1. Mr. Peter Presents….
How to take GREAT notes!!!!!

2. From a presentation… Listen Actively!
Don’t just listen for facts or dates, listen for the main idea and supporting details
Ignore distractions
Ask only questions that are relevant to the discussion. Don’t ask me about WWII if we’re talking about the Mexican-American War, you may end up confusing your classmates (OR EVEN YOUR TEACHER!)

3. From a presentation… It’s not just about the words on the screen
Listen to what I am saying and how I’ve organized the PowerPoint
Word signals: If I say things like, “Another reason” “What’s important to understand” “They/he/she did this because..” it means I am summarizing a main point or important detail

4. What you write
Do NOT write down word for word what I have on the screen
Write what you think is important
Write down what you hear
Develop your own system, you’ll be writing notes for many years to come!

5. What you write Short hand
Emigration to the United States in the 19th century from Ireland was largely sparked by the Potato Famine, which changed the way people in Ireland lived, worked, and ate.
^ How could you summarize this in short hand?
OMG, IDK, BFF, ILY, IK, JK, LOL…..you already talk in short hand!!

6. What you write Do not try to squish everything together on one page.
Leave room for questions that you may have
Be organized and neat!

7. After a presentation… Ask questions!
Review your notes after you take them, you might have missed something that you still remember from the lecture
Add in your own details from the text

8. Taking notes from the text
Read through the section once before you try to take notes
Focus on understanding the main ideas
Put everything into your own words!
Copying down what the text says does not help you understand the material, it only shows that you can copy someone else’s thoughts

9. Taking notes from the text
Just like a presentation, do not try to copy down every word that the text says
Jot down questions that you may have and ask me during class discussions
Know the vocabulary
Use highlighters, underline/circle/draw a box around important words or ideas