inSPECting a Text and Taking Notes

Today in class we talked about how to take notes on a reading assignment while looking for our four major themes.  Students worked in class to highlight examples of themes and explain their reasoning for the theme they chose.  Tonight they will copy this information into their notes and add to it as they read from The American Journey, pages 214-217.  Our goal is to identify exactly what is going on by listing out the four themes.  Tomorrow in class we will go back and discuss exactly what everything meant and sum it up.

Below is a diagram of how their notes should look in their notebook.  Only the left side is completed when students read.  The right side of the notebook should be 100% blank.  We do that in class.

Students should follow these directions to complete their notes.

Students should continue to list examples of themes and explain them in the appropriate corner of the notebook.  Information goes with the theme that students think it fits with.  After it is listed should be a few words on why it fits there.  Students are allowed to use shorthand, abbreviate, and use symbols as long as it is clear what they are saying.  Only major examples should be listed, and some themes may have more examples than others.  Some examples may fit in more than one category also.  At the bottom of the page students may list any questions about what they don't understand.  As those questions get answered tomorrow in class they check them off and jot down the answer.

Stay tuned for an example of how a completed notes page should look!