements of reading passages,
lectures, audiovisual materials, Web sites, and so on
Based on the notes, the summary statement is Hummingbirds: Mother Natures Flying Jewels describes the physical
characteristics and behavior of these tiny creatures.
Name Date
K$:_Xik
T = Hummingbirds
colors fying jewels in
Spanish
males
brilliant, iridescent
feathers
red, green, pink,
orange
females
duller
brown or gray
muscle mass 30% body weight
fy 30 m.p.h.
migrate
2000 miles
Canada to Panama
Name Date
:i\Xkè^k_\JlddXipJkXk\d\ek
IîaZ/
6ji]dg/
<ZcgZ/
CVbZ>i IZaai]ZEjgedhZ
KZgW
LgîZi]Z
BV^c>YZV
Hummingbirds:
Mother Natures
Flying Jewels
describes the physical
characteristics
and behavior
of these tiny
creatures
Faye Carter
article
67
Lesson 7: Creating the Key Idea Outline
Lesson Objective: To create a summary outline of the key ideas and most signifcant details of a passage.
Preparation
Make a display copy of the Key Idea Outline reproducible and duplicate a copy
for each student Instead of using the reproducible, students can copy your
display copy on a half sheet of lined paper
Tell students that after writing the summary statement, the second step in
summary writing is to create an outline of the specifc/key ideas and most
signifcant details in a passage After asking students to volunteer to read their
summary statements from Lesson 6 aloud, write two or three on the board
Then choose one and write it on the display copy of the Key Idea
Outline Next, show students how you would transfer the key
ideas from your notes to the outline by copying them next to the
keys on the outline (colors, muscle mass, feed frequently, unique wing
movement)
Then model how you would choose the most signifcant
details that you want to remember for each specifc/key idea
For instance, review your notes for the color key idea by reading
them aloud Then model your process: I dont really need to use
the Spanish name for hummingbirds because its in the title and
because the key ideas of the article are about the characteristics
and behavior of hummingbirds The difference in color between
males and females is strong, so thats a signifcant detail I need
some additional explanation, but I dont want to list the colors
Ill use brilliant and iridescent for males and duller for females The
words brilliant and iridescent are precise vocabulary words that
help me visualize the many colors of male hummingbirds and dull
suggests the colors brown and gray If I use precise vocabulary in
the explanations, Ill be able to remember what the most signifcant
details are
As you begin to add the details to the outline, think aloud
about the No More Than 4 rule and point out that youre
separating the details with semicolons
If necessary, continue to model with other paragraphs of notes
As you transition to Stage 2, call on students to tell you which
words and phrases from your notes are signifcant details and how
much explanation is needed Guide them to use precise vocabulary,
eliminate lists of examples, and use categorical terms whenever possible
Materials
Key Idea Outline
reproducible or lined
notebook paper
(page 96)
Teacher and student
notes and summary
statements from
Lesson 6
Sample Key Idea Outline for Hummingbirds:

Mother Natures Flying Jewels
Name Date
B\p@[\XFlkcè\
HjbbVgnHiViZbZci/
Djia^cZ/
colors
males brilliant, iridescent;
females duller
muscle mass
30% body weight; 30 m.p.h.;
migrate up to 2,000 miles
feed frequently
consume 2/3 of body weight daily;
1,000 fowers; nectar, pollen, insects
unique wing movement
360 pattern; fy in all directions;
backward; hover in midair
68
Lesson 8: Writing the Summary Paragraph
Lesson Objective: To write a summary paragraph using the summary statement as the topic sentence and
the key idea outline as a guide for the paragraph.
Preparation
Display the copy of your completed Key Idea Outline
Share that when we write a summary, the summary statement is the topic sentence Then
we use the summary, or key idea, outline to develop the summary paragraph, writing
one or two sentences for each key idea and the most signifcant details
Display your completed Key Idea Outline from the previous lesson Copy the
summary statement on a sheet of paper Then ask yourself, How can I write these signifcant details in my
outline as sentences? Compose the next sentence orally, saying, for instance, The next sentence begins the
summary of the key ideas and signifcant details It will be about the colors of the birds Both males and
females need to be described because the contrast between them is important I could write that males and
females are different and then add a sentence that describes the difference, but that might be a bit choppy
I think Ill describe the males frst: brilliant, iridescent feathers of many colors because that includes the key
idea as well as some of the details Next I can describe the females: duller Now I can write a sentence: The
males have brilliant, iridescent feathers of many colors, while the females tend to be duller in color.
Compare that sentence to the notes in
your outline to ensure that you have included
everything Then continue to the next key
idea Read your notes aloud and comment
that there are several signifcant details, which
could make the sentence awkward Model
how you decide to write the key idea in its
own sentence and then to combine the three
signifcant details into another sentence When
youve fnished writing the sentences, read
through your summary paragraph, making any
necessary changes and edits
Finally, remind students that summary
paragraphs do not have conclusions, nor
should they express an opinion about what
youre summarizing
Small Group Practice: At this point,
have students work together to write their
summary paragraphs
Materials
Teacher and students
copies of completed
Key Idea Outline from
Lesson 7
Mother Natures Flying Jewels, an article

by Faye Carter, describes the characteristics and
behavior of hummingbirds. The males have brilliant,
iridescent feathers of many colors, while the
females tend to be duller in color. Hummingbirds
have remarkable muscle mass. Their muscles
make up 30% of their body weight, making them
able to fy 30 m.p.h. and migrate up to 2,000
miles. They must feed frequently and consume
2/3 of their body weight daily. They may visit as
many as 1,000 fowers, eating nectar, pollen, and
insects. Hummingbirds are the only birds whose
wings rotate in a 360 pattern. They can fy in all
directions, including backward, and hover in midair.
Summary Paragraph for Hummingbirds: Mother Natures
Flying Jewels
69
Because of the effectiveness of summary writing in increasing student achievement, I
use it on an almost daily basis. I make decisions about how far into the process I want
to go by the importance of the content of the days lessons. I require students to write
summary statements about most of the reading selections and lectures. When the
content is important for mastery of content standards or for subsequent learning, I have
students write a summary statement and create a Key Idea Outline. If the content is
essential for mastery of content standards, I ask them to complete the steps by writing a
summary paragraph.
Picture Summaries
After writing the summary statement, students draw pictures to represent the signifcant details instead of
creating a Key Idea Outline
Note Card Summaries
Students write the summary statement on one side of a note card and the Key Idea Outline on the other
Movie Guide Summaries
Using the movie summaries found in television guides as models, students write summaries of a passage I
usually begin this strategy by having them write a summary of a fairy tale, such as The Three Little Pigs
In this strategy, students are writing only the main idea part of the summary statement This strategy can be
used for both expository and narrative passages
Itll Cost You Summaries
In this game, students have a certain amount of money to spend in the writing of a summary Words are
worth a specifc amount, with the articles a, an, the being free The game can be played by having students
spend all their money or as little as possible, but they must still write an effective summary The summary
cannot be telegraphic; it must sound like a real sentence In this strategy, students are writing only the
main idea part of the summary statement For example, if I had one dollar to summarize The Three Little
Pigs, and words were 10 cents each, I might write one of the following: Pigs build three houses of different
materials with different consequences (spending all my money), or Effort rewards the doer (summarizing the
moral of the tale and spending little)
Poem Summaries
This strategy was suggested by Jonathan McClure of Jurupa Unifed School District Students write
summaries of information in the form of poems, such as haiku, diamante, and acrostic poems They can
illustrate their poems and create a picture summary as well
Additional Ideas for Summaries
Using Summary Writing for the Interpretation
of Informational Graphics
Summary writing provides a framework for students to access information in graphics
The summary sentence states the type of graphic and its purpose
The Key Idea Outline includes a description of the format of the graphic, several facts
represented in it, and an interpretation of trends or conclusions that can be made
Some Final Thoughts

When I began teaching summary writing to my students, I was surprised at the
cognitive demands it put on them A process that seems so simple on the surface
requires students to use higher-order thinking skills in an authentic way Having a
step-by-step process helps them master this essential skill
Often, I have to remind myself that good teaching takes time and persistence At those times in
the process of teaching summary writing, I tell myself that along with note taking, summary writing
is the second-most effective teaching strategy for increasing student achievement
Summary of a Diagram
100
125
150
175
200
225
250
Su M Tu W Th F Sa
DVD Rentals December 7 to 13
Summary of a Bar Graph
Name It Tell the
Purpose
(Verb)
Write the
Main Idea
Bar graph: DVD
Rentals December
7 to 13
shows the total number
of DVDs rented
on each day of
the week
x-axislistsdaysof
theweek
y-axisshows
numberofrentalsin
incrementsof25
fewestrentalson
Tuesday
mostrentalson
Saturday
weekendshave
greatest number of
rentals
rentalsincreasedaily
fromTuesdayslow
diagram shows clouds, lake, mountain
arrowsindicatemovementofformsofwater
transpirationandevaporationmovewaterintoair
condensationformsrainclouds
precipitation returns rain, snow, sleet, hail to land
runoffconcentratesthewaterinbodies
water constantly being recycled
Name It Tell the
Purpose
(Verb)
Write the
Main Idea
Diagram: The
Water Cycle
demonstrates how water moves
from air to land
and back again
70
The Water Cycle
7J
Shapes for Sorting
To the Teacher: Make four copies of this page, each in a different color. Then cut out each shape.
72
A
n
i
m
a
l

P
i
c
t
u
r
e
s

f
o
r

C
l
a
s
s
i
f
y
i
n
g
T
o

t
h
e

T
e
a
c
h
e
r
:

M
a
k
e

a

c
o
p
y

t
o

d
i
s
p
l
a
y

t
o

s
t
u
d
e
n
t
s
.
73
Name Date
T-Chart
T =
74
Name Date
Specifc/Key Ideas
Specifc ideas (keys) give examples of
the general idea
General Idea
The general idea is the largest category
Each specifc idea and more/most specifc idea
belongs in this category
More specifc ideas (bullets) and most specifc
ideas (dashes) give more information about the
specifc/key ideas
Color-Coding:
General

Specifc

With your class, decide on a color for each type of idea. Then color each square.
75
General

Specifc

More/Most Specifc
To the Teacher: Each row contains a set of ideas. Cut apart each set.
Idea Sort #1
transportation two-wheeled vehicle motorcycle
sports team soccer
animal reptile lizard
games board game chess
school subject language arts
family members female sister
career technical computer repair
clothing casual T-shirt
music popular oldies
hobbies collecting stamps
76
General

Specifc

More/Most Specifc
To the Teacher: Each row contains a set of ideas. Cut apart each set.
Idea Sort #2
United States East Coast West Coast New York California
numbers even odd twelve ffteen
holidays winter summer New Years Day Fourth of July
clothing business casual suit coat sweatshirt
animals domestic wild cows tigers
food vegetable fruit carrot apple
amusement parks rides attractions roller coasters animal shows
transportation land sea train ship
school elementary high school fourth grade eleventh grade
technology communication entertainment cell phone computer game
77
Name Date
of Expository Text
Types of Literature (Model Five-Sentence Paragraph)
Literature can be divided into two basic types Fiction is one type of literature Fiction is creative and not
based on fact The second type of literature is nonfction Nonfction is based on facts, details, or opinions
Healthy Eating (Model Five-Sentence Paragraph)
Healthy eating requires making wise choices Selecting fruits and vegetables as snacks is a healthy
alternative A crisp apple has few calories, and its crunchiness makes it satisfying to eat Another wise choice is
to rarely eat fast food Hamburgers, burritos, and pizza, while tasty, are loaded with heart-clogging fat
The Best Place to Live (Model-Seven Sentence Paragraph)
Most people have a defnite preference about where they want to live Some people prefer to live in large
cities These people enjoy the bustle of city life and the many cultural opportunities Other people think the
suburbs are the ideal place to live Friendly neighbors and single-family homes attract these people Another
group of people choose to live in more rural areas The beauty of nature and the solitude draw these people to
the countryside
The Earth Rocks! (Model Eleven-Sentence Paragraph)
The earth is made up of three basic kinds of rocks One type is igneous rocks Igneous rocks are created
from the liquid core of the earth Basalt, granite, and quartz are examples of igneous rocks A second kind is
sedimentary rocks These rocks form from layer upon layer of eroded rock particles deposited on the bottom
of lakes and oceans Limestone, sandstone, and coal are all sedimentary rocks The third type is metamorphic
rocks When pressure and heat are applied to certain igneous or sedimentary rocks, metamorphic rocks are
formed Very fne-grained rocks like marble, slate, and graphite are examples of metamorphic rocks
78
Name Date
Northeastern
Tribes in the Northeast lived in forests They built their homes, known as longhouses,
in a long, rectangular form with barrel-type roofs They would tie poles together to form
the frame for the house and then cover the frame with bark mats for protection from cold
weather These were multifamily homes with a long hallway in the middle and families
rooms at the sides
Midwestern Plains
The Plains tribes relied on the buffalo for survival They did not build permanent homes
because they needed to follow buffalo herds as they migrated throughout the year The
Plains tribes built tipis in the shape of a cone The frame was built from long poles fastened
together at the top Animal skins that were fastened to the ground covered the frames The
tipis were easy to erect, take down, and move
Southwestern
Many Southwestern tribes built multifamily apartment buildings, known as pueblos,
from dried clay The adobe bricks provided insulation against the hot temperatures of the
summer and the bitter cold of the winter The pueblos had open areas where the people
could gather for ceremonies When more rooms were needed, they were added on top of
the existing ones
Recognizing Expository Structure
in Textbook Passages
79
Name Date
Diagram for Recognizing Expository
Structure in Textbook Passages
Color each idea in the diagram. Then use the colors to color-code the passage.
Tribes in the Northeast lived in forests They built their homes,
known as longhouses, in a long, rectangular form with barrel-
type roofs They would tie poles together to form the frame for the
house and then cover the frame with bark mats for protection from
cold weather These were multifamily homes with a long hallway in
the middle and families rooms at the sides
Northeastern
The Plains tribes relied on the buffalo for survival They did not
build permanent homes because they needed to follow buffalo herds
as they migrated throughout the year The Plains tribes built tipis
in the shape of a cone The frame was built from long poles fastened
together at the top Animal skins that were fastened to the ground
covered the frames The tipis were easy to erect, take down, and move
Midwestern Plains
Many Southwestern tribes built multifamily apartment
buildings, known as pueblos, from dried clay The adobe bricks
provided insulation against the hot temperatures of the summer
and the bitter cold of the winter The pueblos had open areas
where the people could gather for ceremonies When more rooms
were needed, they were added on top of the existing ones
Southwestern
General Idea
Specifc/Key Idea
More Specifc Ideas
Specifc/Key Idea
More Specifc Ideas
Specifc/Key Idea
More Specifc Ideas
80
Name Date
Identifying and Classifying
Informational Words and Phrases
Sentence Who / What When / Where Why / How
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Title:
8J
Name Date
The Three Branches of the
United States Government
The executive branch is headed by the president with the
assistance of the vice president The executive branch proposes
new laws and a budget for the country As commander-in-chief,
the president directs national defense The president is also
responsible for enforcing laws
The legislative branch is also known as Congress
Congress has two bodies: the House of Representatives and the
Senate Congress has the responsibility of making new laws
and passing a budget Both the House and the Senate must pass
new legislation before it becomes law
The judicial branch is headed by the Supreme Court The
judicial branch is responsible for interpreting the Constitution
of the United States and for deciding the constitutionality of
laws passed by Congress and state legislatures The Courts
decisions cannot be overturned
82
Jigsaw Notes
To the Teacher: Cut out the jigsaw notes on the dashed lines and place in an envelope.
T = Branches of the United States Government
executive Senate
president, vice president
make new laws, pass budget
proposes new laws, budget
both house must pass laws, budget
directs national defense judicial
enforces laws Supreme Court
legislative interprets the Constitution
Congress decides whether a law is
constitutional
House of Representatives decisions cannot be overturned
83
Name Date
Environmental Adaptations
of the Desert Tortoise
The desert tortoise has made many adaptations to its
home environment One adaptation has been to the climatic
extremes of the desert While temperatures can exceed 140
o
F
in the summer, winter temperatures can plunge below freezing
As a result, the desert tortoise builds subterranean burrows
and spends 95% of its life in them The burrows protect the
tortoise from the intense heat in the summer and subfreezing
temperatures while it is dormant in the winter
The tortoise has also adapted its diet to this habitat
Grasses, some shrubs, and new growth on cacti along with
their fowers make up most of the desert tortoises diet When
suffcient rainfall causes massive wildfower growth, the tortoise
consumes large quantities of the fowers
Finally, the desert tortoise has adapted to the infrequent
rainfall in the desert The moisture in the grasses and fowers
the tortoise consumes makes up most of its water intake
Another source of water is catchment basins that tortoises build
in the soil to catch rainfall They remember the location of the
basins and wait near them when rain appears imminent In
addition, an adult tortoise can survive a year without water
84
Name Date
Picture Notes
Title:

85
Name Date
Two-Pass Notes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Title:
86
Expository
Transitions
Bookmark
additionally
also
another
fnally
frst
furthermore
in addition
in conclusion
later
next
one
start by
then
the second (third, so on)
to begin
to conclude
Expository
Transitions
Bookmark
additionally
also
another
fnally
frst
furthermore
in addition
in conclusion
later
next
one
start by
then
the second (third, so on)
to begin
to conclude
Expository Transitions Bookmark
To the Teacher: Copy this sheet and then cut apart the bookmarks.
87
Name Date
Hummingbirds:
Mother Natures Flying Jewels
by Faye Carter
Because of their many bright colors, the small birds known as
hummingbirds are called joyas voladoras in Spanish, or fying jewels The
males have brilliantly colored feathers in many hues, including iridescent
reds, greens, pinks, and oranges The females tend to be duller in color,
usually brown or gray
Hummingbirds have remarkable muscle mass Their fying muscles
make up 30% of their body weight These large muscle masses make
the tiny birds able to fy at speeds of 30 mph The large muscles are
required for migration that can cover up to 2,000 miles from Canada to
Panama
Hummingbirds feed frequently, usually every 10 minutes They
typically consume amounts of food equal to two-thirds of their body
weight each day In its search for food, one bird may visit a thousand
fowers in a day to drink their nectar or to eat their pollen They also
feed on gnats, spiders, and sapsuckers To survive through the night, the
hummingbirds metabolism slows dramatically, mimicking hibernation
Hummingbirds have unique wing movements They are the only
bird whose wings rotate in a 360
o
pattern They are the only birds that
can fy not only forward but also backward, up and down, and sideways
Because hummingbirds can move their wings in a fgure-eight pattern,
they can hover in midair, appearing to stay still in space
88
Model Paragraphs With Different Purposes
To Provide Relevant Information About a Topic
Bats
Many people think of bats as evil creatures; however, this is not true Fruit-eating bats help pollinate the
fowers of many plants, including wild avocados, guavas, and mangos As they fy, they also spread the seeds of
the fruits they eat in their droppings Insect-eating bats help control fying insects that spread diseases and damage
crops Scientists study the physics of echolocationthe method bats use to fnd foodto try to fnd ways to help
blind people use sound waves to move around safely Other scientists study the saliva of the three species of bats
that bite and lick the blood of animals to see if the chemicals in their saliva can control blood clots that can cause
To Narrate a Series of Events
History of the Acoustic Guitar
Guitars developed from variations of the lute and lyre, stringed instruments played by ancient peoples Early
instruments, such as those found in Egypt, Spain, and Asia Minor, had only four strings In the ninth century, a
Persian who lived in Spain is credited with adding a ffth string, which allowed greater musical versatility Around
1790, a German instrument maker, August Otto, added a sixth string In the 1800s, the Spanish master instrument-
maker Antonio Torres perfected the design of the guitar
To Compare and Contrast
Athens and Sparta
Both Athens and Sparta were powerful city-states in ancient Greece For a time, each controlled most of what
we now call Greece Both societies were based on social classes, the lowest being slaves, or helots Sparta was
a dictatorship with a belief in a strong military Young Spartan boys of the upper classes were taken from their
families and trained to be army offcers During the harsh training, they were expected to endure pain without
complaint As adults, Spartans were expected to defend their city to the death In contrast, Athens is remembered
as the birthplace of many Western ideas of democracy and beauty Young Greek boys of the upper classes were
enrolled in academies where they studied history, philosophy, and the arts As adults, they were expected to share in
the government of their city and to make wise decisions
89
Model Paragraphs With Different Purposes
To Consider Causes and/or Effects
Possible Causes of Declining Amphibian Populations
Amphibian populations, such as frogs, toads, and newts, are declining worldwide Scientists have suggested
several possible causes for the decline One possibility is the damming of rivers for irrigation and food control
With less water being released, the swamps and estuaries that amphibians inhabit have dried up or become more
saline, or salty The unregulated use of herbicides and pesticides is another possible cause The toxins are often
washed into the water system Amphibians have porous skin that permit the poisons to enter their bodies, causing
genetic changes or death
To Describe How to Do a Task or Create a Product
How to Write a Business Letter
When writing a business letter, use a blue or black ink pen and unlined white writing paper or word-process
the letter and print it on plain paper The frst step in writing a business letter is to write the heading, including
your address and the date in the upper right-hand corner of the paper After writing the heading, skip down about
half an inch and write the name of the recipient and the name and address of the business at the left-hand margin
Now, skip another half an inch and write a salutation such as Dear Sir or Madam: Then write the body of the
letter using formal language Be certain to be clear about the purpose of the letter and the action you expect from
the company The last step is to write the closing, followed by a comma, and sign the letter legibly
90
Name Date
Purposes for Expository Writing
General Purpose Specifc Purpose
To provide information, such as facts,
statistics, and descriptions, about a
topic
To narrate a sequence of actual events
To compare and/or contrast (show
similarities and differences) between
or among people, places, objects, or
ideas
To consider the causes and/or effects
of events or situations
To describe how to do a task or create
a product
To inform
9J
Sample Lists for Categorization
Schools: preschool, elementary, middle school, high school, college
Wheeled vehicles: car, truck, SUV, bus, tractor, motorcycle
Music genre: classical, rock, hip-hop, heavy metal, jazz, country
Media: newspaper, magazine, television, radio, Internet
Farm animals: cattle, swine, poultry, horses
Big cats: lion, tiger, cougar, leopard, cheetah
Team sports: baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, football
Civic buildings: school, library, city hall, police station, frehouse
Sciences: biology, physics, chemistry, astronomy, geology
Stages of life: birth, infancy, childhood, teens, adulthood, old age, death
Protozoa: amoeba, slime molds, fagellates, paramecia
States of Matter: solid, liquid, gas
Simple Machines: inclined plane, lever, pulley, wedge, screw, wheel and axle
Western states: California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington
Continents: Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Australia, Antarctica
Asian Countries: Japan, China, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Tibet
Major World Rivers: Mississippi, Nile, Danube, Ganges, Euphrates, Yangtze
Historical Eras: Middle Ages, Renaissance, Age of Discovery, Industrial Revolution
Ancient Civilizations: Mesopotamia, Egypt, Ancient Greece, Kush, Early India
World Religions: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism
American Inventors: Eli Whitney, Robert Fulton, Alexander G. Bell, Thomas A. Edison
Parts of a Plot: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution
Figurative Language: simile, metaphor, personifcation, hyperbole
Characterization Techniques: description, dialogue, actions, other characters opinions
Expository Genre: compare/contrast, process description, defnition, analysis, evaluation
Purpose of Sentences: declarative, interrogatory, exclamatory, imperative
Sentence Types: simple, compound, complex, compound-complex
92
Categorical
Terms
achievements
behaviors
benefts
causes
characteristics
circumstances
consequences
developments
effects
events
ideas
infuences
objectives
origins
outcomes
process(es)
purposes
reasons
results
sources
steps (in a process)
traits
uses
Categorical
Terms
achievements
behaviors
benefts
causes
characteristics
circumstances
consequences
developments
effects
events
ideas
infuences
objectives
origins
outcomes
process(es)
purposes
reasons
results
sources
steps (in a process)
traits
uses
Categorical Terms for
Summary Writing Bookmark
To the Teacher: Copy this sheet and then cut apart the bookmarks.
93
Name Date
Verbs for Summary Writing
To provide relevant information about
a topic
clarifes, demonstrates, describes, discusses,
enumerates, explains, identifes, lists, reveals
To tell about, or narrate, a series of events
in chronological order
describes, explains, narrates, recounts,
reports, tells
To show similarities and/or differences of
people, objects, places, and so on
similarities: compares, describes the
similarities
differences: contrasts, differentiates
between, distinguishes between
To consider causes for and/or effects of
events
describes, proposes, refects, speculates,
surmises, theorizes, traces
To describe how to do a task or create a
product
demonstrates, describes, enumerates,
explains, identifes, lists, teaches
To infuence the readers opinion or attitude
about a topic or issue
attempts to convince, discusses, encourages,
endorses, enlists support for, explains, offers
reasons, opposes, persuades, presents
reasons, proposes, recommends, suggests
To evaluate or make a judgment about an
idea, product, process, and so on
analyzes, assesses, condemns, critiques,
criticizes, endorses, evaluates, judges,
praises, reviews
Authors Purpose Verbs for Summary
94
Name Date
Learning Preferences
by Jason Evans
Research has shown the presence of three common sensory learning preferences or
modalities Learning modalities are the way people learn and process new information
Visual learners easily access information through graphic representations, such as
charts, pictures, and maps To learn to do something, they like watching a demonstration
They also are sensitive to formatting in text, using the bullets, headings, and white space to
learn and remember information Visual learners use placement of information on a page to
recall the information: the where helps to remember the what
Auditory learners need to hear and talk about information They fnd lecture,
discussion, and recitation helpful in learning People with an auditory preference often write
in the same way they speak, so they may have diffculty organizing an essay as they write
Also, they may move their lips while reading silently in order to hear the words in their
heads
Kinesthetic learners are grounded in reality and have a distrust of the abstract They
prefer to learn by doing and by trial and error To learn abstract ideas, kinesthetic learners
need real-world examples They also need to know the big picture and understand how
everything fts together before they can deal with the details
Summary
The article Learning Preferences by Jason Evans describes the characteristics of
the three learning modalities Visual learners learn by studying graphics and watching
demonstrations Text formatting and the location of information assist them in learning and
remembering Auditory learners need to hear and discuss information Oral communication
is important to them, but organizing writing may be diffcult To hear as they read, they
may move their lips Kinesthetic learners are grounded in reality, learning by doing and
experimenting Concrete examples of abstract ideas help them understand They need to see
big pictures before they can learn the details
95
Name Date
Creating the Summary Statement
Title:
Author:
Genre:
Name It Tell the Purpose
(Verb)
Write the
Main Idea
96
Name Date
Key Idea Outline
Summary Statement:
Outline:

Note Taking Made Easy

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Deana Hippie

Strategies & Scaffolded Lessons

Note Taking Made Easy Deana Hippie, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Note Taking Made Easy Deana Hippie, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Note Taking Made Easy Deana Hippie, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Note Taking Made Easy Deana Hippie, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Note Taking Made Easy Deana Hippie, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Note Taking Made Easy Deana Hippie, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Note Taking Made Easy Deana Hippie, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Consumers can be divided into three classifcations: herbivores,

Note Taking Made Easy Deana Hippie, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Note Taking Made Easy Deana Hippie, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Notes From My Classroom

Note Taking Made Easy Deana Hippie, Scholastic Teaching Resources

drove sheep or goats

Framed Note Taking

Note Taking Made Easy Deana Hippie, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Note Taking Made Easy Deana Hippie, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Note Taking Made Easy Deana Hippie, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Note Taking Made Easy Deana Hippie, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Note Taking Made Easy Deana Hippie, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Note Taking Made Easy Deana Hippie, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Note Taking Made Easy Deana Hippie, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Sample Note Cards

Note Taking Made Easy Deana Hippie, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Note Taking Made Easy Deana Hippie, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Note Taking Made Easy Deana Hippie, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Note Taking Made Easy Deana Hippie, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Note Taking Made Easy Deana Hippie, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Sample Marked Learning Preferences Summary Statement

Note Taking Made Easy Deana Hippie, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Sample Key Idea Outline for Hummingbirds:

Mother Natures Flying Jewels, an article

Some Final Thoughts

Note Taking Made Easy Deana Hippie, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Note Taking Made Easy Deana Hippie, Scholastic Teaching Resources

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