Note Taking 101 Or, Now that I have my resources, what am I supposed to do with them?

Step One: Using your resources  Your job as a researcher is to become an expert on your topic.  To do this you must READ your resources.

Step One: Using your resources  Scanning, browsing, or just looking at pictures is not enough!  YOU MUST READ THE INFORMATION!!!

Step Two: Finding the Treasure  Our resources are full of information. Some of it is useful, lots of it is not.  You must decide what is treasure and what is trash.

Step Two: Finding the Treasure  If a piece of information helps us answer one of our guiding questions, it is a TREASURE-- WRITE IT DOWN!

Step Two: Finding the Treasure  If it doesn’t help answer a guiding question it is TRASH--KEEP LOOKING

Let’s Practice:  What do we need to know? Marian Anderson was one of the world’s greatest concert singers, but she was also much more. She worked to become one of the world’s best known singers at a time when African Americans faced terrible discrimination. When she began her career in 1920, segregation was a fact of life for black people in the U.S. This made it difficult for them to work in high- paying or desirable professions, including careers in classical music.

Let’s Practice:  What do we need to know? Marian Anderson was one of the world’s greatest concert singers, but she was also much more. She worked to become one of the world’s best known singers at a time when African Americans faced terrible discrimination. When she began her career in 1920, segregation was a fact of life for black people in the U.S. This made it difficult for them to work in high- paying or desirable professions, including careers in classical music.

Let’s Practice:  What do we need to know? Marian Anderson was one of the world’s greatest concert singers, but she was also much more. She worked to become one of the world’s best known singers at a time when African Americans faced terrible discrimination. When she began her career in 1920, segregation was a fact of life for black people in the U.S. This made it difficult for them to work in high- paying or desirable professions, including careers in classical music.

Let’s Practice:  What do we need to know? Marian Anderson was one of the world’s greatest concert singers, but she was also much more. She worked to become one of the world’s best known singers at a time when African Americans faced terrible discrimination. When she began her career in 1920, segregation was a fact of life for black people in the U.S. This made it difficult for them to work in high- paying or desirable professions, including careers in classical music.

Let’s Practice:  What do we need to know? Marian Anderson was one of the world’s greatest concert singers, but she was also much more. She worked to become one of the world’s best known singers at a time when African Americans faced terrible discrimination. When she began her career in 1920, segregation was a fact of life for black people in the U.S. This made it difficult for them to work in high- paying or desirable professions, including careers in classical music.

Step three: Caveman talk  Once you’ve discovered some information you can use, your next step is to record it.

Step three: Caveman talk o Good researchers use Caveman talk when they write out their notes.

Step three: Caveman talk CAVEMAN TALK o Just the facts in as few words as possible o NO SENTENCES!!! o Separate each new fact with a bullet

Let’s Practice: Say it in caveman: o Great concert singer o ofaced discrimination o obegan 1920 o osegregation a fact Marian Anderson was one of the world’s greatest concert singers, but she was also much more. She worked to become one of the world’s best known singers at a time when African Americans faced terrible discrimination. When she began her career in 1920, segregation was a fact of life for black people in the U.S. This made it difficult for them to work in high- paying or desirable professions, including careers in classical music.

Step Four: Citing Your Sources  Nobody likes to have their work copied or stolen.  All authors want is for people to give them credit if they use their words or ideas.  This is called CITING YOUR RESOURCES

Step Four: Citing Your Sources TELLING YOUR TEACHER WHERE YOU GOT YOUR INFORMATION  HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED: o AUTHOR o TITLE o PUBLISHER o COPYRIGHT DATE

Step Four: Citing Your Sources MILLION DOLLAR TIP: WRITE DOWN YOUR SOURCES AS SOON AS YOU USE THEM! FINDING THEM LATER CAN BE A REAL PAIN!

LIES MEDIA SPECIALISTS HEAR EVERY DAY:  “This book doesn’t have anything in it.”

BALONEY! You’ve got to READ the information!

LIES MEDIA SPECIALISTS HEAR EVERY DAY: “This book doesn’t have anything in it.” “I don’t need to write it down because I’ll remember it!”

BALONEY! The better notes you take, the easier it will be to write your report!

LIES MEDIA SPECIALISTS HEAR EVERY DAY: “This book doesn’t have anything in it.” “I don’t need to write it down because I’ll remember it!” “It’s faster if I just copy it out of the book.”

BALONEY! Copying is another word for PLAGIARISM. It is cheating and it is against the law. Caveman talk helps us put ideas into our own words.

Review: Taking notes  READ!!!!  Find the treasure  Report by using Caveman talk  Cite your sources

DO YOUR BEST WORK!