How to take notes

Identify main points and sources of information Can you spot what’s really important here?

How to find the main points in an article Look at the headline or title. It summarises the main topic of a news or magazine article. Carefully read through the whole article first. Identify sentences that give some of the most important pieces of information in the article. Main points are often the topic sentences in each paragraph in the article. Main points will all be directly related to the headline. Set aside the supporting details or evidence, which are not the main ideas. From the sentences you have identified, select three or five and summarise the "main points."

Identify main points and sources of information Look for topic sentences. These are usually the first sentence of each paragraph and they often contain a key point, which is then expanded in the rest of the paragraph. Look at diagrams, graphs, tables and images. These often condense the information that is in the text and help to present it in a more visual way

Identify main points and sources of information Title Headings sub headings what relates to the title?

Use two ways of making notes An example:  Look at the text on underwater cameras on the following slide look at how the text is presented in note form. The most important words to include in notes are the information words. These are usually nouns, adjectives and verbs .

Use two ways of making notes Visual Aids using pictures, graphs, diagrams, etc. Rather than writing long paragraphs of information, our brain follows the information sequentially. The use of colours and other visual elements such as different sized letters favours the user. 

Use two ways of making notes Note Taking Strategy Techniques - Cornell Method  Use three sections Right column - the general area for the most important ideas covered Left area - highlight topic in the general area. Writing notes in the margins helps us understand and organise each part of our notes.  The ‘summary’ section - used for reviewing and for greater reflection of the notes.

Use two ways of making notes Activity: Make notes on funny YouTube videos (e.g. top ten amusing accidents/bloopers?) Summarise what you saw

Use a plan to structure the content of a piece of work Spider diagrams

Use a plan to structure the content of a piece of work Beginning: Why are you writing? Middle: Tell the story End: Conclude …. What do you want and by when