1. Writing Is a Great Tool for Learning!
Cornell Note Taking
Writing Is a Great
Tool for Learning!
Department of High School Teaching and Learning

2. Department of High School Teaching and Learning
Quickwrite Questions:
Why is it important to take notes?
How might this skill contribute to your academic success?
Department of High School Teaching and Learning

3. Department of High School Teaching and Learning
Why Take Notes?
Taking good notes helps students to:
remember what they have read
remember what is said in class
help each other problem solve
organize and process data and information
work on assignments and prepare for tests outside of the classroom
Department of High School Teaching and Learning

4. Why Use the Cornell System?
Cornell notes is a widely used note taking system for both lectures and reading
Cornell note taking stimulates critical thinking skills
Cornell notes help student recall by getting them to process their notes 3 times
Department of High School Teaching and Learning

5. Cornell Note Taking Format and Guidelines
Divide your paper into 3 Sections
Write the course name, date, and topic at the top of each page of notes
The large section at the right is for note taking
Skip lines between ideas and topics
The section to the left is for main ideas and questions
Department of High School Teaching and Learning

6. (Take notes in this column from your reading or teacher lecture)
Heading
Name: ___________________
Class: ___________________
Date: ___________________
Title/ Topic:___________________________________
Questions
Main Ideas
Column
( After note
taking, pull
out main
ideas and
formulate
questions)
Note Taking Column
(Take notes in this column from your reading or teacher lecture)
Summary/Reflection
NOTE TAKING TEMPLATE
Department of High School Teaching and Learning

7. Cornell Note Taking Format and Guidelines
When taking notes, write in your own words including only the important or key concepts
Use abbreviations (abb.) and/or bullets
Include headings, key terms and visuals
Department of High School Teaching and Learning

8. Cornell Note Taking Format and Guidelines
Soon after note taking, share notes with a partner
Fill in any gaps in information
Clarify main ideas
Formulate questions from your notes
Use high level thinking skills to create questions
Department of High School Teaching and Learning

9. Department of High School Teaching and Learning
Heading
Name: ___________________
Class: ___________________
Date: ___________________
Title/ Topic: CORNELL NOTE TAKING
Main Ideas/
Questions
Why take
notes?
What are
Cornell notes?
How should we
review notes?
How do Cornell
notes compare
to other types
of note taking?
Notes
Take notes to remember key info, prepare for test, and use critical thinking skills.
Cornell notes use a specific format and help you process notes 3 times
3 sections: notes sect. , main idea and questions sect., and summary
Place a heading at the top of each page
Notes on rt. questions/key concepts on left
Review notes w/ a partner: fill in gaps in info., form questions, clarify key points
Summary
Sample of notes
for this lecture
Department of High School Teaching and Learning

10. Cornell Note Taking Format and Guidelines
Write a summary after ALL notes on the topic
The summary should NOT be a word for word rewriting of your notes
The summary should reflect the main points you want to remember from your notes
Department of High School Teaching and Learning

11. Department of High School Teaching and Learning
Summary
Cornell notes is a widely used system of note taking that helps students organize, review, and process information from reading and lectures. Cornell notes uses a specific format that requires students to record, review and reflect on notes a minimum of 3 times. Notes are written and shared with a partner; main ideas are pulled out and questions are developed for review. Finally, a summary is written showing understanding of the main ideas on the topic.
Department of High School Teaching and Learning

12. Department of High School Teaching and Learning
Practice Time
Take out a sheet of paper and get ready to practice the skill!
Department of High School Teaching and Learning

13. Assignment and Instructions
Prepare your paper
In the large right hand column take notes like you normally would
Remember the guidelines
Use abbreviations, write in your own word, include only main ideas, skip lines between ideas and topics etc.
Department of High School Teaching and Learning

14. Topic: Bloom’s Taxonomy of Intellectual Behavior
In 1956, Benjamin Bloom headed a
group of educational psychologists who
developed a classification of levels of
intellectual behavior important in
learning.
Department of High School Teaching and Learning

15. Department of High School Teaching and Learning
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Bloom identified six levels of intellectual behavior
We often refer to these levels critical thinking skills
These thinking skills move from the simple recall of facts at the lowest level, to increasingly more complex thinking at the higher levels
Department of High School Teaching and Learning

16. Bloom’s levels of thinking
Department of High School Teaching and Learning

17. Bloom’s levels of thinking
Knowledge: arrange, define, duplicate, label, list, memorize, name, order, recognize, relate, recall, repeat, reproduce state
Comprehension: classify, describe, discuss, explain, express, identify, indicate, locate, recognize, report, restate, review, select, translate
Application: apply, choose, demonstrate, dramatize, employ, illustrate, interpret, operate, practice, schedule, sketch, solve, use, write
Department of High School Teaching and Learning

18. Bloom’s levels of thinking
Analysis: analyze, appraise, calculate, categorize, compare, contrast, criticize, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, examine, experiment, question, test
Synthesis: arrange, assemble, collect, compose, construct, create, design, develop, formulate, manage, organize, plan, prepare, propose, set up, write
Evaluation: appraise, argue, assess, attach, choose compare, defend estimate, judge, predict, rate, core, select, support, value, evaluate
Department of High School Teaching and Learning

19. How do we use Bloom’s levels?
In education we use these levels of thinking skills to determine increased levels of thinking or intellectual behavior
When developing questions, try to create questions using levels 3 and above
Department of High School Teaching and Learning

20. What levels of thinking do these elicit?
Why take notes?
How do good notes contribute to your academic success?
Compare Cornell notes to Double Entry notes.
Do you think this is a good note taking system? Why or why not?
Department of High School Teaching and Learning

21. Compare notes with a partner
Discuss what you wrote and why
Add to your notes( if necessary)
Fill in gaps and missed information
Create questions in the left-hand column
These questions should be answered by your notes
Department of High School Teaching and Learning

22. On your own, Summarize your notes
Write a brief summary of what you wrote in your notes
Do not repeat your notes word for word
Explain what you understand about the topic, Bloom’s taxonomy
Include new information learned
Department of High School Teaching and Learning