Taking NotesSynthesizing Information from a Source Mary Alice OsborneLibrary Media Specialist

What are some ways to be a good reader of information?

List of Possible Strategies:

Skimming and scanningLooking for keywordsNoticing bold, italic, and underlined wordsBeing aware of headlinesUsing the table of contents, index, glossary, and title pagePaying attention to picture captionsKnowing that, sometimes, reading every word is necessary Make a mind map or table or line diagram

ABC - LOUNote-taking StrategiesAbbreviationsBulletsCaveman language ListsOne word for several Use your own wordsTaken from: School Library Media Activities Monthly Vol. 12, No. 1, Sept. 2006

Abbreviations Abbreviations are shortened forms of a word or phraseUse them when you take notesExamples:Dr. = doctorMrs. = missus Mr. = misterU.S.A. = United States of AmericaCN = ChinaList of Abbreviations

BulletsExample of a Bulleted List:Foods Romans AtePizzaSpaghettiOlivesTomatoesWine

Caveman Language

ListsWe all make lists from time to time:Grocery listsList of things to bring on vacationTo Do Lists

When doing research you can also make lists:List of countries the Romans conqueredList of weapons used by the Romans

One Word for Several (Paraphrase)How to:Reread the original passage until you understand it. Set the original aside, and write your paraphrase. Check your version with the original to make sure that it accurately expresses all the essential information, but in a new form. Record the source (including the page) in your notes so that you can credit it easilyTaken from: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/619/01/

Use Your Own WordsSimilar to ParaphrasingRead the information throughWithout looking at the original material, write your versionChange words that are difficult to words you understandNote: You still need to cite the information

Try it Yourself!Fact Fragment Frenzy

Try to Paraphrase this:Roman men and women originally seem to have worn a large piece of wool, wrapped around themselves. After they met people from Greece and Egypt, around 200 BC, they began to wear linen tunics (like T-shirts) under their wool robes, which was more comfortable. On their feet, both men and women wore leather sandals, or leather boots in cold weather.In their hair, women wore wooden hairsticks or wooden combs, which they could also use to comb their hair."Roman Clothing - History for Kids!" Kidipede - History and Science for Kids - Homework Help for Middle School. 13 Mar. 2009 .

More ideas for note-taking

Mind Map

Table

System Map

Line Diagram

HighlightingMany students find that highlighting helps them to concentrate and helps them to understand the text. Just deciding what to highlight or underline encourages you to think critically, make judgments and formulate your own response to the text.

HighlightingRead quickly through the text to get an overview of what its about. Read it more closely, pausing at the end of each paragraph to identify the main points. You may highlight:Sentence or word that sums up an important idea Quotations Statistics Specialized terms Important or useful data Examples or links to other ideas. You could use different colored pens to mark different kinds of information, but be careful not to highlight so much that it becomes distracting.