1. Structured Note-Taking
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2. Note-taking and the Common Core
Level of Examination
Analysis
Common Core Learning Framework
Craft and Structure
Identifying and defining key terms
Determining the main idea
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3. Framing the Session
Why are history texts often difficult for students to comprehend?
What skills and strategies do students need to become expert readers of history?
What can history teachers do to help struggling readers in their classrooms?
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4. What factors affect the readability of history texts?
Lack of prior knowledge
Unfamiliar text structure or schema
Difficulty identifying important material from less important material
Academic vocabulary and abstract concepts (“isms”)
Level of analysis and synthesis
Role of visuals, such as maps, graphs and charts, as sources of information
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5. What are the keys to reading in history?
Effective readers of history have a variety of comprehension strategies that they bring to reading a text. These strategies can be grouped in three categories:
Before reading or activation of background or prior knowledge
During reading or active engagement with the content
Continuous or metacognition
Effective readers of history are in charge of the process, monitoring how they read and adjusting to ensure success.
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6. Our Focus Note-Taking
Effective readers discern which concepts to focus on and which information to retain.
They interact with the text and internalize information.
Note-taking provides a structure for recording and reorganizing information and ideas.
The structure supports retention and recall by making information accessible and providing cues to trigger memory
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7. Note-taking supports students in:
determining which information is important.
making connections between main ideas and details even when the author has not made the connections explicit.
extending and transferring knowledge after reading which results in deeper construction of meaning.
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8. What are some strategies for note-taking?
Cornell Method
Parallel Note-taking
Structured Note-taking
Mapping/ Webbing
R.E.A.P.
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9. Featured Strategy Structured Note-taking
Structured note-taking is a strategy that uses graphic organizers that correspond to the organizational pattern of a specific piece of text.
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10. provides a visual framework that mirrors the structure of the text.
This strategy:
provides a visual framework that mirrors the structure of the text.
reinforces the features of the specific organizational pattern.
supports students in organizing their notes around the relationship among ideas in contrast to a simple listing of ideas.
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11. Organizational Patterns and Comprehension
Effective readers recognize and use organizational patterns to comprehend text.
The writer’s purpose influences the organizational pattern of the text.
A text may reflect more than one organizational pattern.
Inability to recognize a text’s structure impairs comprehension.
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12. What are the organizational patterns of informational text ?
There are seven organizational patterns of text.
In addition to the descriptions of each text structure, students can be guided by:
Cue or signal words
Questions suggested by the structure
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13. #1 Chronological Sequence
Chronological sequence organizes information in the time sequence that the events occurred.
Cue words: after, before, during, finally, on (date), immediately, following, first, later, meanwhile, preceding, until, today, when.
Questions suggested by this structure:
What is the sequence of events that is described?
What are the major incidents that occur?
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14. #2 Compare and Contrast
Compare and Contrast organizes information about two or more topics in terms of their similarities and differences.
Cue words: although, as well as, as opposed to, both, but, compared with, different from, either…or, though, however, instead of, in common, on the other hand, similar to, still, yet
Questions suggested by this structure:
What events are being compared?
What characteristics form the basis of comparison?
What characteristics do they have in common?
In what ways are the events different?
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15. #3 Description
Description organizes information around the characteristics of a specific person, place or event and does not reflect a particular order.
Cue words: above, across, along, appears to be, as in, behind, below, beside, between, down, in back/front of, looks like, near, such as, to the right/left, under.
Questions suggested by this structure:
What specific person, place or event is being described?
What are its most important characteristics or attributes?
Would the description change if the order of the attributes were changed?
Why is this description important?
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16. #4 Episode
Episode organizes a large body of information around specific times, places, people or sequence of events.
Cue words: a few days/months/years later, around this time, as it is often called, as a result of, because of, began when, consequently, first, for this reason, lasted for, led to, shortly thereafter, since then, subsequently, when.
Questions suggested by this structure:
What event is being described or explained?
What are the specific incidents or events that occur? In what order do they happen?
What caused this event?
Why effect has this event had on the people involved? On society in general?
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17. #5 Generalization/Principle
Generalization/ Principle organizes information into general statements with supporting examples.
Cue words: additionally, always, because of, clearly, for instance/example, furthermore, generally, however, if…then, in fact, it could be argued that, not only, therefore, typically.
Questions suggested by this structure:
What generalizations is the author making?
What facts, examples, statistics and expert opinions support the generalization or explain the principle?
Do the details appear in logical order?
Are enough facts, examples, statistics, and expert opinions given to support or explain the generalization/principle?
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18. #6 Process/Cause and Effect
Process/ Cause and Effect organizes information into a series of steps leading to a specific product, or into a causal sequence that leads to a specific outcome.
Cue words: accordingly, as a result of, because, consequently, finally, for this reason, if…then, in order to, is caused by, leads/led to, next, therefore, when…then.
Questions suggested by this structure:
What event or subject is being explained?
What are the specific steps in the process, or what specific causal events occur?
What is the outcome of the causal events?
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19. #7 Concept/Definition
Concept/ Definition organizes information by beginning with a generalized idea or abstraction and then delineating its characteristics or attributes.
Cue words: for instance, in other words, is characterized by, put another way, refers to, that is, thus, usually.
Questions suggested by this structure:
What concept is being defined?
What are its characteristics or attributes?
How does it work?
What examples are given for each of the attributes or characteristics?
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20. All seven organizational patterns can be found in history texts.
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21. What are the steps in structured note-taking ?
Define and discuss the concept of how all text is organized using one of seven structures or patterns.
Introduce one text structure using simple, short examples.
Make certain that the examples clearly exemplify the structure and point out cue words and phrases.
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22. Present a graphic organizer for the structure and guide students:
by explaining that the organizer is a pictorial representation of the structure of the text, and
by modeling how to record main ideas and details from the passage on the graphic organizer.
Next, assign a text passage and a blank graphic organizer and have students record their notes.
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23. including certain information and
Have students share their graphic organizers with a partner and explain their reasons for
including certain information and
for organizing the information on the graphic organizer.
Repeat the process with each of the other organizational structures and corresponding graphic organizers.
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24. During independent practice, ask students to:
When students are proficient at recognizing all seven organizational structures, provide practice passages for note-taking.
During independent practice, ask students to:
identify the organizational structure of the text, and
take notes using the appropriate graphic organizer.
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25. Modeling the Strategy
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26. Identify and underline/highlight the cue words in the passage.
Read “The War of 1812”.
Identify and underline/highlight the cue words in the passage.
Determine the sequence of events and number each.
Option: List each event on a post-it note.
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27. Discuss your notes with a partner.
Use the “chain of events” graphic organizer to record notes based on chronological organization.
Discuss your notes with a partner.
Share out with the group.
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28. Independent Practice Read “The Creek Indian War 1813 -1814”.
Determine the organizational pattern of the passage.
Select the graphic organizer that best “fits” the text
Take take notes using the graphic organizer you’ve selected
Discuss your notes with a partner.
Share out with the group.
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29. Adapting Structured Note-Taking to Your Classroom
How might you use Structured Note-Taking in your social studies classroom?
What adaptations can you make?
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30. Vary the length and sophistication of the text.
Adaptations include:
Introduce and model one organizational structure at a time before introducing the next.
Vary the length and sophistication of the text.
Vary the graphic organizer based on level and sophistication of the students.
Have students create their own graphic organizers.
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31. Final Thoughts
Effective readers recognize and use organizational patterns to comprehend text.
Students who understand text structures and can graphically depict the relationship among ideas improve both comprehension and recall.
Structured note-taking:
provides a visual framework that mirrors the structure of the text.
reinforces the features of the specific organizational pattern.
supports students in organizing their notes around the relationship among ideas in contrast to a simple listing of ideas.
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32. Identifying patterns of organization, however, is not the ultimate goal of teaching text structure.
The goal is to support students in acquiring and internalizing knowledge about the different types of expository text structure as the key to enhancing comprehension.
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