1. What you’ve always wanted to know about…
Cornell Notes
Oh, you know you do!...

2. 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 high school? in college? in a job? in life?
Are there any other benefits to note-taking skills?

3. 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.

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

5. 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!

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. Student Name
Today’s Date
Period #
Topic: Cornell Notes
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).

9. Title of work
Speculate about the meaning of the title: why might the writer have chosen that particular title? Look for references to the title elsewhere in the work.
Publication date
What world events are associated with the time of publication? Is there a correlation between the time of publication and the work itself?
Author information
Note what you know about the author including biographical information, familiar themes in her/his work, specific intent for the work you are reading.
Here are some ideas for taking notes when reading literature.

10. Here are some ideas for taking notes when reading literature.
Setting
Speculate about the significance of the time and/or place in which the work is set.
Characters
List or summarize such things as the qualities, mannerisms, personalities and appearances that define each significant character; speculate on motivations of characters; note whether characterization appears to be direct or indirect (include passages as examples); keep track of changes in characters; speculate on the author’s intent for characterizing as he/she does.
Point of View
Note who is telling the story; speculate about the reason for and/or effect of a particular point of view.
Here are some ideas for taking notes when reading literature.

11. Here are some ideas for taking notes when reading literature.
Plot
Note events that seem significant; identify rising action, climax, and resolution.
Conflict(s)
Identify the conflict(s) that are central to the work.
Theme
Work toward developing general ideas about the author’s intended meaning and/or specific statements of the author’s central ideas.
Symbols
Keep track of symbols that seem to represent larger ideas.
Images
Note images that appear significant or carefully crafted, or that stand out to you.
Here are some ideas for taking notes when reading literature.

12. Repetitions
Keep track of such things as repeated words, images, ideas, names that may be important.
Allusions
Be alert for references to other literary works, cultural ideas, biblical or mythological figures.
Diction
Note specific words which seem significant or that are unfamiliar and need to be defined.
Quotes/
Passages
Include portions of the text which seem important, interesting and/or confusing.
Here are some ideas for taking notes when reading literature.

13. Here is a sample of notes from a chapter of literature.

14. Ella Minnow Pea Assignment
Complete an active reading of the novel
Divide the novel into three sections
Complete Cornell Notes for each section

15. Assignment Goals Prepare to write a book review
Summarizes novel (including key quotes)
Discusses the author’s qualifications
Critiques the novel (themes, author purpose, subject, writing style, overall success or failure)

16. Assignment Goals Participate in a Socratic Seminar
Discuss items in the critique
Consider the concept of truth in the novel
Develop an Argument Essay
Based on a quote from a list provided that connects how you feel about “finding the truth” in the novel
Ex. “In a time of universal deceit – telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” (G. Orwell)