Hello Cloonan 6th Grade Teachers, Parents and Administrators:
We are now in the third week of the ten-week S4 Study Skills Workshop.
Last week, we taught the students about how to use SMART Cards as a study tool to help them prepare
for quizzes and tests. In preparation for an upcoming geography test in Social Studies, each student
received 15 index cards on a ring and created SMART Cards for the 15 geography terms that will feature
on the test. We hope that students will perform well on this exam and that they will use SMART Cards as
a study method in the future.
Here’s what we’re covering this week:
Note-taking While Reading Text
Note-taking is a critical and fundamental skill in the support of the successful student. By its very nature,
note-taking is an active activity, and as such, helps the note-taker better understand, process, organize
and remember information.
The Cornell Note-taking system is a six-part note-taking method that allows for the easy taking of notes in
the classroom while listening as well as when reading. The goal of Cornell methodology is to provide a
format and process for recording information that is both detailed and accurate, and which can be easily
used as a quiz, test or exam study guide. The following is how we taught the method:
1.
Set It Up: Divide your paper into three sections. The first line is horizontally drawn about three to four
lines from the top. The second line is placed horizontally about five to six lines from the bottom of the
paper. Finally, the third line is vertically drawn about two inches from the left side of the paper between
the horizontal lines.
2.
Label Your Document: On the top section of your paper, write the course name, the
subject/topic/chapter, the page number, and the date.
3.
Left Side: The left side of the paper is to record key points, main ideas and concepts, important dates,
people, and characters (when taking notes from a fictional text). Make sure that plenty of space is left in
between each point.
4.
Right Side: The right side of the paper is where details in support of the left-hand side high-level ideas
will be noted. Be sure to include supportive details, facts, and visuals, such as diagrams and pictures. If
any information is missed or not understood while the teacher is lecturing, or when reading, indicate this
directly on in notes by using a question mark ?. Don’t use complete sentences and use abbreviations.
Leave lots of room in between chunks of right-hand side information so that additional information,
clarifications, visuals, etc., can be added later on.
5.
Summarize: The bottom section of your notes is reserved for a short summary (3-5 sentences) of all
the main ideas on the page above. Summarizing your notes is a scientifically proven way to help you
better digest, understand and remember information.
6.
Vocabulary and Terminology: On the back of your Cornell notes, create a Vocab Sheet using a twocolumn format: record the new word/term on the left-hand side, and the definition on the right.
Students read a short entry from a social studies textbook on human prehistory, our hominid ancestors,
and the evolution of Homo sapiens. After teachers modeled the first section of the chapter, students
independently applied the Cornell note-taking method to the rest of the text. The teachers emphasized
the differences between main ideas and supporting details.
S4 Student Homework
Students were asked to take Cornell Notes for all Social Studies reading assignments and to come
prepared to share their work in the next session.
To this end, it would be most effective if you would:
 Consider using the Cornell note-taking method in your courses: science, math, English, etc.
 Set clear expectations for how students will take notes in your class
 Instruct students on the difference between main ideas and details in your content area
 Encourage students to summarize orally or in writing to demonstrate their comprehension
Looking Ahead to Next Week: Using Visuals
 How using visuals aids in understanding when listening and taking notes
 Exploration of various graphic organizers and their uses
 How to use visuals to take notes.
We greatly appreciate your participation in this endeavor. Cloonan has been a wonderful host.
Kind Regards,
The S4 Team
S4 | Successful Study Skills 4 Students, LLC
Skills for School, Tools for Life TM
P.O. Box 644 | Southport, CT 06890
203-30-S-K-I-L-L (203-307-5455)
SuccessfulStudySkills4Students.com