What you’ve always wanted to know about… Cornell Notes

Do Now. Monday. First, let’s do a Quick Write Do Now Monday First, let’s do a Quick Write. Answer the following questions. How did you learn to take notes? How skilled are you at note-taking? How do you think taking good notes can contribute to your success as a student in middle school? in high school? in college? in a job? in life? Are there any other benefits to note-taking skills?

Sometimes you take notes while listening to your teacher in class. There are many ways to take notes. You should learn several strategies. Different learning situations may call for different strategies. Sometimes you take notes while listening to your teacher in class. Sometimes you take notes while you read (a textbook, a novel, an article, a poem, etc.) Sometimes you take notes when watching a film, TV, or a PowerPoint presentation.

You can write notes… randomly on lined paper as a Dialectical Journal in a Reading Response Log in an outline form on sticky-notes in margins of the text (if allowed!)

There are even new electronic “notepads” for taking notes without pen or paper!

however, with Cornell Notes you can… take notes for almost all learning situations be more organized be more efficient and save time use them to review and study for tests and you will find them very easy to use! and NO batteries needed!

Where did this technique come from? Developed in 1949 at Cornell University by Walter Pauk. Designed in response to frustration over student test scores. Meant to be easily used as a test study guide. Adopted by most major law schools as the preferred note taking method. Used by A.V.I.D. students world-wide!

To begin…. Start with a blank sheet of lined paper. Draw or fold to create a left-hand column about 2 ½ inches wide. Then draw or fold about 2 inches up from the bottom to create a place for summary writing. Note: A modified version of Cornell Notes might not include the area for writing a summary.

Here is an example of Cornell notes about Literary Elements.

Student Name Today’s Date Period # Topic or Title Why is the strategy of Cornell Notes valuable to me as a student? Cornell Notes = an effective way to study helps me to understand the material quiz myself later Summary: Cornell notes will help me for a variety of reasons. I will be able to quiz myself every night so I will be better prepared for tests and quizzes.  Also, now I know I will be reading the entire section or article, rather than merely skimming it to find the answers to certain questions (or just looking at the bolded words).