Reading Strategy #2: Two Column Notes
Sometimes called Cornell Notes, Two Column Notes is another way for you to think more critically about
what you are reading and about how you are reading. There are a few ways to do this. See the
examples below.
YOUR ASSIGNMENT: For your homework, choose 4 pages to use and practice with. Complete two
entries in your two column chart for each of the 4 pages. So, total, you will have 8 entries for this
assignment. At the top of the journal identify the pages you chose. See below for a model.
Question-based Two Column Notes
Pages 38-44, A Lesson Before Dying
Ask a Summary / Inference / Connection / Prediction
Question
S: Who is Matthew Antoine and what was his
relationship to our narrator Grant?
(Beginning , Emerging, Proficient)
C: In what ways is Grant’s relationship similar to my
own experience in education?
(Emerging, Proficient, Advanced – depth of the
connecting question depends on the reading level)
Pred: Do you think Grant will turn out to be like his
teacher?
(Beginning , Emerging, Proficient)
Write your response to the question
here…
2 – 3 sentences are fine.
Make sure you have a complete sentence:
YES! I think Grant will turn out to be like his
teacher because he already exhibits the cynical
traits even at his young age. For example,
when he talks to Miss Emma and Tante Lou he
already feels like there is no hope for Jefferson.
I: What can you infer about the kind of student/young
NO! Yes he will.
person Grant was while growing up?
(Proficient, Advanced)
Pat: What do the connections around education
(Grant is a teacher, Vivian is a teacher, Antoine was a
teacher, Rev. Ambrose is kind of a teacher) signify?
(Proficient, Advanced)
Ms. Levine
Quotation-based Two Column Notes
Write down a quotation from the text that stands out
to you because it seems important
Explain what this quotation tells the reader
about the characters, plot, or themes
Summary:
“Everything you sent me to school for, you’re
stripping me of it,” I told my aunt. They were looking
at the fire, and I stood behind them with the bag of
food. “The humiliation I had to go through, going into
that man’s kitchen.”
(OR if you are at the beginning or emerging level you
can write the page number in the left hand column
and in the right hand column you can write two bullet
points noting important events from that page)
Summary response:
Grant is explaining why he is resistant to doing
what Miss Emma and Tante Lou are asking of
him. He doesn’t want to have to be subservient
to the white men in town.
Inference:
“You the one?” he asked me.
“The one for what?” I said.
His big brown eyes with reddish whites mocked me.
“Go’n jeck that switch” he said, looking at me. (74)
Inference response:
This quotation shows that even though
Jefferson isn’t talking much about his situation,
he is thinking a lot about the end of his life,
which is important because it gives us insight
into his character.
Connection:
“Don’t force him,” Miss Emma said. “When I’m able
to get on my feet –God willing—I’ll get somebody else
to take me up there. I don’t want to be a burden on
nobody.” (78)
Connection response:
This reminds me of my grandmother. Miss
Emma is talking here about not wanting to
pressure Grant into doing something he doesn’t
want to do. She feels guilty. My grandmother
also needs lots of help but she hates to ask for
it. We, her family, know that she needs to have
the help so we find a way to get her what she
needs. Tante Lou clearly cares about Miss
Emma.
Prediction:
“But since I had been there less than a half hour, I
knew it was too early to call for the deputy. The
sheriff would have known that Jefferson and I were
not getting along, and that was the last thing I could
afford, at least for Miss Emma’s sake.” (84)
Prediction Response:
This is the first time that we see Grant
concerned about the health or needs of Miss
Emma. I predict that he will continue to do
things to show that he cares for her, even
though this is contrary to what he has done so
far.
*Notice that you don’t need to write “p” or “pp”
next to the page number.
2 – 3 sentence responses are fine. Make sure
you use complete sentences.