Ohio Standards Connections:

Research – 8th grade

#2. Identify appropriate sources and gather relevant information from multiple sources (e.g., school library catalogs, online databases, electronic resources and Internet-based resources.

Lesson Summary:

The purpose of these lessons is to review and demonstrate effective note taking skills and techniques. 

 


Estimated Duration:

6 – 45 minute lessons over 6 week period

 

 

 

Commentary:

This is the second of a three part unit.  The first part consists of four lessons.

 

 

 


Pre-Assessment:

Students were instructed to get out a sheet of paper.  The students were presented the situation of being home alone knowing the rule of the home was to take written messages for all phone calls. Using telephones two teachers role played a telephone conversation.  One teacher was identified as the caller from a temporary employment agency; the other teacher was the person at home who was assuming the role of the student. Students were instructed to complete the written part of the role play.

 

Scoring Guidelines:

Students were given one point for each of the following items:  Name of caller, reason for calling, return phone number, action requested by caller, time of call.

 

 

Post-Assessment:

Note card from the research paper project were collected from each student. 

 

Scoring Guidelines:

Students were given one point for each of the following: each source card, complete information on the source card, each note card hand in, and paraphrased statements on each note card.

 


Instructional Procedures:

Lesson #1

  Introduction

     Today we are going to begin the next part of our unit for the Closing Ceremonies of Edison.  This is a fun activity, but it is also a thinking activity.

  Pre Assessment

     Complete activity described about.  Collect Activity when completed.

Teach

     Review the plans for the Closing Ceremony emphasizing the reason and need for good note taking.

 

Lesson #2

  Teach

1.      Briefly review Lesson #1.

2.      Explain to students that today we will start note taking.  Students need two sheets of notebook paper. Distribute a one page printed article that is related to a current topic or lesson.  Ask students to read the selection and take notes on one of the sheets of paper.

3.      Next have students fold and tear the remaining sheet of paper in half.  Explain to the students that they need to redo the notes from the full sheet of paper to fit one of the half sheets of paper.  Discuss the strategies of grouping ideas, topic sentences, summarizing, and paraphrasing.

4.      Have the students fold and tear the half sheet of paper into quarters.  Explain to the students that they need to redo the notes from the half sheet of paper to fit one of the quarter sheets of paper.  The target for this activity is for the student to write 4 – 5 summary statements.

5.      Summary – share with the student’s the analogy to the movie Honey I Shrunk the Kids  - explain to the students that this lesson is titled Honey I Shrunk My Notes!!!

 

Lesson #3

  Teach

1.      Review the information needed on a source card and the location of this information in various sources– author, title, title of article, publisher, city of publication, date of publication, volume numbers, URL.

2.      Review list of example sources - students identify the various pieces of information included for each source example.

 

Lesson #4

 Teach

  1. After selecting a research topic, each student selects a book source for research.  As a class the students complete a source card for the selected book.
  2. Lesson #2 note taking strategies are reviewed.  Students take notes using these strategies with the selected source book.

 

Lesson #5

 Teach

  1. In the library students select a web site for research.  As a class the students complete the source card for the selected web site and then continue to take notes.
  2. Students select an encyclopedia for research.  Independently the students complete the source card and take notes using the selected encyclopedia article.

 

Lesson #6

  Post-Assessment:

     Note cards from the research paper project were collected from                               each student. 

Scoring Guidelines:

Students were given one point for each of the following: source card, complete information on the source card, each note card hand in, and paraphrased statements on each note card.

 


Differentiated Instructional Support

1.      2 – 3 teachers are involved in each lesson to work with students individually to meet their individual needs.

2.      Activities throughout the unit incorporated various learning styles.


Extension

Encouraged teachers to include a note taking activity into their lessons that would incorporate the techniques practiced in this unit.


Homework Options and Home Connections

Students were encouraged to locate additional sources and complete note cards at home.


Interdisciplinary Connections

  1. Note taking is a vital part of every classroom in every discipline.
  2. Lesson plans were shared with all teachers to enable them to incorporate the content and procedure into their individual classrooms.
  3. Teacher updates were given during team meetings on the progress of the unit highlighting the important topics and key words.


Materials and Resources:

For teachers

1.      Telephones to use for role play

2.      An informal script for the pre-test

3.      Elements of Writing. 8th grade Teacher’s Edition Kinneavy James, and Warriner, John E. Holt Rinehart and Winston 1998 pp 875.

For students

1.      Paper/pencil

2.      Index cards for research paper note cards

 

 


Key Vocabulary

Paraphrase, summarizing, summary statements, topic sentences, note taking, source cards


Technology Connections

 Internet

 


Research Connections

     Learning styles

 


General Tips

 


Attachments