cornell notes
what is it?
* "The note making summary strategy called Cornell Notes was first introduced by Walter Pauk, a professor at Cornell University in the 1940s" (Miller, 2011, p.80).
* A type of summarizing that requires note making.
* Not the same as note taking, which is just recording thoughts shared during a lecture.
* This strategy is widely used across disciplines.
* Commonly used with any type of expository text, but can also be helpful when reading detail-rich text.
* Examples of Cornell Notes:
* A type of summarizing that requires note making.
* Not the same as note taking, which is just recording thoughts shared during a lecture.
* This strategy is widely used across disciplines.
* Commonly used with any type of expository text, but can also be helpful when reading detail-rich text.
* Examples of Cornell Notes:
how to use cornell notes in the classroom:
1) Select an appropriate level text that includes the necessary content and activate students prior knowledge about the concept.
2) Hand out notepaper to students, while keeping a black copy to be used to model the strategy for the class.
3) Divide the top two-thirds of the paper vertically into two sections labeled "Subheadings" and "Notes". The bottom third of the paper will be separated from the top with a line and labeled "Summary".
4) Read a section of the text to the students, modeling fluency and vocabulary strategies.
5) Record subheadings that are located in the text in the left-hand column of the notepaper.
6) Perform a think aloud with the students in order to model how to record significant details about the topic in the "Notes" column directly across from the subheading.
7) Review the subheadings and notes as a class, and write aloud a summary in the bottom section of the page, using strategies from written summaries.
8) Once students are comfortable using this strategy, allow them to develop their own Cornell Notes.
2) Hand out notepaper to students, while keeping a black copy to be used to model the strategy for the class.
3) Divide the top two-thirds of the paper vertically into two sections labeled "Subheadings" and "Notes". The bottom third of the paper will be separated from the top with a line and labeled "Summary".
4) Read a section of the text to the students, modeling fluency and vocabulary strategies.
5) Record subheadings that are located in the text in the left-hand column of the notepaper.
6) Perform a think aloud with the students in order to model how to record significant details about the topic in the "Notes" column directly across from the subheading.
7) Review the subheadings and notes as a class, and write aloud a summary in the bottom section of the page, using strategies from written summaries.
8) Once students are comfortable using this strategy, allow them to develop their own Cornell Notes.
how this strategy benefits student learning:
* Students are learning which details are important to record as notes through the modeling of this strategy.
* "It is one of the key strategies taught to students in Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), a school program that helps prepare students in the academic middle for the rigors of college" (Miller, 2011, p.80).
* "Cornell Notes helps students record key points from the learning and engage in summary writing" (Miller, 2011, p.81).
* "Students can reduce the amount of time preparing for exams as well as other assignments by using the organized system of the Cornell Notes" (Merwin, 2007, p.21).
* "It is one of the key strategies taught to students in Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), a school program that helps prepare students in the academic middle for the rigors of college" (Miller, 2011, p.80).
* "Cornell Notes helps students record key points from the learning and engage in summary writing" (Miller, 2011, p.81).
* "Students can reduce the amount of time preparing for exams as well as other assignments by using the organized system of the Cornell Notes" (Merwin, 2007, p.21).
using this strategy with writing:
* Part of completing Cornell Notes requires students to review the subheadings and notes together to write a summary in the bottom section of their notes. They should be using the Written Summary strategies in order to complete this section. (Refer back to strategy #8 for written summaries).
Supporting Common Core State Standard in Writing Grades 6-8: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.2: Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.
Supporting Common Core State Standard in Writing Grades 6-8: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.2: Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.
supporting videos:
* The video below provides a tutorial for educators and students on how to take Cornell Notes and why they are beneficial to student learning.
* The video below is a video that two middle school students developed sharing how they create Cornell Notes and why they use them. They demonstrate step by step how to set up Cornell Notes, and describe the sections used in Cornell Notes.
research says....
* "Several studies have been completed on the effectiveness of making notes, and the results have shown that students who learn and practice it as a strategy, specifically Cornell Notes, have increased engagement with and understanding of concepts within the text" (Miller, 2011, p.80).
* Based on a study performed on the effects of students taking Cornell Notes:
"The study conducted showed an overall improvement in test scores by the participants in both U.S. History and Language Arts" (Merwin, 2007, p.18).
"There was a representation of a 24.5% average growth by the group in U.S. History and a 20.4% average growth in Language Arts" (Merwin, 2007, p.18).
Sources:
Merwin, Dr. Gretta. (2007). Increasing Achievement Scores With The Use of the Cornell Note Taking Style. Heritage College. Retrieved July 23, 2014 from http://www.heritage.edu/library/mastersprojects/Zorn_Donald_2007.pdf.
Miller, M., & Veatch, N. (2011). Literacy in Context: Choosing Instructional Strategies to Teach Reading in Content Areas for Students in Grades 5-12. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.
* Based on a study performed on the effects of students taking Cornell Notes:
"The study conducted showed an overall improvement in test scores by the participants in both U.S. History and Language Arts" (Merwin, 2007, p.18).
"There was a representation of a 24.5% average growth by the group in U.S. History and a 20.4% average growth in Language Arts" (Merwin, 2007, p.18).
Sources:
Merwin, Dr. Gretta. (2007). Increasing Achievement Scores With The Use of the Cornell Note Taking Style. Heritage College. Retrieved July 23, 2014 from http://www.heritage.edu/library/mastersprojects/Zorn_Donald_2007.pdf.
Miller, M., & Veatch, N. (2011). Literacy in Context: Choosing Instructional Strategies to Teach Reading in Content Areas for Students in Grades 5-12. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.