Note Taking 101Note Taking 101

Or, Now that I have my Or, Now that I have my resources, what am I resources, what am I

supposed to do with them?supposed to do with them?

Step One: Using your Step One: Using your resourcesresources

Your job as a Your job as a researcher is to researcher is to become an expert become an expert on your topic.on your topic.

To do this you To do this you must must READREAD your your resources.resources.

Step One: Using your Step One: Using your resourcesresources

Scanning, Scanning, browsing, or just browsing, or just looking at pictures looking at pictures is not enough!is not enough!

YOU MUST READ YOU MUST READ THE THE INFORMATION!!!INFORMATION!!!

Step Two: Finding the Step Two: Finding the TreasureTreasure

Our resources are full Our resources are full of information. Some of information. Some of it is useful, lots of it of it is useful, lots of it is not.is not.

You must decide what You must decide what is is treasure treasure and what and what is is trashtrash..

Step Two: Finding the Step Two: Finding the TreasureTreasure

If a piece of If a piece of information helps us information helps us answer one of our answer one of our guiding questionsguiding questions, it is , it is a TREASURE-- WRITE a TREASURE-- WRITE IT DOWN!IT DOWN!

Step Two: Finding the Step Two: Finding the TreasureTreasure

If it doesn’t help If it doesn’t help answer a answer a guiding guiding questionquestion it is TRASH-- it is TRASH--KEEP LOOKINGKEEP LOOKING

Let’s Practice:Let’s Practice:

What do we What do we need to need to know?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:Let’s Practice:

What do we What do we need to need to know?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:Let’s Practice:

What do we What do we need to need to know?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:Let’s Practice:

What do we What do we need to need to know?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:Let’s Practice:

What do we What do we need to need to know?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 Step three: Caveman talktalk

Once you’ve Once you’ve discovered some discovered some information you information you can use, your next can use, your next step is to record it. step is to record it.

Step three: Caveman Step three: Caveman talktalk

o Good researchers Good researchers use use Caveman talkCaveman talk when they write when they write out their notes.out their notes.

Step three: Caveman Step three: Caveman talktalk

CAVEMAN TALKCAVEMAN TALKo Just the facts in as few Just the facts in as few

words as possiblewords as possible

o NO SENTENCES!!!NO SENTENCES!!!

o Separate each new Separate each new fact with a bulletfact with a bullet

Let’s Practice:Let’s Practice:

Say it in caveman:Say it in caveman:

o Great concert Great concert singersinger

o faced discrimination

o began 1920

o segregation 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 Step Four: Citing Your SourcesSources

Nobody likes to have Nobody likes to have their work copied or their work copied or stolen. stolen.

All authors want is for All authors want is for people to give them people to give them credit if they use their credit if they use their words or ideas. words or ideas.

This is called This is called CITING CITING YOUR RESOURCESYOUR RESOURCES

Step Four: Step Four: Citing Your Citing Your SourcesSources

TELLING YOUR TEACHER WHERE YOU GOT TELLING YOUR TEACHER WHERE YOU GOT YOUR INFORMATIONYOUR INFORMATION

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED:HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED:

o AUTHOR

o TITLE

o PUBLISHER

o COPYRIGHT DATE

Step Four: Step Four: Citing Your Citing Your SourcesSources

MILLION DOLLAR TIP:

WRITE DOWN YOUR SOURCES AS SOON AS YOU USE THEM!

FINDING THEM LATER CAN BE A REAL PAIN!

LIES MEDIA LIES MEDIA SPECIALISTS HEAR SPECIALISTS HEAR

EVERY DAY:EVERY DAY: ““This book doesn’t have anything in This book doesn’t have anything in

it.”it.”

BALONEY! You’ve got to

READ the information!

LIES MEDIA LIES MEDIA SPECIALISTS HEAR SPECIALISTS HEAR

EVERY DAY:EVERY DAY:““This book doesn’t have anything in This book doesn’t have anything in

it.”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 LIES MEDIA SPECIALISTS HEAR SPECIALISTS HEAR

EVERY DAY:EVERY DAY:““This book doesn’t have anything in This book doesn’t have anything in

it.”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 Review: Taking notesnotes

READ!!!!READ!!!!

Find the treasureFind the treasure

Report by using Report by using Caveman talkCaveman talk

Cite your sourcesCite your sources

DO YOUR BEST WORK!