EDRG 4020
Mini-Lesson Plan
Thursday, April 11,
2003
NOTE TAKING:
Identifying and Monitoring
Understanding of Important Information
Lesson Introduction:
Note taking can be an effective tool for student to use to increase knowledge, understanding and comprehension of important information. In this lesson plan, useful note taking information is presented.
Teaching students to take effective notes is made easier when students are looking for certain facts or concepts and completing a note taking structure. Once students have engaged in this type of note taking, they can be moved to a less structured approach to taking notes because they have had practice in identifying and monitoring their understanding of the main concepts within a reading passage.
Step by Step:
I. Explaining the Purpose of Note-Taking
A. The teacher introduces the study of note taking by discussing why people take notes; the usefulness of being able to review and organize short phrases instead of rereading large amounts of text. The teacher also explains taking notes from several books to combine information in writing reports for research. And also, discusses reviewing notes as a way of monitoring understanding material being read.
B. The teacher then discuss the many ways in which note taking can serve as an important aide for monitoring understanding and reviewing information. Note taking can be done for different purposes such as, note cards in preparing for a written or oral report. Placing the notes on individual cards to be organized into categories to make it much easier. Also, if certain information is being sought, the use of note taking structure makes the process more effective.
A. The teacher models methods of effective note taking.
B. The teacher involves students in making decisions about information to be gathered for assignment.
a. What does the teacher want the students to focus on in that specific lesson?
C. Identify and write down main ideas and important supporting details
when preparing for test or assignment.
A. Walk students though the process of the specific type of note taking.
B. Ask students to read text a paragraph at a time and direct the note taking .
C. Ask the students to share with everyone what they have written down to see if all of the students are generally getting the same information out of the paragraph.
D. Discuss as a class different ideas they may have.
a. Emphasize the fact that each reader may actually write down different words in their notes.
b. The focus should be on the actual content of the notes taken.
A. Once the teacher is sure the students understand the process to be used,
the students are instructed to complete the reading assignment, taking notes as they read. If the teacher has identified students who need more support to successfully complete the assignment , the teacher must gather these students together and provides more guided practice with them.
A. Once the students see the positive result of the note taking, they will
be more appt to use their note taking skills again.
A. Repeat the process using another form of taking notes to teach the
students multiple note taking skills.