NAME _________________________________ DATE _____________________ PER _____
ACTIVE READING NOTES AND WORKSHEET
(Information taken form “Study Skills – The Tools For Active Learning”)
FINDING YOUR READING RESPONSIBILITY
There are many reasons a reading assignment is given. In this class the purpose will usually be “my
teacher assigned it and I will be responsible for the information.” Reading responsibility is the way you are
held accountable for the information you are reading. Reading responsibility may include becoming familiar
with the information for a class discussion, possessing the ability to successfully take a quiz or test based on this
information, or simply incorporating the information into your knowledge for future use. Each responsibility
requires a different amount of reading and study time. For example, if your reading assignment is to prepare for
a class discussion, you do not need to spend a lot of time studying the material; you need only be familiar with
it.
Without a purpose or knowing your reading responsibility, you are a passive reader who wastes time and
is directionless. With a purpose and knowing your reading responsibility, you are an active reader who is
efficient with time and proceeds with a clear direction.
Below are the steps you will take before and during a reading assignment. Eventually, you will be able
to do this automatically and the writing will not be necessary. Use a piece of white lined paper and number your
answers with the corresponding number from below. Becoming an active reader is a skill you will use in
every subject and is an important life skill.
Mrs. Gregory assigned this so you could get an idea about what we will be studying next. She wants you
to review the information about water you already know and to introduce you to new information about
water.
1. Assignment:
2. Purpose: (Why did Mrs. Gregory assign it?)
3. Responsibility: (What does Mrs. Gregory want you to get out of the reading?)
4. Length of assignment (number of pages):
5. Time needed to complete the assignment:
The following will help you to understand more about the details in the reading assignment before you actually
read it.
6. Title of the lesson (in large print on the first page of each lesson)
7. Read the essential question and write it down. (You should be able to answer this question by the time you
have read the lesson.)
8. Number of subheading (large dark blue questions)
9. Number of subparagraphs (found in red on the pages)
As you are reading through the assignment fill in the blanks in the book and answer the questions on each
page. This includes the lesson review at the end of the lesson.
Please do #10 and #11 as you read through the text.
10. Write the subheading. (dark blue question)
 Read each paragraph and then write the topic sentence for that paragraph.
 One subheading can have more than one paragraph which means more than one topic sentence.
 The topic sentence is the sentence that has the main idea in it. It is sometimes the first
sentence but not always.
 Don’t forget to capitalize the first word and to put punctuation at the end.
 To make your paper neater, number your subheadings and skip lines between different
subheadings.
 List the words you come across that are in boldface or in italicized print under this subheading.
These words are usually your vocabulary words or important words or concepts. You can list
them under each topic sentence or list them all at the end of that subheading. You do not have to
define them because you will do that in your packet.
 Look at the illustrations and read the captions. Illustrations include any photos, figures,
graphs, cartoons, tables, etc. Captions are the information below or alongside the picture that
explain its value. These are to help you better understand the material.
11. Go on the next subheading (dark blue question) and follow the same directions as you did in #10.