Note Taking For Research Report Writing By Mrs. Anthony

Objectives Given the five types of note taking, the student will be able to differentiate between a paraphrase, a direct quote, a summary, a personnel comment, and a combination note. Given a topic, the student will be able to brainstorm previously known and formulate questions about information needed for research. Given an assigned topic, the student will be able to identify 6 subtopics of information, label note cards with slugs, and begin taking notes.

Why take notes? Notes are taken in order to insure that your information is both accurate and complete. You probably do not realize it but you may have already been taking notes for a very long time. If your mother has sent you to the store with a list – that is taking notes. Why do you take a note to the store? So you will remember what it is you need.

How will taking notes help me? Your information will be both accurate and complete. You will save time later because your information will be organized.

The Five Basic Kinds of Notes Paraphrase Summary Direct Quotation Personal Comment Combination Note

Paraphrase This is when you repeat what the author said word for word, but in your own words. Example: Author: Martin grew up during the Great Depression, a period in the 1930’s when many people lost their jobs and were poor. Student: Martin was young in the time of the Great Depression. During the 1930s many people were out of work and had no money.

Summary To write or type in your own words what a passage has said without using a lot of detail. Example: Rosa Parks was arrested because she refused to give up her seat to a white man. As a result the police were called and Rosa was taken away and arrested by the police. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. organized a giant bus boycott. As a result the law was changed. Where there a few more details to this story?

Direct Quotation This is when you copy write from the book. (When done, it should be in quotation marks and cited.) Quoting should be used sparingly with the intention to prove a point or because you feel it can not be worded any other way. Example: “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.” (Martin Luther King : The Peaceful Warrior; 1968)

Personal Comment This is when you write your personal opinion of what you saw or read. Example: Author: The city of Birmingham was strictly segregated, and the police chief, T. Eugene “Bull” Connor intended to keep it that way. The SCLC faced the task of trying to change the attitude of the white citizens. Student: It is a shame that the police chief was such a racist. Because of the level of racism, SCLC was relentless in its fight for racial justice.

Combination Note A note which combines any two of the other kinds of notes. Example: Direct Quotation/Personal Comment Sample: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wanted everyone to understand the meaning of equality, he verbalized this in his most famous speech I Have A Dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.” (Martin Luther King : The Peaceful Warrior; 1968)

How do I begin? After selecting your material, begin reading it carefully. Skim and scan or read quickly for information. Use aids such as the contents pages and the indexes of books to help you find only the information you are looking for. Remember, you are researching, therefore you need not read the books from cover to cover. When taking notes write in your own words as much as possible. Try not to write in complete sentences. You are only jotting things down you want to remember.

Quiz Time

When you summarize you are: Writing in your own words. Writing exactly what a book or print material said. Stating your opinion.

OOPS! TRY AGAIN Reread your choices.

GOOD ANSWER!!! Exactly! Summary is writing what you remember in your own words. Like when you tell a friend about a movie.

When you paraphrase you are: Stating an opinion. Writing exactly what you read but in your own words. Copying exactly what you heard or read.

OOPS! TRY AGAIN Reread your choices.

GOOD ANSWER!!! Right, rephrasing in your own words.

A Personal Comment is when: You copy straight from the text. When you record information in your own words. When you state your own opinion.

OOPS! TRY AGAIN Reread your choices.

GOOD ANSWER!!! Your opinion counts.

A Direct Quotation is when: You write your own personal opinion or comment. You copy straight from the text word for word and cite where your information came from. You repeat what you have read or heard in your own words.

OOPS! TRY AGAIN Reread your choices.

GOOD ANSWER!!! When you use “quotation marks,” you can copy word for word.

A combination note is when: You copy from a book. You write in your own words. Includes two different styles of note taking.

OOPS! TRY AGAIN Reread your choices.

GOOD ANSWER!!! Sometimes you might use a direct quotation and an opinion.

When taking notes you should always try to: Write in complete sentences. Only write what you really need so you will remember later. Waste time copying word for word what someone else wrote.

OOPS! TRY AGAIN Reread your choices.

GOOD ANSWER!!! Your time is valuable. Use as few words as possible to help you remember the details later.

Yor are now ready to begin taking notes!!

Brainstorm To begin, brainstorm all the information you already know. Click Me!-

Lesson 2 You are now ready to begin taking notes. Begin by using either a book or an encyclopedia article. Remember, you will not find all of the information you need in one source. Begin by giving each card a slug (topic) on the left hand corner. Only add information to each card that matches the slug. Note Cards 1,2 Click Here Note Cards 3,4 Click Here Note Cards 5,6 Click Here

for further information. You have now completed the note taking portion of your research. See the next slide for further information.

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