How to Take Notes

Tip Sheet

1.  Ask questions before you read.  Use the KWL strategy to determine what you know about a topic and what you want or need to know about a topic.  Use this as a focus for your reading or listening.

2.  Choose only the most important information to write down.  Only about ¼ of what a teacher or text says should be written down in your notes.

3.  Write your notes down in your own words.  This will help you to understand the information more clearly.

4.  Use short phrases and abbreviations to save time as you write.  You can abbreviate words by taking off the last syllables or borrowing symbols from math or science (ex. And = +).

5.  Put each new piece of information on a new line.

6.  Put a dot or dash in front of each bit of new information.  This will help it to stand out.

7.  Organize information by category.  Use an underlined heading to separate each category.

8.  Make sure you can read your notes.  Leave plenty of space between sections and don’t be too messy with your handwriting.  Check your notes after you are done to be sure you understand them.  Be sure you have a main heading and date at the top of the paper to help you find them later!

Famous Explorers                                                                   Name_____________________

Research Project                                                                     Date______________________

KWL – Brainstorm Sheet                                                         Class_____________________

Set a focus for your research and notes by thinking about the topic before you start.  Fill out the sheet below using the KWL process.

What I KNOW about my topic:

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What I WANT or NEED to KNOW about my topic (ask questions):

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What I have LEARNED about the topic:

-Use your note cards on the sheet from your packet to write down what you have learned about your explorer.